The pre-season at Swiss ski resort LAAX begins on 31 October, when the cable cars and lifts start to operate at the weekend.

Grab your wax, put on your helmet and hit the slopes: the pre-season at Swiss ski resort LAAX begins on 31 October, when the cable cars and lifts start to operate at the weekend. The cable cars and lifts from the base station in Laax will run daily from the end of November, before the season really gets under way with the kick-off event on 12 December. This is the perfect way to get the season going, as a lot has been going on in LAAX to set the stage for the perfect season. LAAX has already been nominated in the Switzerland’s Best Ski Resort category at the World Ski Awards, but an award is nothing compared to the unforgettable experiences that people have here. And Europe’s leading freestyle destination has put a lot of work into making the experiences even more memorable this year. Highlights this season include the LAAX OPEN with its big-money prize, the new 10-seater La Siala cable car and the multitude of new culinary indulgences: LAAX offers visitors so many different experiences – the diversity is sure to knock some people clean off their skis and boards!

Let’s go, LAAX: this is going to be an incredible season!
LAAX is more than just a winter resort. LAAX is an experience. Four snowparks, 235 kilometres of slopes, the world’s largest halfpipe, the Freestyle Academy and much more besides – LAAX has long been the winter sports hot spot for athletes and fans. Whether beginner, family or experienced pro, there is something for everyone here. But that isn’t all. After all, LAAX wouldn’t be LAAX if it didn’t have something new and innovative up its sleeve to provide its guests with the ultimate winter kick.

Top-class events
LAAX provides the stage for incredible freestyle sports and elite freestyle events. One of this season’s sporting highlights is the LAAX OPEN 2016, which will draw the world’s best snowboarders to the Crap Sogn Gion from 18 to 24 January 2016. Olympic gold medallists, world champions and newcomers will be fighting it out in the contests on the superpipe for a share of the USD 500,000 total prize money. The international spotlight will be firmly on the freeskiers at the ninth edition of the European Freeski Open from 10 to 12 March 2016. What is really exciting about the event is that anyone who is talented – and brave – enough can enter and challenge the pros. There will be a royal flair in LAAX in late March: the resort will be hosting the Dutch NK event (27 March to 2 April 2016) as well as the British Brits event (3 to 9 April 2016), where both countries will crown their 2016 freestyle kings.

Accommodation with style
The lifestyle in LAAX is laid back and urban, and the standard of service is very high. This is also reflected in the resort’s accommodation – for example at the rocksresort design hotel right next to the base station in Laax. The hotel is constructed from selected regional materials. Lift tickets, skiing and snowboarding lessons, hire equipment: everything is available under one roof at the rocksresort. And just next door is the Peaks Place apartment hotel, where laid-back yet discerning guests will feel right at home.

New: travel up the mountain in the fully glazed Ferrari of ski lifts
There’s always something new in LAAX. And not always just in the valley or on the pistes, but sometimes in between. For example, the 2015/2016 season sees the new 3.3-kilometre 10-seater La Siala cable car replace the old 3-person chairlift. The fully glazed cable cars designed by Pininfarina (the company famous for designing Ferraris) take guests from the Alp Sogn Martin base station up to the La Siala mountain station in just nine minutes. The journey is a real experience. The completion of the new cable car also means that the ”revolution on the mountain” infrastructure project is now finished.

A world of new culinary experiences
But now the next revolution begins: the ”gastronomic revolution”. Seven new or updated establishments, for example the La Siala outdoor restaurant, await guests in LAAX. Here, guests can enjoy fresh, seasonal and regional dishes while taking in the fantastic view from the sun terrace out over the Graubünden mountain landscape. Relaxing in style is the order of the day at the rockresort lounge in the valley. There are also a number of other bars with a cool, fresh look: Café NoName, the alpine chalet Tegia Miez by Alp Dado, and the Elephant on the Crap Masegn. But don’t worry, the legendary penne pasta prepared in a Parmesan wheel is still on the menu. The ”winter mountain” culinary trail also has a host of delights in store. Guests follow the trail on foot or on their skis or snowboards, and discover exquisite regional delicacies at three restaurants along the trail. With so much to experience, it’s a shame that the season has to come to an end again on 10 April 2016. But there is plenty of time to enjoy it until then.