The contest calendar kicks into full gear this week as the Laax Open gets underway in the park paradise of Laax, Switzerland.
Cameron Waddell warms up in the rail section.
Chad Buchholz/FIS
Event News
Laax is nice yo
Slopestyle season gets underway at the 2024 Laax Open
It’s not the first slopestyle contest of the season—that honor goes to the slopestyle on the Stubai Glacier. However, since the finals in Stubai got cancelled, it feels a bit like the Laax Open is the official start of the World Cup slopestyle season.
It’s the second year that top-level freeskiing is back in Laax. After a decade of hosting Europe’s premiere freeski contest, the European Freeski Open, there were several years without a major contest. Last year the skiers finally got to rejoin the action at the mainly snowboard-focused Laax Open, and seem to be here to stay. Yeah, there’s no big halfpipe showdown under the lights like the boarders have—but hey, we’ll take what we can get.
This year's Laax Open course includes two sharkfin features leading into the jump section.
Chad Buchholz/FIS
The action begins today, 17 January with men’s freeski qualifications. A unique semi-finals round—rarely seen at contests these days—will follow on 18–19 January, and the week’s festivities will conclude with the freeski slopestyle finals on Sunday, 21 January.
This year, Laax will be hosting a livestream of all competitions, including the qualifications and semifinals, at open.laax.com.
Watch the livestream here:
open.laax.comLaax Open 2024 Contest Schedule
Tuesday, 16 January
9:00–14:00 Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifications
Wednesday, 17 January
9:00–14:00 Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Qualifications
Thursday, 18 January
8:30–14:30 Freeski & Snowboard Semifinals
Friday, 19 January
8:30–14:30 Freeski & Snowboard Semifinals
Saturday, 20 January
13:15–14:45 Snowboard Slopestyle Finals
18:15–19:45 Snowboard Halfpipe Finals
Sunday, 21 January
13:15–14:45 Freeski Slopestyle Finals