Furano International Snowsports School
Furano International Snowsports School
5
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Furano International Snowsports School offers private ski & snowboard lessons. FISS has the highest qualified and experienced instructors available in Furano. All our staff speak English, for more information please visit our website.
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5.0
25 reviews
Excellent
25
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
David M
6 contributions
Jan 2025 • Friends
Ski with Andy GUEST! So I have been skiing for more than 40 years. Like most Kiwis I was self taught with the occasional (rare) lesson along the way. Skiing in Japan and in this powder, bumps and trees is completely foreign to me even though I can ski anything (not always with the style I want!). Andy coached me into some revolutionary changes that immediately boosted my confidence allowing me to tackle tree skiing, achieve more consistent carving, and move me towards the next level. I will never by the guy who was born with skis on his feet, however I hope to feel more like that more often, with another 10,000 great turns under my belt to consolidate my new learnings.
Thanks Andy, I will be back for more.
Thanks Andy, I will be back for more.
Written 12 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter D
3 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
Great ski school with excellent service and instructors. Ask for Andy-he was brilliant, knows every spot on the mountain, is excellent with adults and kids and taught us techniques that have changed the way we ski (after years of skiing!) for the better!
Written 30 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Feibi C
Houston, TX9 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
We just finished our 2.5 days of private ski lessons with our awesome instructor, James! We had 2 tweens and 1 adult in our group, and our instructor was able to split the times accordingly and focus on our individual levels. I finally learned how to parallel ski after day 2, and this is my second season skiing! The boys were able to improve on carving, and our instructor took them all over the best runs! Overall a fantastic experience, we will definitely choose FISS again the next time we ski in Furano, and with the same instructor if he is available!
Written 2 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue I
Sydney, Australia52 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We tried another ski school in Niseko a couple of years ago and were terribly disappointed in the quality of teaching. This time at Furano we booked 1.5 days of private lessons with FISS because of the positive reviews here. Best decision we ever made. Our instructor Rachael was the most patient person with a ton of teaching experience. She addressed each of our problems using many examples and exercises to help us improve our skills. She was always encouraging and fun to work with, making the lessons constructive as well as enjoyable. Booking online was very easy. They answered all our questions promptly via email. Very pleased to recommend FISS.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kingslea Chan
Hong Kong, China38 contributions
Dec 2019
Our family booked 2 instructors for a combined 2 full days. Georgia and Jane were both excellent instructor. Very patient and very good at taking care of my family, while I get to explore the mountain. My family loved the experience. On the last day, my 4 years old son was too tired and didn't want to ski, Jane and Georgia was flexible enough to take me and explore the mountain for half a day. It was a lot of work keeping up with a much younger instructor, but I had so much fun that morning. Our family will definitely come back again and chose FISS again.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elaine
1 contribution
Feb 2020
We were a group of 2 in our early thirties, one who was a complete beginner and the other one had some experience though minimal. Jann was with us for the first day and on the second day, we split and had individual lessons.
Jann was very patient who went all the way to teach and make sure we had the basics right.
Simone gave clear instructions and also challenged me to try out some tricks which I never thought I would be able to do. By the end of the 3-hour lesson, I was able to go down the green slopes confidently by myself.
It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to my next ski experience. Would return to Furano and engage FISS again!
Jann was very patient who went all the way to teach and make sure we had the basics right.
Simone gave clear instructions and also challenged me to try out some tricks which I never thought I would be able to do. By the end of the 3-hour lesson, I was able to go down the green slopes confidently by myself.
It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to my next ski experience. Would return to Furano and engage FISS again!
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Petch B
Brisbane, Australia79 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Great snow sport school. I first found skiing scary. I had beginner lessons with the best ski instructor ever, a 22 years old from Melbourne. Georgia helped me to overcome fear and enjoy skiing after 3 days. My husband and our 2 boys had advance level lessons with also a very experienced ski instructor.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VDMN
Hong Kong, China2 contributions
Mar 2012 • Solo
To borrow the Via Michelin Guide’s terminology, the Furano International Snowsport School (“FISS”) is a Michelin 3-star experience – it is well worth going to Furano if only just for getting private ski (or snowboard) lessons with the instructors at FISS. I did, a few months ago. And I will again, in a few weeks’ time. They are really that superb.
According to their website, FISS’s mission is to give their guests the best ski and snowboard lesson experience possible in Japan. In my view, they are being much too modest. The truth is, not only have I had the most exceptional lessons, the hospitality and friendship offered by everyone at FISS also made my entire ski holiday a most unforgettable experience.
At FISS, client satisfaction is a priority and this was evident even when I first contacted them by email. Ben (one of the founders of FISS) promptly responded to my enquiries. Unlike many other ski schools, FISS does not give out “one size fits all” private lessons. Ben took time to discuss and understand my objectives with me to plan and customize the lessons to my specific needs.
