New Freestyle Academy in LAAX opens its doors

In 2022, the tennis hall built in the 1970s, which had housed the Freestyle Academy since 2010, was demolished. Two new rocksresort buildings and the new Freestyle Academy were to be built on the old site. The latter is now about to reopen: from Thursday, August 1, 2024, freestylers aged 6 and above will once again be able to let off steam in the hall, improve their skills, and learn new tricks. The reopening will be a so-called "soft opening." A grand opening ceremony is planned for the 2024/25 winter season.

More space for new elements

At 2,000 square meters, the new Freestyle Academy is significantly larger than the old hall, which measured 1,300 square meters. The new hall is intended to reflect the change and progress that freestyle sports have undergone in recent years. Those responsible drew inspiration from discussions with freestyle coaches and national and international competitors, and from observing trends in the scene. However, they remained true to the sports: skating, trampoline, and parkour.

Much more attention is being paid to skating: visitors will be able to skate on a total of three levels in future. The skate bowl has been built on the lowest level and doubled in size. On the second floor, there is a mini ramp and a concrete flat zone – perfect for skaters who want to learn or improve their technical skills. A playful street skate area has been created on the third level. And then, of course, there is the vert ramp, a halfpipe for skating. This wasbuilt in the old hallin2019and is a must-have in the new hall too.

Four Grand Master trampolines, one Fivesquare trampoline, and one Grand Master trampoline connected to an airbag were installed in the trampoline zone. The zone is complemented by an air track for acrobatics and an additional freestyle trampoline for jumps and tricks with skateboards and BMX bikes.

The parkour zone has also been enlarged and redesigned to be more creative. A diving platform and an airbag complement this zone and allow for playful variety. With a spacious public zone featuring a café, TSG, and Vans Store, the new Freestyle Academy also offers plenty of space to linger and watch the action in the hall.

Construction in accordance with the Greenstyle principle of "reduce, reuse, recycle"

The underground location of the new hall posed a particular challenge during construction. This made it difficult to deliver the building materials, most of which came from the old hall. True to Greenstyle's motto of "reduce, reuse, recycle," everything that could be recycled was recycled. For parts that had to be transported in large pieces, a few adventurous maneuvers were necessary to get them into the hall. Finally, all the elements found their place and were then partially enlarged and expanded. A total of around 200 cubic meters of new wood was used, which is now – literally – waiting for the finishing touches.

Who is the new Freestyle Academy for?

The primary focus is on promoting freestyle sports in popular sports. Children, families, young people, and adults alike are welcome here. "Anyone interested in this unique community will find direct access to it here," explains Ivan Capaul, operations manager of the Freestyle Academy. But simplifying the path from popular sports to professional sports is also a central idea of the new academy. It offers first-class training opportunities for professional athletes and those who want to become professionals. Ivan Capaul continues: "The atmosphere that prevails on the mountain, where kids train alongside their idols in the park or in the pipe, should also be felt here. After all, that's the motto of the Freestyle Academy: Freestyle is for everyone."