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LAAX is offering its guests a wide variety of exciting events this winter. But the main thing is having fun in the snow – and that’s our promise to you. Whether young or old, whether pros or total beginners, tried and true park riders and jibbers, weekend warriors, food and wine lovers or snow-hungry holidaymakers – everyone is welcome, everyone can experience the LAAX lifestyle, and there is sure to be an event to suit every taste. It all starts with the LAAX Season Kick-Off on 12 December 2015.
LAAX Season Kick-Off: 12 December 2015
That feeling of finally being back out in the snow for the first time in the season – on 12 December the long wait will be over! That’s when we’ll be kicking off our season in the best way possible, with a day full of snow and fun. The event will start off with a major highlight – the opening of the new La Siala 10-seater cable car. There will be plenty of action-packed events on the mountain and in the valley that are sure to make this year’s kick-off unforgettable. For our youngest boarders, there’s the Burton Riglet park at the Flims base station, where three- to six-year-olds can have fun learning how to snowboard. The bag jump from the Freestyle Academy will be located at the Laax base station, giving daredevils a chance to show off their coolest jumps before landing on a soft airbag. On Crap Sogn Gion, it’s also all about freestyling. At the Cash for Tricks contest, the LAAX snowpark crew will be scoring the performance of skilled snowboarders and freeskiers and offering cash prizes for the best tricks. The best spot to watch the show is Café NoName, which is celebrating its reopening at the LAAX Season Kick-Off with a super chill DJ set. Anyone who wants to take in more of the sights can use the LAAX Inside App and head over to the La Siala 10-seater cable car. Back at the rocksresort in the valley, you can dig in at food stands offering fondue sticks and delicious barbecue. If you’d rather enjoy your meal indoors, you can discover the new rockslounge or the completely renovated Piazza Caffé & Panini and its new slow-food menu. Meanwhile, with live music on the outdoor terrace, the Indy is the perfect place for tea time. As night falls, the freestyle action will gradually shift over to the screening of Afterparty by LAAX the Movie. Still not enough? Then be sure to book your ticket for the Fritz Kalkbrenner concert in the Riders Palace Club. Wow! What a killer start to the 2015/2016 winter season in LAAX!
LAAX OPEN 2016: 18 to 24 January 2016
After nearly 30 years of freestyle events, the LAAX OPEN signals a new era in snowboarding events at LAAX. From 18 to 24 January 2016, Laax is cranking it up. Up on the mountains or down in the valley, inside or outside – the freestyle feeling is taking over. High-class sports, powder runs, snowboarding and cultural and culinary delights – with something for everyone, the LAAX OPEN is in a class of its own. The prize money offered is also one of a kind: USD 500,000. That is what the contestants in the halfpipe and slopestyle competitions, both top international riders and young challengers, are fighting for. Up to 300 participants plus a large number of spectators will be attending this elite event. Olympic gold medallist in the halfpipe Iouri Podladtchikov (Switzerland), slopestyle rider Ståle Sandbech from Norway (Olympic silver medallist, BEO 2015 LAAX champion), Canadian rider Tyler Nicholson (ranked number 2 worldwide) and Christy Prior from New Zealand (BEO 2015 LAAX slopestyle champion) are just a few of the boarding legends from around the world who have already confirmed that they are attending. You can register for open qualifications until 30 November 2015 at laax.com/open. LAAX OPEN, a mountain lifestyle event that is guaranteed to make history.
Youngsters in the spotlight: Iceripper Rookie Fest and FSA MiniShred
The new year will start out with an international get-together of young halfpipe riders. From 7 to 9 January 2016, the next generation of boarders will demonstrate their talent at the Iceripper Rookie Fest on the largest halfpipe in the world, which is 200 metres long and has 6.9-metre-high walls. Respect! On 20 and 21 February, the youngsters have another chance to show off their skills at the Freestyle Academy MiniShred.
European Freeski Open LAAX 2016: 9 to 12 March 2016
The European Freeski Open LAAX will be held for the ninth time at the beginning of March 2016. In the Pro Kicker Line in the Curnius snowpark, 200 men and women will stylishly demonstrate their skills on the rails and up in the clouds on the kicker. This event has become enormously popular over the past few years. Olympic champion Joss Christensen (USA) has called LAAX his favourite destination, saying it’s a fun resort for this kind of top contest.
Royal championships: Netherlands and the UK in LAAX
The Dutch and the Brits have chosen LAAX to host their national freestyle championships. The LAAX Event Team is offering the perfect set-up. Who will be crowned the queen and king at the Nederlandse Kampioenschap (27.03.- 02.04.) and The BRITS (03.- 09.04.)? Find out in March and April!
The grand finale: Schnulz im Sulz and Pleasure Spring Session
Two very different legendary events will be taking place in April: Schnulz im Sulz (02.04.) and the Pleasure Spring Session (07.- 10.04.). Both events attract more and more fans every year, and often fans of one will be drawn to the other: the Schnulz fans also have a snowboard trick or two up their sleeves, while the freestylers love to go all out on the mountain and on the dance floor, strutting their stuff in the slushy spring snow.