FISS prides itself on having ridiculously highly qualified instructors, to the extent that they actually train instructors and even examine those who wish to become trainers of instructors. Many of them have worked in and are the most sought-after instructors in world-renowned ski resorts in the northern and southern hemispheres (I heard that they get booked out months before the ski season actually starts). Some of them were even ex-Olympians and/or trainers and coaches to national teams.
That’s all good on paper. But what are the lessons really like?
In short, they are simply the best ski lessons I have ever had anywhere, by a country mile.
I had 3 days of private lessons with Ben on my first visit to Furano. After the initial run on the first day (which actually was a mini-assessment of my skiing ability in disguise), Ben took me to various parts of the mountain. He had a near-psychic ability of finding just the right quantity and quality of snow for me, kept me working hard but manageable. We started off with some skiing on the piste, then on the cushiony sides of the piste, then on the ungroomed snow under and through the trees on very gentle slopes. It was challenging skiing and most important of all, fun.
What I hadn’t realize then but which finally came to me in retrospect was that all of those “fun” skiing that took place on the first day were in fact different components of a very carefully drawn up 3-day training programme that Ben devised in his mind based on: 1) what I had told him before on emails about my learning objectives, and 2) his assessment of my skiing abilities. The exercises were so spot on that not only were they the magic pills to many of my previous ski faults and deficiencies, they were also carefully arranged to equip me with the different skills required to tackle fresh Furano POWDER that is world famous!!! By the 3rd lesson, I was skiing some easy and some not so easy uneven knee-deep powder on an ungroomed black run!!! I had never thought that for someone (moi) who had never skied any real powder before could develop sufficient skills in such a short time. And it all came down to Ben’s excellent teaching ability.
Apart from the great lessons (with measurable results and the successes), the good laughs on the chair lifts, and the very fun stories that Ben had to share, what else makes FISS so special?
Well, there is Kojima-san, the other co-founder of FISS. He is a famous local of Furano who represented Japan in snowboarding in World Championships and the Olympics. As such, FISS benefits from his insider knowledge of the mountain and the snow, as well as his connections. I heard that he managed to get some handmade snowboards for students of FISS last season to try out during their lessons …
Ben and his wife (Naoko, who, by the way, is an excellent instructor and often made clients speechless by the sheer grace and the SPEED of her skiing) went out of their way to make my stay in Furano as comfortable as possible. They drove me to the supermarket to stock up the groceries. They also organized après ski drinks at one of the local pubs with other students. Ben even showed me how to wax a pair of skis properly (in fact, he waxed MY skis for the sake of demonstration).
I enjoyed skiing in Furano and taking lessons with FISS and Ben so much that I cancelled my second ski trips of last season (I had originally planned to go to Zermatt) to return to Furano in March earlier this year. And it was a hard pick whether my first or the second trip was the more memorable. Though I must say that on my second visit, Ben deemed me sufficiently skilled to go skiing off-piste (which was another one of my objectives) so Ben, other members of the FISS team and I spent a day skiing in the Daisetsuzan National Park. It was a live volcano!!!! There was above knee-deep powder, pristine blue sky and tree skiing. Definitely one of those priceless MasterCard moments.
I went to Furano hoping that I would have a good ski holiday. I got that, 200% in fact. FISS exceeded my expectations in every way. But I had not expected that, before I returned to Furano, Ben and Naoko had already left a message at the hotel (by the way, Hotel Petit Suzuran is a jem, see my other review) saying that they would be happy to give me a lift to the supermarket to pick up some groceries after I checked-in. They have become my friends.
I will go back to Furano in a month’s time. I have already booked lessons with Ben and Naoko. Whilst FISS is expanding and more top quality instructors are joining their team, I cannot emphasize enough that lessons should be booked well in advance to avoid disappointment. Trust me, not being able to take lessons from them would be a real disappointment.
When I left Furano in March, Ben and Miwa-san (a very nice and popular snowboarding instructor at FISS) came to send me off and gave me a box of local Japanese chocolate for the road, which Miwa said was her favourite. It was very good dark chocolate, but I could only taste the sweetness.
According to their website, FISS’s mission is to give their guests the best ski and snowboard lesson experience possible in Japan. In my view, they are being much too modest. The truth is, not only have I had the most exceptional lessons, the hospitality and friendship offered by everyone at FISS also made my entire ski holiday a most unforgettable experience.
At FISS, client satisfaction is a priority and this was evident even when I first contacted them by email. Ben (one of the founders of FISS) promptly responded to my enquiries. Unlike many other ski schools, FISS does not give out “one size fits all” private lessons. Ben took time to discuss and understand my objectives with me to plan and customize the lessons to my specific needs.
FISS prides itself on having ridiculously highly qualified instructors, to the extent that they actually train instructors and even examine those who wish to become trainers of instructors. Many of them have worked in and are the most sought-after instructors in world-renowned ski resorts in the northern and southern hemispheres (I heard that they get booked out months before the ski season actually starts). Some of them were even ex-Olympians and/or trainers and coaches to national teams.
That’s all good on paper. But what are the lessons really like?
In short, they are simply the best ski lessons I have ever had anywhere, by a country mile.
