トーク Talks
1993年2月21日生まれ。
北海道倶知安町ニセコひらふ出身。ニセコの大きな山の麓で伸び伸びと育ち、5歳でスノーボードと出会う。ヒラフのロングバーンで足腰を鍛えた。小学校4年でスノーボードキャンプに参加し、初めて見たプロの滑りに衝撃を受けプロに憧れを抱く。中学生からスノーボードクロスをはじめ、高校ではスノーボード部に所属、長野で行われたFISレースにて高校生として初の優勝を飾りジュニアナショナルチー ム入り。シニアになってからも活躍を続け、ナショナルチーム、日本代表としてW杯を転戦する。大学卒業を機にレースを卒業。もともと大好きだったフリースタイルの道を歩みだすと同時にK2 Snowboardingに加入し、海外撮影やニセコでの滑りが評価され、現在K2 Snowboarding 日本人初となるインターナショナルライダーとして活躍してる。
近年では、執筆活動に加え、横浜中華街映画祭「滑板拳』の主演も務めるなど活動の幅を広げている。
Born on February 21, 1993, in Niseko Hirafu, Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido, Daisuke Watanabe grew up at the foot of Niseko’s iconic mountains, discovering snowboarding at the age of 5. He honed his skills on Hirafu's long slopes, building strength and technique. A pivotal moment came in his fourth year of elementary school when Daisuke attended a snowboard camp and saw professional snowboarders for the first time. This encounter ignited his dream of becoming a pro athlete.
In high school, Daisuke joined the snowboard club and made history by becoming the first high school student to win an FIS race in Nagano, Japan, securing a spot on the junior national team. As a senior, he continued competing on the World Cup circuit as a member of both the national and Japan’s national teams.
After graduating from university, Daisuke shifted his focus away from racing to pursue his passion for freestyle snowboarding. He joined K2 Snowboarding and quickly gained recognition for his work in international film projects and backcountry skiing in Niseko.
In recent years, Daisuke has expanded his career beyond snowboarding, starring in the Yokohama Chinatown Film Festival's production Kappen Ken, which was showcased at Niseko Hirafu Green Park 2024.
家族の影響で歩き始めるのと同時期（2歳頃）からスキーを始め、父や兄、そして友人と共にニセコの山を自由に滑走しスキー技術を磨く。10歳頃に兄の影響を受けフリースタイルスキーを始め、小学6年生の時にスキーに対する熱が高まりプロスキーヤーになることを目指し始める。この時、兄の力を借り自分をサポートしてくれるスポンサー探しを開始。
その際に作成したPRビデオがプロスキーヤーの児玉さんの目に止まり、ウェアメーカーのSOSとスポンサー契約を交わす。その後、本格的なトレーニングや大会転戦を開始。高校生でジュニアナショナルチームメンバーに選抜され、世界ジュニア選手権など世界大会に出場し始める。
その後は日本代表としてワールドカップなど世界大会を転戦。2019年8月から家業である宿泊施設「ポンゴ広場」の代表に就任。それと同時にフリースタイルスキーからフリーライドスキーへ競技を転向し、オールラウンドスキーヤーとして国内で活躍。2023年にはフリーライドスキーで日本一に輝く。大会を転戦する一方で、自身の滑りを映像や写真に残し発信する活動も行っている。 2023年からMatchistick Productionに参加。2024年にSMITHからコラボモデルのゴーグルをリリース。
Gen Sasaki developed a passion for skiing at an early age, starting as soon as he could walk, around the age of 2. Growing up in Niseko, he honed his skills alongside his father, older brother, and friends, freely exploring the mountains. Influenced by his older brother, Gen transitioned to freestyle skiing at age 10, and by the sixth grade, he was determined to pursue a career as a professional skier.
With his brother's support, Gen sought sponsorship and caught the attention of professional skier Takeshi Kodama through a promotional video. This led to a sponsorship deal with clothing manufacturer SOS, marking the start of his professional career. He then began rigorous training and competing in various competitions.
In high school, Gen was selected for Japan’s junior national team, representing his country in global events such as the World Junior Championships and World Cup. In 2019, he became a representative of his family’s accommodation business, Bongo Hiroba, while making the switch from freestyle to freeride skiing, establishing himself as an all-around skier in Japan.
By 2023, Gen was recognized as one of Japan’s top freeride skiers. He continues to document his skiing adventures through videos and photos, joining Matchstick Productions that same year. In 2024, he released a collaboration model goggle with SMITH, solidifying his influence in the skiing community.