Читать книгу 155 - Hubertus Godeysen - Страница 7

In the vast check-in area of Narita Airport in Tokyo, on November 6, 2000, 42-year-old Okihiko Deguchi is waiting near the Japan Airlines counter with his 13-year-old daughter Nao, as well as two girls and two boys, all 14 years old. They got an early start that day in their home prefecture of Fukushima. At about 10:30 in the morning, they’re standing at the meeting point, waiting for the other four members of their group. All of them are looking forward to a week of ski training on the Kitzsteinhorn in Austria.

Okihiko Deguchi is a well-known Japanese professional skier who became a successful trainer and is coaching the five young people from Fukushima. The three girls and two boys, still in junior high school, are some of Japan’s best young skiers and hope to qualify for the Olympics. Fourteen-year-old Tomohisa Saze is already a member of the Japanese representative team and is training hard to be nominated for the World Championships. Ayaka Katoono, also 14, is a member of her prefecture’s youth ski team who would like to qualify for the university team and become a teacher after completing her studies. Tomoko Wakui has two great passions: skiing and fashion. She hopes to become a famous fashion designer someday. Masanobu Onodera is an enthusiastic skier who is still deciding whether to become a professional skier or a computer programmer. And Nao, although the youngest participant, is already a highly talented young skier, her famous father’s pride and joy.

Their plane leaves at 12:50, but they don’t have to wait long: "Hello, Mr. Deguchi! Welcome to Tokyo," says Masatoshi Mitsumoto to the trainer, the five young people and two fathers who came along. He and his 22-year-old daughter Saori had the shortest trip to the airport and brought along one of Saori’s classmates. A few minutes later, Maki Sakakibara also arrives at the meeting point with her boyfriend; at 25, she is the eldest participant. Soon Hirokazu Oyama is there too. He rode in on the airport bus after a heartfelt send-off from his parents at Takasaki bus station. His father works as a manager for Japan’s renowned ski manufacturer Ogasaka and its famous ski team. Ogasaka is one of the sponsors of the group’s training trip to Austria.

Deguchi returns the friendly greeting and introduces the parents to each other; they exchange deep bows. The nine young people are less formal. The girls hug each other happily and the boys go for casual handshakes. Now he has his group together, talking eagerly and finding out what they have in common. Deguchi looks at his wristwatch and suggests they should check in. The Japanese travel group take their bulky luggage up to the counter and hand it in; the trainer gets ten boarding passes.

Before going through security they all turn around once more, wave one last time. The trainer makes a deep bow. Then the airport swallows the little group.

"Let’s go to the observation deck and watch our kids fly away," suggests Masatoshi Mitsumoto. The fathers and Maki’s boyfriend follow him. When they reach the deck, they recognize the plane the group is sitting in. At 12:35 the gangway is drawn back and the plane slowly taxis to starting position. After a few minutes the turbines roar, the Japan Airlines aircraft begins to roll, it picks up speed, the flaps on the wings go up, and at 12:50 on the dot, the plane takes off. They know the passengers can’t see them from in there, but they still wave at the plane with its circular red crane design on the tail fin as it disappears into the clouds. "Itterashai and sayonara!" they call after the young travelers.

On the plane, the three youngest sit together. They’re the most excited because this is their first long-distance flight. Saori Mitsumoto and her friend Ruouko Narahar are also sitting together. They are students at renowned Keio University and belong to its prestigious ski club. Both girls have potential for a great career after graduation—not only are they excellent skiers, they also get very good grades.

Maki is hoping her training on the Kitzsteinhorn will help her qualify for the Japanese ski competitions in January 2001 and become a professional. Later, she would like to become a coach for the Japanese skiing elite. Hirokazu, who wants to become a skiing instructor and dreams of managing a ski hotel, is hoping to improve his technique enough to present the new ski models for Ogasaka. All nine young people are full of anticipation. Once the plane has reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt signs are off, they swamp their trainer with questions about where they’re going and what it’s like to ski in the Alps. But they have a long trip ahead before they can strap on their skis. Because of the eight-hour time difference between Europe and Japan, they’ll have an eleven-and-a-half-hour flight behind them when they reach Copenhagen at 4:30 pm. Their next flight leaves at 5:15 and lands in Munich at 6:55. From there, they’ll take a charter bus to Kaprun, arriving at 10:30 pm.

The nine young Japanese skiers. Photo taken on November 8, 2000 on the Kitzsteinhorn.

On November 10, the phone rings at Nanae and Masatoshi Mitsumoto’s house in Tokyo.

"I just wanted to give you a quick call from Austria," their daughter Saori shouts into her cellphone. The connection is bad, but her parents can understand her.

"We're skiing on the glacier a lot and eating in Kaprun in the evenings, our hotel’s there too. We’re having a good time and tomorrow we’re going up the mountain again. The weather’s supposed to be perfect tomorrow. On the Kitzsteinhorn they’re having the international snowboard opening with a competition, a party, and fireworks."

"We’re glad you’re having a good time, keep having fun! We’re thinking of you. Sayonara," shout her parents—and that’s the end of the call.

The next day, the group from far-away Japan stand close together with their equipment in front of the Kitzsteingams, the Kaprun glacier train, which pulls into the valley station at 8:57 am. A few minutes later, father Okihiko Deguchi nudges his 13-year-old daughter Nao into the train first. He follows with the other eight young people.