And then, before you know it, it’s over. The 2015/2016 event season in LAAX.
Back to the beginning
But the season has barely even started: the Vorab glacier lifts are already open on the weekends, the lifts from the base station in LAAX will start running every day from 28 November, and on 12 December, the LAAX Season Kick-Off will shift the season into high gear.
Hence, 2015/16 is planned to be even more action packed than the last years. A massive amount of features and a series of cracking events will sweeten up the best time of the year again. Gonna be a blast!
During the last couple of years the MINI Snowpark Feldberg has evolved into an important meeting point of the freestyle scene. It is thus highest priority for the park operators QParks to keep the park in its best shape and please all the talented freeskiers. The park has plenty to offer and with its approximately 810 meters of length, it ranks among the most popular snowparks of Germany. After the lift located right next to the park carries riders to the entrance in no-time, 40 different obstacles are waiting to go down again. In order to make these shine with new brilliance each day, an especially trained snowcat operator from QParks will take care of the park this year. This way, nothing will be left untried to provide you with the best possible condition of the snowpark.
The Set-Up of 2015/16
In the upcoming winter, there will be nine kickers with tables between 3 and 10 meters. “Germany’s longest jibline” will definitely live up to its name again – among many other jibs, you can test your skills on a tank and on the “MINI Jibcan“. Apart from the usual tubes, rails and boxes, you will find a couple of new features, especially at the lower part of the park. A 5-meter-long elbow rail and a 6-meter-long flat rail are guaranteed to offer tons of fun. So evidently there’ll be something for everyone.
Event Highlights 2015/16
However, it wouldn’t be the MINI Snowpark Feldberg, if there weren’t any other features apart from the noble setup. Various photo- and film-shootings will be taking place again this season, so that the unique freestyle vibes of the park can be shared with the world. The first shooting is already set for the 6th of January; it’s going to be a Bohny Public Shooting powered by MINI, where professional photographers will capture your finest freestyle moments. So all of you who enjoy flirting with the camera should already make up their minds about the way they want to be put in the limelight.
In February the SnowTunes Feldberg deserves a special mention. Including a chill area with DJ, the park will be transformed into a freestyle paradise of a kind. Since one highlight chases another at Feldberg, the QParks Tour will return as well on the 27th of February 2016 with the Bohny Masters Feldberg powered by MINI. In March, numerous specials are waiting. Feldberg local Jule Seifert along with other dedicated freestyle ladies will take over the park during the Girls Shred Session. On the 6th of March 2016, the motto is “Who owns the park? Girls!” For that day the snowpark will be under the absolute control of the girls. If you want to get some tips or learn a couple of tricks from a pro, you most definitely shouldn’t miss the MINI & Bohny VIP Pro Coaching Day. It’s your chance to meet up with professional hardcore shredders and chat with them about their and your riding skills.
Fun and action packed times are to be expected at the Mini Snowpark Feldberg this winter season. To shorten the waiting time until the first snowfalls, check out the snowpark’s website and the Facebook fanpage for news and updates. Besides, also have a look on Instagram where you’ll find the latest shots from the park. See you soon at the MINI Snowpark Feldberg!
Downdays European Skier of the Year : Round 2 Voting Open!
Welcome to Round Two! These eight men represent the cream of the crop of Europe’s freeskiers from street style to big-mountain cojones. But who will take home the European Skier of the Year title? You be the judge!
The women’s poll also begins today, so take a look below to see the match-ups, and cast your votes for your favorites!
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Downdays European Skier of the Year – Round 1 Voting Open!Thanks to everyone who cast votes in the elimination round last week, we’ve determined 16 male and 8 female contenders for the title of Downdays European Skier of the Year!
The contest now moves into the first round of Head-to-Head match-ups for the men, while voting for the women will begin in Round 2 on Thursday.
Scope the challengers below, and make your pick to determine which skiers advance to the next round!
Voting in Round 1 is open until 8:00am CET on Thursday, November 5.
Full results of the first poll HERE
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Downdays European Skier of the Year – Round 1Vous avez été nombreux à voter pour les qualifications la semaine passée. Vous avez sélectionné 12 hommes et 6 femmes, Nous en avons rajouté 4 et 2.
Alors que les femmes n’entreront dans l’arène que ce jeudi à l’occasion du round 2, le vote pour les hommes commence dés aujourd’hui et se poursuit jusqu’au jeudi 5 novembre à 8 heure ( CET ).
Pour voir les résultats complets de la semaine passée, ça se passe ICI
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Downdays European Skier Of The Year – Cast Your Vote!Following a highly successful debut last year, we’re glad to announce that the Downdays European Skier Of The Year Award is back for 2015! Now’s the time to cast your vote for your favorite male and female freeskiers from European soil.
