The Best Competition In Women's Snowboarding Is Headed To Japan
Move over Olympics, there's another contest on the docket this week.
Jess Kimura has already impacted the lives of hundreds of snowboarders through The Uninvited. Now, she’s sharing the love with Japan.
The Uninvited’s first event in Japan will go down February 6 through 8, 2026, at Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain. There are still several spots open for women looking to compete in the contest.
Here’s the schedule for the weekend:
- Feb 6: course inspection and practice
- Feb 7: competition and awards with a ¥1.5M JPY prize purse
- Feb 8: Community Ride Day, open to riders of all levels
Those who want to compete can register here.
Photo: Anna Burch/The Uninvited
Tomoyo Oishi, Kimura, Miyeong Yamaguchi, Himari Takamori, Aya Sato, and other special guests will be present at the community ride day on Sunday. That day is open to all skill levels, and is meant to be a place for learning new tricks as much as making new friends.
The Uninvited comes from the brain of Kimura, who started the contest after seeing a ton of talent in women’s snowboarding without anywhere to showcase it. She self-produced the Uninvited films, which launched careers for girls, women, and non-binary riders who needed a place to shine.
A contest soon followed, and so did the prize money. Last year, 15-year-old Jess Perlmutter took home first place and a $15,000 prize. The event is presented by The North Face, one of Kimura’s primary sponsors, and has been supported by Yeti, Rockstar Energy, Subaru, Capita, Union Binding Company, Nidecker, and SunBum, just to name a few.
The Uninvited Invitational will return to Woodward Park City in Utah from April 9-12, 2026.
The fourth and final stop will be in New Zealand. The Uninvited New Zealand Open will take place at Cardrona Resort in September 2026.