Tag: laax open

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Events News

JAMIE ANDERSON (USA) AND NIKLAS MATTSSON (SWE) ARE THE LAAX OPEN 2021 SLOPESTYLE CHAMPIONS

The first title decision was on the agenda at the LAAX OPEN for the Slopestyle finals. 8 female finalists and 12 male finalists rode for the podium places in the first FIS Snowboard Tour 2020/21 Slopestyle contest. In breathtaking finals with technically challenging runs, Jamie Anderson (USA) and Niklas Mattson (SWE) triumphed and will each be taking home prestigious OPEN titles as well as CHF 15,750 prize money.

LAAX is known for its innovative slopestyle courses, and this year was no exception. The 500 metre long course consisting of 6 elements starts with two rail sections, followed by a transition feature and two jumps. The final element is the creative Watch obstacle. Riders were full of praise for both the course and the Snowpark LAAX crew.

Photo Credits by Stadler

In the women’s category, Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL) was clearly in the lead after the first run, in which all riders had to contend with the adverse wind conditions, ahead of 2-time Olympic champion Jamie Anderson (USA). In the second run, the wind died down and the ladies were finally able to tout their true talents. However, none of the women managed to beat Zoi’s score, who went into her second run as the penultimate rider of the finals, still at the front of the field. Knowing that Jamie Anderson was still on top, Zoi tried to top her own score from the first run, but failed. Then came Jamie Anderson who demonstrated her full routine, only to once again prove a delivery under pressure like no other. With a super smooth run she literally bagged the highest score of the day with 84.35 points in the last minute and thus, her 5th LAAX Slopestyle title, which left her almost lost for words: “I’m so happy! In the second run, I decided to risk everything and it paid off.  A big thank you to the LAAX hosts and the FIS Snowboard Tour!” Bringing in third place is delighted Australia’s Tess Coady.

Photo Credits by Stadler

Experienced Swede Niklas Mattsson opened the men’s final with a clean and cool technical run that earned him 84.28 points. This laid the foundation for his first Slopestyle World Cup victory, as none of his competitors were able to knock him off the pedestal and beat his score. Incidentally, Mattsson is the first Swedish Slopestyle winner in LAAX since Chris Sörman, who claimed victory at the first Open in 2005. Leon Vockensperger (GER) wowed in second place and celebrated his first World Cup podium with a run packed full of flair and finesse: “I can’t believe I am standing next to my idols on the podium right now, it‘s incredible.” Norway’s Marcus Kleveland completed the podium in third place. Swiss semi-finals winner Moritz Boll finished in 7th place.

Tomorrow the LAAX OPEN 2021 will end with the Halfpipe night finals, for all to watch live online or on TV from 17:45 onwards.  

Source: LAAX Open

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World Snowboarding

LAAX OPEN 2021: 19-23 January 2021

FIS Snowboard World Cup in Slopestyle and Halfpipe confirmed

 
The LAAX OPEN, Europe’s most significant snowboarding event, is scheduled for 19-23 January 2021. This was confirmed this week during the digital FIS conference. Thanks to a compact concept and close cooperation with the local organizers the 2020/2021 tour is able to go ahead. The FIS Snowboard World Cup in LAAX takes place as part of the European package at the beginning of the new year.
Credit: Laemmerhirt
 
LAAX has been leading the way in freestyle for over three decades. It has been voted the ‘World’s Best Freestyle Resort’ four years in a row. As a freestyle trailblazer even in extraordinary times, the resort is taking every step necessary to ensure a safe winter season and World Cup. LAAX won’t make any compromises when it comes to sport. Thus the resort continues to organize the competitions for women and men in both Slopestyle and Halfpipe. There is a huge undertaking involved in getting everything set up perfectly, but this decision is a commitment for the riders and their sport.
Credit: Ruggli
 
The OPEN winners in LAAX include Olympic champions Iouri Podladtchikov, Shaun White, Sebastien Toutant, Chloe Kim, Kelly Clark, and Jamie Anderson, as well as snowboarding legends Stale Sandbech, Mark McMorris, Danny Davis, Ayumu Hirano, Peetu Piiroinen, Max Parrot and Silje Norendahl. In the previous LAAX Open in January 2020, X Games winners Julia Marino, Queralt Castellet, Seb Toutant and Scotty James were at the top of the podium.
Credit: Stadler
 
The LAAX OPEN team is happy that it can now push ahead with the preparations for the LAAX OPEN 2021. Special measures for protection against COVID-19 are our number one priority. This includes developing safety concepts with Swiss-Ski, the Inside LAAX app, and also visible items such as LAAX neck warmers with integrated certified masks. 
Source: LAAX
Credit featured image: Ruggli
Categories
Features World Snowboarding

Start of the rider registration for the Laax Open

Kick-Off for the LAAX OPEN 2016 on www.laax.com/open with the riders’ online registration 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! 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:

Title: LAAX OPEN 2016
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

LAAX_OPEN_2016_Viusal_Register now

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 of them 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 titles.

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

Of course, you’re also welcome to experience the LAAX OPEN 2016 as a spectator! And anyone interested in media accreditation should directly contact the media service.