Tag: SuddenRush Banked Slalom

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Banked Slalom Events Features News report

SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020: Rollercoaster for all snowboarders!

The sixth edition of the SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020 hosted by Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller, which is part of the WSF Banked Slalom tour 2019/20 took place successfully on 5-8 March 2020. Olympic champions, legends, former world champions, professional riders, amateurs and aspiring talents – everybody came together in LAAX this weekend to celebrate their passion for snowboarding.

BANKED SLALOM EXCITEMENT – Terje Haakonsen and Laax local Nicolas Müller have now been hosting the SuddenRush Banked Slalom event in Laax for six years. In the event, the participants have to complete the 400-metre course featuring 20 banked turns as quickly as possible. The Banked Slalom dates back to the origins of the sport and has been celebrating a revival in recent years. The fascination with the event shows no signs of slowing down. Terje says: “Banked Slaloms are suitable for every rider, it’s kind of like riding a rollercoaster on time. It’s an honor hosting this event together with Nicolas at his home resort.” The age difference between the oldest (56) and youngest (6) participants is almost five decades. And this is exactly what makes the Banked Slalom so special. It feels rather like a meeting of generations. A coming together of the snowboard family, with riders from the early days through to the stars of today and the shredders of tomorrow.

The Banked Slalom competitions are arranged in a wide range of categories (17 in total). The riders line up at the start divided into numerous different age classes. Each participant performs two runs. Their best time is counted as their final result.

TOP STARS AND LEGENDS – On Friday, riders over 40 years of age, including a number of legends, lined up at the start alongside the top riders of today. In the Pro Women’s event, LAAX local Sina Candrian secured victory for the first time ahead of Karleen Jeffery-Barlia, who has a wealth of banked slalom experience, although primarily in the Mount Baker Legendary Banked Slalom event. The previous year’s champion, Chloe Sillieres from France, took the final spot on the podium. In the Pro Men’s competition, 45-year-old Reto Neiger from Switzerland claimed the title ahead of Christian ‘Hitsch’ Haller and snowboarding icon Travis Rice (USA), who was taking part in his first SuddenRush Banked Slalom. “I was aware of this event for many years, I’m psyched to finally be here.”

In the Super Masters Men (50+), Peter Bauer (53), who was one of Europe’s first snowboarding professionals in the 90s, showed his class once again. The Bavarian was well ahead of the rest of the field in his category. Thomas Scherrer (47) claimed victory in the Grand Masters Men (45-49), while Grindelwald native Pascal Imhof took top spot on the podium for the second year in a row in the Masters Men (40-44). His wife Murielle Imhof was victorious once again in the Masters Women (40+) ahead of Austrian Nici Pederzolli and Olympic champion 2006 Tanja Frieden.

OPEN TOP SPEED – On Saturday, the action continued with the Open class for amateurs aged 18-39. This is traditionally the category with the most participants. Svenja Schallner (25) came out on top in the Women’s event, while Alex Rufibach (35) reclaimed the title he won in 2018 in the Men’s. He also caused a sensation in the coming together at the end of the day when the top three to five riders from each category went up against one another again to determine the fastest riders across all categories in the ‘Fastest Run’ race. Rufibach unexpectedly overcame the top pros and master riders to take his place on the top of the podium for the second time of the day, with Reto Neiger, Pascal Imhof and Travis Rice coming in just behind him.

KIDS & FAKIE RACE – On Sunday, as is tradition, the spotlight was on the up-and-coming talent, and the young participants enjoyed a day of bright sunshine on the course. Every year, the young stars astonish the spectators with their skills on their boards, showing they are every bit the match of their older counterparts. They fearlessly mastered the banked turns with a smile on their face. Paula Bauer and Lura Wick came out on top in the Girls’ events. In the Boys’ events, defending champions in their age classes Nico Bondi and Jonas Hasler made it to the top of the podium, having also done so the week before at the Burton US OPEN Juniors. The teenager class (14-17 years) was won by Leonie Hasler and Julian Furrer.

