LAAX expands freestyle offering with second Freestyle Academy exclusively for younger children

Laax, January 29, 2023. Yesterday, Saturday, a second Freestyle Academy exclusively for toddlers and children aged 0 to 8 opened in the Flims Laax Falera destination. The location in STENNA Flims, the center at the valley station in the middle of the village, complements the existing Freestyle Academy LAAX, which caters to children aged 6 and above, teenagers, and adults. Over 600 children and parents attended the open house to jump, skate, slide, and romp around.

On Saturday, January 28, 2023, the new KIDS Freestyle Academy opened at STENNA Flims. During the open house, children aged 0 to 8 were invited to explore the new hall. Trampolines, airbags, slides, and wooden waves in an imaginative, child-friendly environment—this unique indoor playground offers all this and more. This is thanks to two initiators from the Weisse Arena Group in Laax: Reto Poltera, member of the group's executive board, and Ivan Capaul, head of the Freestyle Academy and snowboard school.

Freestyle: From the snow to the indoor arena

World-class athletes train regularly in the LAAX snow parks and off-piste at the Freestyle Academy. Reto Poltera and Ivan Capaul were involved in the planning from the very beginning. "The little ones emulate the big ones. It's always been that way. They also wanted to jump over kickers and fly through halfpipes like the big stars. So we started building smaller snow parks. Now we offer something for every age and level," says Reto Poltera. The same philosophy is also followed at the KIDS Freestyle Academy: "All elements have been built to suit small children. This allows even the youngest children to approach freestyle slowly and playfully. And when they are older, they can finally move on to the original Freestyle Academy LAAX," explains Ivan Capaul.

Where the little ones can surpass themselves

Parents know this: 6-year-olds have around 1,500 square meters at their disposal at the Freestyle Academy LAAX. However, their 5-year-old siblings have to make do with the kids' corner. They are still too young for the elements in the large hall. "Those days are over with the construction of the new KIDS Freestyle Academy," says Reto Poltera, adding: "This belongs entirely to our youngest guests, and they remain undisturbed by older kids, teenagers, and adults. This way, everyone gets their money's worth, and long faces at the entrance are a thing of the past."

Versatile indoor playground

Covering around 1,000 square meters, the new hall features six trampolines, two airbags with platforms at different heights for jumping down, a slide, two mini ramps, and a 19-meter-long and 7.5-meter-wide wave track for skating, balance bikes, or scooters. The facility also includes a freely accessible crawling area and a café. Of course, there is also a small viewing platform from which parents can watch the action.

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