Gotta hand it to them…now they’ve even sniffed out Niseko. As hard as we’ve tried to keep this paradise secret from the rest of the world. Who are we talking about? Patagonia, the outdoor brand with the alpine roots, environmental heart and surfers dreadlocks. For a little while now, they’ve planted two “Brand Ambassadors” right smack in the middle of Niseko: ski guide Yutaka Takanashi and snowboarding legend Taro Tamai. The latter is a purist rider who makes some seriously beautiful snowboards under the brand GENTEMstick, the former is a hardcore telemark skier featured in countless video documentaries about the sport. The snow is not quite here yet, so for now they can simply talk up a good story. But we’ll patiently wait ‘til December to see what they’re all really made of.