The fakie race then brought the event to a close. This is a prestigious title for the riders, where they have to navigate the course backwards. David Hablützel showed his class here, finishing several seconds ahead of the rest of the field. “I’m fit. And I’m fast. Very fast,” he said at the start.

At the end of the day, all of the riders celebrated their passion for the sport and cruised through the course together. Simply sensational! As Reto Poltera says: “The Banked in LAAX is like a surf session at the sea!” This was SuddenRush Banked Slalom 2020 in LAAX. See you next year!

Check out also the video playlist on the LAAX YouTube channel.

Super Masters Men (50+)

  1. Peter Bauer
  2. Andy Meyenberg
  3. Thomas Hinterseer

Grand Masters Men (45-49)

  1. Thomas Scherrer
  2. Oliver Brunschwiler
  3. Didi Haab

Masters Women (from 40)

  1. Murielle Imhof
  2. Nici Pederzolli
  3. Tanja Frieden

Masters Men (40-44)

  1. Pascal Imhof
  2. Arild Brun Kjeldaas
  3. Ingemar Backman

Pro Women (from 18)

  1. Sina Candrian
  2. Karleen Jeffery-Barlia
  3. Chloe Sillieres

Pro Men (from 18)

  1. Reto Neiger
  2. Christian Haller
  3. Travis Rice

Open Women (18-39)

  1. Svenja Schallner
  2. Lia Langenegger
  3. Tiziana Casutt

Open Men (18-39)

  1. Alex Rufibach
  2. Renato Nadig
  3. Thomas Wolf

Fastest Race Women

  1. Chloe Sillieres
  2. Murielle Imhof
  3. Svenja Schallner

Fastest Race Men

  1. Alex Rufibach
  2. Reto Neiger
  3. Pascal Imhof

Fakie Race

  1. David Hablützel
  2. Reto Neiger
  3. Alex Rufibach

Young Kids Girls (up to 10)

  1. Paula Bauer
  2. Samira Sprenger
  3. Raquel Süssmeier

Young Kids Boys (up to 10)

  1. Nico Bondi
  2. Leo Thoresen
  3. Laurin Derungs

Old Kids Girls (11-13)

  1. Lura Wick
  2. Kona Ettel
  3. Rosie Rothney

Old Kids Boys (11-13)

  1. Jonas Hasler
  2. Mischa Zürcher
  3. Luis Marchesi

Juniors Girls (14-17)

  1. Leonie Hasler
  2. Samuela Mondani
  3. Alexandra Eckhardt

Junior Boys (14-17)

  1. Julian Furrer
  2. Rafael Burri
  3. Elash Ndiaye

About the event:

The annual SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020 hosted by Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller is taking place since 2015 in the beginning of March. With this event, LAAX brings the roots of snowboarding into the present day. Aged between four and sixty-four or more the riders’ field is made up of park shapers, pro riders, former world champions, boardercross specialists, alpine legends, leisure boarders, Olympics and, of course, host legends Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller are personally on-site.

Photos:LAAX/Ruggli

#SuddenRushLaax #WSFBankedSlalomTour

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2020 Banked Slalom Events Features News upcoming events

Official GO for SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020

The SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020 hosted by Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller will take place for the sixth time from the 5th to 8th of March 2020 – As we already informed you in this article, where you can find all relevant information.

Safety for all participants is as important as fun in the snow. After application by LAAX and the official risk analysis, the Canton of Graubünden has approved the event. From the first snowboarders of Switzerland*, early contest riders of international level to young park shredders, they come to LAAX to have fun in the course plenty of banked turns up at Crap Sogn Gion mountain.

Who is on the starting list of the popular SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020?