We’ve scoped this year’s best ski movies, scoured the competition results, and consulted skiers from Spain to Sweden to determine this year’s nominees. Did we forget someone? Make your case in the comments section, and maybe we’ll add them to the poll.
Vote now for your favorite 12 men and six women to enter the next round, and we’ll add in four male and two female wild card entries. First round voting is open until 2 November – after that we’ll move into head-to-head finals.
Start of the rider registration for the LAAX OPEN 2016!LAAX, Switzerland, October 20, 2015 – Kick-Off for the LAAX OPEN 2016 on www.laax.com/open with the
riders’ online registration opening for the highlight of the upcoming snowboard season. At the LAAX OPEN,
being held for the first time from January 18 to 24, 2016, there are half a million dollars to be won in the
halfpipe and slopestyle contests.
Save your spot for the open qualifiers now! Take your chance competing alongside Olympic and world
champions. Amaze everyone with your skills and style. And win a golden chunk of the sensational US$
500,000 prize money. Impossible? Nothing is impossible for true freestylers. Just so you know what you’re
getting into, here are the facts at a glance:
Date: January 18-24, 2016
Location/country: LAAX, Switzerland
Tour: part of the World Snowboard Tour 2015/2016, elite level
Disciplines: halfpipe, slopestyle
Participants: 300 riders from around the globe
Categories: women, men
Prize-money: US$ 500.000
What is the LAAX OPEN?
The LAAX OPEN is a snowboard event that will be held for the first time from January 18-24, 2016, setting
new standards. The LAAX OPEN guarantees a week of snowboarding at its finest. This includes halfpipe
and slopestyle contests for men and women with total prize money of USD 500,000. Concerts and powder
sessions round off the LAAX lifestyle experience.
What are the riding formats?
In the open qualifications (30 women/60 men per discipline), each rider has two runs, with the highest score
counting. The best riders go on to the semi-finals, where they’ll meet seeded international top riders. If not all
the seeded riders show up, the field (20 women/40 men) will be filled with more riders from the qualifiers.
There are also two runs in the semi-finals, with the best score counting. Those making it to the top 6 in the
women’s and top 12 in the men’s category will go on to the finals for the first ever LAAX OPEN title.
Who are the seeded riders?
The top 10 women and top 20 men in the slopestyle and halfpipe World Snowboarding Points List (as of
October 17, 2015) will be seeded into the semi-finals as well as 4/8 wild cards, which are on discretion of the
event-organizer LAAX.
May I also take part in the contest?
Yes, qualification is open to any passionate rider, born 2001 or earlier. But to lay it on the line for you: you
should be able to rock the Pro-Kicker-Line at Snowpark Curnius with its special event set-up and the 200-
metre-long superpipe with its 6.9-meter walls.
How many open spots are there?
30 woman/60 men per discipline
Where and when do I register?
At www.laax.com/open from October 20 to November 30, 2015
The vibes throughout the three-day event were most definitely high and blue skies ensured that the contests ran without a hitch. Although the slopestyle line was slightly reduced in size, due to lack of significant snowfall the weeks prior, everyone competing was simply stoked to be sliding on snow again.
“I always love coming to Kaunertal and finally skiing with everyone again,” said Lisa Zimmerman, almost a veteran of the KTO, who won the female pro slopestyle contest for an impressive fifth year in a row.
Rising star Lukas Müllauer won a tight contest in the men’s division ahead of Torge Nagel and Fabian Bösch, “Although the course was kind of small, it was still fun and I am stoked to have won” reflected Lukas.
We even snuck in a cheeky Downdays Rail Jam and lots of stoked folk got their jib on, collecting prizes along the way. The award for best trick – a dope pair of Armada B-Dog Skis – went to style underdog Jannis Hoffmann, who stuck an unreal broken grind to blind 630 out!
Young Jannis has plenty of potential and if these first three days are an indication of things to come, so does our season. Thanks Kaunertal for an epic weekend, and bring on winter!
Press release
The Association of Freeskiing Professionals is excited to announce that the 2015/2016 AFP World Tour Calendar is now live.
This year’s World Tour, which is the biggest yet, consists of 73 competitions at 49 events in 14 Countries and 16 States/Provinces. Some events have yet to be announced, and some event dates are in the process of being finalized, so be sure to stay tuned to the Calendar for updates.
“The 2015/16 World Tour is a robust list of events,” states AFP Executive Director Eric Zerrenner. “We are really encouraged by the increased number of Bronze events, which indicates the growth of freeskiing – both in athlete participation and interest in the AFP system,” continues Zerrenner. “This growth trend, specifically at the youth level, is something we (the AFP) have been focused on, so it’s rewarding to see the results.”
To view the 2015/2016 AFP World Tour Calendar, head to afpworldtour.com/calendar.
On behalf of everyone at The Association of Freeskiing Professionals, good luck to all athletes competing on this season’s AFP World Tour!
For information on the Association of Freeskiing Professionals and/or the AFP World Tour Calendar, please feel free to contact the AFP…
