Laax, January 11, 2021. The LAAX OPEN 2021 will take place from January 19 to 23, 2021. It marks the start of the FIS Snowboard World Cup Tour 2020/2021 in the slopestyle and halfpipe disciplines and offers prize money totaling CHF 140,000. High-quality sport, excitement, and plenty of action are guaranteed at the contests around Crap Sogn Gion in the women's and men's competitions. This time, the audience will be able to follow Europe's most prestigious snowboard contest purely through the media.
Last weekend, freestyle snowboarders kicked off the World Cup season with a Big Air event at Kreischberg. The close results on the podium promise pure excitement for the first Slopestyle World Cup of the winter. The Kreischberg winners – veteran Max Parrot/CAN, LAAX OPEN Champion 2017, and rising star Zoi Sadowski-Synott/NZL – are also on their way to LAAX, as are Anna Gasser/AUT, Sven Thorgren/SWE, and Mons Roisland/NOR (all three also on the podium), where they are among the favorites to reach the final.
While the slopes and parks are currently open to everyone, the Snowpark LAAX shapers are expanding the Pro Line especially for the OPEN. A total of six features will challenge the creativity of the snowboard freestylers during the contest. These include jumps with up to 18 meters of airtime.
The Olympic-sized superpipe – incidentally the only one in the world in permanent operation – already towers in all its glory at Crap Sogn Gion. 200 meters long and 20 meters wide with 7-meter-high walls, it is a real treat for any pipe pro.
Some of them are already training to get ready for the first World Cup of the season. These include Queralt Castellet/SPA, Maddie Mastro/USA, Leilani Ettel/GER, Andre Höflich/GER, Pat Burgener/SUI, Jan Scherrer, and the LAAX OPEN winner of 2019 and 2020, Scotty James/AUS, who could become the first person to win the prestigious halfpipe competition in LAAX three times in a row. Several greats of the sport have already achieved this twice: Kelly Clark/USA, Kevin Pearce/USA, Peetu Piiroinen/FIN, and Iouri Podladtchikov/SUI, who, for the first time since the OPEN in Laax began (2005), will no longer be causing a sensation as an active contest rider.
However, two other Olympic gold medalists and LAAX OPEN champions like Podladtchikov are on the entry list and want to show what they can do in the LAAX superpipe: Chloe Kim and Shaun White (both USA).
The fact that she and over 200 riders from 25 countries are coming to the LAAX OPEN from January 19 to 23, 2021, is due to the pre-Olympic season, the athletes' urge to compete after a long break, and above all, the perfect setup that LAAX has always offered them. Even in times of coronavirus.
Due to Covid-19 protective measures, there will be no crowds of spectators lining the halfpipe and marveling at the kickers at the LAAX OPEN 2021. However, digital and social media channels as well as traditional television will offer the opportunity to follow the action around the globe. All information can be found atlaax.com/open.
The Hall of Fame can be downloadedhere.
The list of registered riders for the LAAX OPEN 2021 can be foundhere.
LAAX OPEN 2021 PROGRAM OVERVIEW
FIS Snowboard World Cup, LAAX, Switzerland, January 19-23, 2021
Monday, January 18
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Slopestyle training, all registered riders (women/men)
Tuesday, January 19
09:00 Slopestyle Qualification (Men)
09:30-14:00 Halfpipe training, all registered riders (women/men)
Wednesday, January 20
08:15 Slopestyle semifinals (women)
09:30-14:00 Halfpipe training, all registered riders (women/men)
11:45 Slopestyle semifinals (men)
Thursday, January 21
08:30 Halfpipe Semifinals (Women)
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Slopestyle training (women's/men's finalists)
11:00 Halfpipe Semifinals (Men)
Friday, January 22
09:00-13:00 Halfpipe training (women/men finalists)
1:15 p.m. Slopestyle final (women/men)
3:00 p.m. Slopestyle award ceremony
5:30-6:30 p.m. Halfpipe training (women's/men's finalists)
Saturday, January 23
5:45 p.m. Halfpipe final (women/men)
7:15 p.m. Halfpipe award ceremony