For example the slalom ace of the 90s Peter Bauer, defending champion Super Masters in LAAX, and the former boardercross professional Reto Poltera, member of the management of LAAX, the Weisse Arena Group. Or the freestylers Ingemar Backman, who celebrated his first international victory in 1996 in Laax in the halfpipe, and Christian Hitsch Haller, who rocked the halfpipe at the OPEN events from 2005 to 2018. And Ueli Kestenholz, the fast multisportsman, very fast in alpine and BX snowboarding at the turn of the millennium.

In the Ladies Pro and Master category, some famous names also appear: such as the Olympic champions Nicola Thost (Halfpipe 1998) and Tanja Frieden (Boardercross 2006); LAAX BX winner 1997 Nici Pederzolli; Freeride World Tour Champion 2010 Aline Bock; Slopestyle expert Sina Candrian, LAAX OPEN winner 2020 Queralt Castellet, as well as the fastest woman on board in LAAX for three years Ariane Staib-Glaus, twice the age of Chloe Sillieres, who won the Pro category in 2019.

Like the hosts Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller, many of them come from the freestyle snowboard contest scene and earn their money while enchanting their fans with freeriding. Such as the “Ästhetiker” Steve Gruber and Tom Beckna Eberharter, as well as Travis Rice, currently one of the most remarkable and influential snowboarders worldwide. The fact that he will really be competing in Laax in the Banked Slalom 2020 will also be a truly unforgettable highlight for all the many riders from the OPEN, KIDS and JUNIOR categories.

Photos: Ruggli

Categories
2020 Banked Slalom Events Features News upcoming events

Terje, Nicolas & LAAX invite you to the 6th SuddenRush Banked Slalom!

On your marks, get set, time to go again – from 5th to 8th March 2020 in LAAX, Switzerland. For several years now, snowboarders have been reviving their original sport form at the “World’s best freestyle resort”. The followers of the banked slalom have been growing steadily ever bigger.

Competing is in numerous categories, racing off from children to professionals, the Open Class to the Grand Masters. Sweeping round those banked turns, zipping in and out of line, all in pursuit of the best time, snow has never been this suspenseful and funny in the same moment! It’s a proper snowboard race!

Accompanying us on boards and equipped with a shovel are the event hosts, Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller.

It’s going to be cool, it will be curvy and you’re in for a real blast when the snowboard community celebrates with everyone who wants to join in!

Registration for the SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020 is open online at www.laax.com/suddenrush until 25th February 2020. There you can also find the entire programme of the LAAX event, promising long-lasting fun in the snow.

Teaser:

SuddenRush Banked Slalom is part of the WSF Banked Slalom Tour 2019/2020.

Event contact: raceoffice@laax.com | +41 81 927 7022
Media contact: Astrid Nehls | +43 676 4314410 | +41 79 9024215

Photo credits: Ruggli / Fujimori / Oetiker

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2018 Banked Slalom Events Features News upcoming events

SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX

sudden_rush_banked_slalom_laax_17_ruggli_2280

The SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX will take place from March 2-4, 2018. In its fourth edition this contest, hosted by snowboarding legends Terje Haakonsen & Nicolas Müller, has again the main message on having fun together in the snow. The banked slalom is the archetype of snowboarding which combines high speeds with challenging terrain and banked turns, and is sure to bring together snowboarders of all generations and different riding styles. The event is further complemented with music and entertainment at and around the Indy Bar in the rocksresort and the relaunched Riders Hotel.

sudden_rush_banked_slalom_laax_17_cyrilmueller_pm_3663

Aged between six and sixty-six years a field of 300 riders and as colourful as the event poster itself is made up of park shapers, pro riders, former world champions, boardercross specialists, alpine legends, leisure boarders, Olympics and, of course, host legends Terje Haakonsen from Norway and Nicolas Müller from Switzerland. Expect thrilling duels in this race laden with banked turns. Time is ticking. With this event, LAAX brings the roots of snowboarding into the present day.

All further information to get on suddenrush.laax.com, or on social media: www.facebook.com/snowparkLAAX and www.facebook.com/LAAX