I had 3 days of private lessons with Ben on my first visit to Furano. After the initial run on the first day (which actually was a mini-assessment of my skiing ability in disguise), Ben took me to various parts of the mountain. He had a near-psychic ability of finding just the right quantity and quality of snow for me, kept me working hard but manageable. We started off with some skiing on the piste, then on the cushiony sides of the piste, then on the ungroomed snow under and through the trees on very gentle slopes. It was challenging skiing and most important of all, fun.
What I hadn’t realize then but which finally came to me in retrospect was that all of those “fun” skiing that took place on the first day were in fact different components of a very carefully drawn up 3-day training programme that Ben devised in his mind based on: 1) what I had told him before on emails about my learning objectives, and 2) his assessment of my skiing abilities. The exercises were so spot on that not only were they the magic pills to many of my previous ski faults and deficiencies, they were also carefully arranged to equip me with the different skills required to tackle fresh Furano POWDER that is world famous!!! By the 3rd lesson, I was skiing some easy and some not so easy uneven knee-deep powder on an ungroomed black run!!! I had never thought that for someone (moi) who had never skied any real powder before could develop sufficient skills in such a short time. And it all came down to Ben’s excellent teaching ability.
Apart from the great lessons (with measurable results and the successes), the good laughs on the chair lifts, and the very fun stories that Ben had to share, what else makes FISS so special?
Well, there is Kojima-san, the other co-founder of FISS. He is a famous local of Furano who represented Japan in snowboarding in World Championships and the Olympics. As such, FISS benefits from his insider knowledge of the mountain and the snow, as well as his connections. I heard that he managed to get some handmade snowboards for students of FISS last season to try out during their lessons …
Ben and his wife (Naoko, who, by the way, is an excellent instructor and often made clients speechless by the sheer grace and the SPEED of her skiing) went out of their way to make my stay in Furano as comfortable as possible. They drove me to the supermarket to stock up the groceries. They also organized après ski drinks at one of the local pubs with other students. Ben even showed me how to wax a pair of skis properly (in fact, he waxed MY skis for the sake of demonstration).
I enjoyed skiing in Furano and taking lessons with FISS and Ben so much that I cancelled my second ski trips of last season (I had originally planned to go to Zermatt) to return to Furano in March earlier this year. And it was a hard pick whether my first or the second trip was the more memorable. Though I must say that on my second visit, Ben deemed me sufficiently skilled to go skiing off-piste (which was another one of my objectives) so Ben, other members of the FISS team and I spent a day skiing in the Daisetsuzan National Park. It was a live volcano!!!! There was above knee-deep powder, pristine blue sky and tree skiing. Definitely one of those priceless MasterCard moments.
I went to Furano hoping that I would have a good ski holiday. I got that, 200% in fact. FISS exceeded my expectations in every way. But I had not expected that, before I returned to Furano, Ben and Naoko had already left a message at the hotel (by the way, Hotel Petit Suzuran is a jem, see my other review) saying that they would be happy to give me a lift to the supermarket to pick up some groceries after I checked-in. They have become my friends.
I will go back to Furano in a month’s time. I have already booked lessons with Ben and Naoko. Whilst FISS is expanding and more top quality instructors are joining their team, I cannot emphasize enough that lessons should be booked well in advance to avoid disappointment. Trust me, not being able to take lessons from them would be a real disappointment.
When I left Furano in March, Ben and Miwa-san (a very nice and popular snowboarding instructor at FISS) came to send me off and gave me a box of local Japanese chocolate for the road, which Miwa said was her favourite. It was very good dark chocolate, but I could only taste the sweetness.
Written 7 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JacquelineMa
Singapore, Singapore761 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
We had very patient instructors take care of us noobs. Its great that they were English speaking so we could understand. Two hours passed by quickly. It was fun.
Written 28 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Expat_Gourmand
Melbourne, Australia82 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
We booked FISS for a 2-hour family ski lesson with our 6-year-old son, and child care for our 1-year-old. Our instructor was friendly, patient and experienced, adjusting the lesson to suit our individual needs and speed of learning. I was happy with the child care services. The child carers were gentle and experienced with young children, and our daughter was happy with them (for the most part - she hated parting from us in the morning). We stayed at the New Furano Prince Hotel, and the complimentary pick-up service for the child care was handy on the days when we wanted to stay in the Furano Zone. Booking was easy, and I appreciated the quick response time by email (I get a reply usually within a day). The childcare facility is quite small and bookings get filled up quickly (as it is to date the only day care facility in Furano)
Written 15 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
> School offers private ski & snowboard lessons and kids day care facilities.
My foreign friend wants to ask for childcare, is that possible?
Written 14 January 2024
Thank you for your enquiry. During the Covid pandemic we needed to close our daycare facilities. Currently we only offer ski and snowboard lessons.
Written 16 January 2024
How to book a trainer for snowboarding in Dec 2019. I plan to stay in New Furano Hotel. We are a family of 4. 2 Boys aged 12 and 15. We snowboarded once and want to learn more snowboarding skill.
Written 10 September 2019
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