Ah, another spring week in Laax, Switzerland for the Orage European Freeski Open by Swatch. Today marked an inspection day and practice for slopestyle competitors. A sunny day presided over the wintery resort, providing competitors with ample light and warmth that they require to perform difficult aerial and rail maneuvers.
Normally there would be a swarm of pictures, some nonsensical lifestyle and others sickening action from today’s practice, but alas, that is not the case. The powers that be in Switzerland only open lift tickets and credentials to the media this afternoon, meaning that all the action-packed, on-snow festivities will have concluded by the time any member of the international media can make it up on snow. But who wants to shoot practice anyway, people were definitely not, “doing kangaroo flips and cool switch doubles,” [says our insider spy] today.
Our on-snow spy also reports that the slopestyle course consists of two to three boxes, three jumps and a “two-hit halfpipe.” While that may seem unclear, rest assured that the park team in Laax has most likely been painstakingly created and meticulously prepared for this week’s freeskiing jamboree. Because if nothing else, Laax perennially creates a great park for this event (right under the giant spaceship looking building, highlighted in the snowboarding video game, Amped 2).
Big names: Simon Dumont, PK Hunder, Mike Riddle, Jacob Wester, Jossi Wells, Lobster Face Wells, Peter Olenick, Tom Wallisch, Anders Backe, Joe Cheesebelly Schuster, Matt Margetts… and the list goes on and on. Literally, forever, the start list is a who’s who of freeskiing. Sunshine is on the horizon, which when added with the aforementioned names can only create freeskiing HAVOC. See for yourself… compliments of weather.com.
So stay tuned this week for coverage from the heart (northeast actually) of Switzerland. Where the Calanda beer flows like wine and croissants are more plentiful than reliable internet. In the mean time, here is the schedule of events for the coming week:
