It’s getting to that time of the year, Chinese New Year is upon us, Japan’s ski resorts are crossing over from peak season to shoulder season, and Australia’s most important annual event, the Triple J ‘Hottest 100’ is done and dusted (kudos, Chappell).
But that got us thinking, what would the Rhythm Hottest 100 look like? What would be our hottest sellers and most hired items?
Before you ask, no, our list won’t be 100 items, but we did want to find out what our hottest rental goods are. What are the models that all of you have been loving over your Japow trips? What are the models that we feel should get some more love, and which models are standing out as the best for each location’s unique conditions?
Interesting questions, right! We thought so, and if you’re already this deep into this blog, you probably do as well. So come along with us as we unpack Rhythm Hottest rental goods of the 2024/25 season (so far).
Key Facts
- 11 out of every 30 premium skis rented in Niseko are Volkl models.
- In Niseko, Mindbenders make up 26% of all ski rentals this season. They also come out on top in Furano, making up 30% of all rentals. Hakuba on the other hand, the K2 Reckoner reigns supreme, taking out a whopping 31% of all rental orders!
- In Niseko, the Lib Tech Skate Banana makes up 23% of premium board rentals.
- In Furano, the Lib Tech Orca and Burton Hideaway make up 10% and 6% of all premium board rentals respectively.
- Hakuba is much more varied with the Yes TDF, Jones Dreamweaver, Burton Navigator and Season Nexus all making up 6% off all board rentals so far. However, with 10 of every 30 boards being hired being a YES board, we’ll crown them Hakuba’s leader at the moment.
The Hit List: Rental Hot Picks
K2 Mindbender
If you’re a freerider, you’ll know that there’s no better ski for big alpine terrain than the K2 Mindbender series. The product of hundreds of hours of designing, testing and tweaking, the Mindbender collection features a Titanal Y-beam on the men’s version and Carbon Spectral Braid on the women’s models, making it unquestionably burly as an off-piste charger.
SPECS
Profile: All-terrain rocker (rocker/camber/rocker)
Core: Aspen Micro Block Core
Laminate: Triaxial Braid
Base: Sintered Base
PERKS
+ Great for beginner riders
+ Awesome all-mountain all-rounder.
+ Partial twin tip, making riding switch even easier!
K2 Reckoner
Built to conquer park, powder and all-mountain terrain, there’s no better ski for Hakuba’s current season than the Reckoner. Take ‘em out exploring the backcountry, then on your way back through the rest hit up a few cheeky park laps. A versatile, all-mountain beast – there’s nothing you can throw at the Reckoner that they can’t handle.
SPECS
Profile: All-Terrain Twin Rocker
Core: Aspen Micro Block Core
Laminate: Triaxial Braid
Base: Sintered Base
PERKS
+ Mid/fat width perfect for powder
+ Versatile all-mountain ripper
+ Twin Tech sidewalls for enhanced durability and energy transfer
Lib Tech Orca
If you’ve skied at any resort around the world, you’ve come across a Lib Tech Orca. Up there with a Burton LTR as one of the most sold boards worldwide, the Orca is a crowd-favourite that refuses to give up its spot atop of the throne.
A long floaty nose combined with a powerful poppy contact maximizing short radius “Whale Tail Technology” the Orca is the perfect option whether you’re dropping BC pillow stacks, blowing minds on the resort groomers or pounding through the park.
SPECS
Profile: Orca C2X Directional rocker/camber hybrid
Flex: Medium
Core: Horsepower (HP) Construction
Laminate:Triaxial/Biaxial Fiberglass with Basalt Alloy
PERKS
+ Awesome central rocker built for carve, edge hold
+ Float and camber provide pop and stability
+ Magne-traction edges for extra edge hold
Lib Tech Skate Banana
To be honest, the Skate Banana taking out one of the top spots in Niseko is quite surprising. As one of the best park boards of all time, we would have expected the Skate Banana would stand out most in Hakuba, but it seems some of you crazy cats are boosting Niseko’s sidehits so much that you needed a park setup!
SPECS
Profile: Original Banana (customer camber)
Flex: Soft
Core: Original power construction
Sidewalls: Birch internal sidewalls
PERKS
+ Great freestyle option that also tears it up on the slopes
+ Magne-traction for enhanced edge control
+ Perfect for all levels of rider
Volkl Skis
Does Volkl need any introduction? For over 100 years now the German based manufacturer has dominated the ski market as one of the biggest brands out there. Is it surprising that they are one of our most rented brands? Not really. Is it deserved? Absolutely.
Sleeper Hits: Underrated Rental Models We Feel Should Get Some More Love
Here at Rhythm, we like to think all of our rental gear is pretty special, so we try not to play favourites.
So with that being said, we wanted to highlight a few extra models that we think are are awesome for Japan’s unique conditions, and to get the best possible opinion on our best hidden gems, we asked our Senior Rental Operations Manager, Sean Potts (‘Pottsy’ to you) for his picks on the models in our rental fleet that deserve a bit more love – the sleeper hits that’ll be setting trends in two season times that you may not have heard of yet!
Black Crow – Mirus Cor
“I went out on a set of Mirus Cors the other day in variable conditions and honestly, this thing is a weapon. From groomers to chop, they carve anything you throw at them, while also somehow always staying playful. A great ski that everyone should give a shot, available in Niseko and Hakuba.”
K2 Almanac
“Working at Rhythm you get to hear a lot of customer reviews, and the K2 Almanac really stands out. There’s been so many good reviews of this board from friends and colleagues, with everyone swearing by it being a perfect all-mountain ripper for JaPow’s unique conditions.”
Season EQPT Forma – (Available in boards and skis)
“A playful powder option with a fishtail that’s perfect for smashing deep treelines, BC missions and deep pillows.”
Travel light and enjoy the latest boards and skis by pre-booking your rentals today. Our team will make sure you’re riding the best gear for Japan’s snow conditions!
