Laax, March 10, 2020. The sixth edition of the SuddenRush Banked Slalom LAAX 2020, hosted by Terje Haakonsen and Nicolas Müller from March 5-8, 2020, was a huge success. Olympic champions, legends, former world champions, professional riders, amateurs, and young talent all gathered in LAAX this weekend to celebrate their passion for snowboarding.
THE FASCINATION OF BANKED SLALOM
For six years now, Terje Haakonsen and Laax local Nicolas Müller have been hosting the SuddenRush Banked Slalom in Laax. The aim is to complete the 400-meter course with 20 steep turns, known as banked turns, as quickly as possible. Banked slalom dates back to the early days of the sport and has been enjoying a revival for years. Its fascination seems unbroken. Terje says: "Banked slaloms are suitable for every rider; it's like a roller coaster ride against the clock. I am honored to be hosting this event together with Nicolas at his home resort." Almost five decades separate the oldest participant (56 years old) and the youngest (6 years old). And that is precisely what makes the banked slalom so appealing. It feels like a gathering of generations. A reunion of the snowboard family, with riders from earlier days alongside the stars of today and the shredders of tomorrow.
Another feature of banked slalom contests is the large number of categories (17 in total). The riders compete in a wide range of age groups. Each participant has two runs. The better time counts towards the final result.
TOP STARS AND LEGENDS
On Friday, riders over 40 – including several legends – and today's top riders took to the start line. In the Pro Women category, LAAX local Sina Candrian won for the first time ahead of Karleen Jeffery-Barlia, who has a wealth of banked slalom experience, having competed in the legendary Mount Baker Banked Slalom for years. Last year's winner Chloe Sillieres from France completed the podium. In the Pro Men category, 45-year-old Reto Neiger from Switzerland won ahead of Christian "Hitsch" Haller and snowboard icon Travis Rice (USA), who was competing in the SuddenRush Banked Slalom for the first time. "I've been following the Banked Slalom in LAAX for years, and I'm really excited to be here this year!"
In the Super Masters Men (50+) category, 53-year-old Peter Bauer, one of the first European snowboard pros in the 1990s, showed that he still has what it takes, as he has done in recent years. The Bavarian was clearly ahead of the pack in his class. Thomas Scherrer (47) won the Grand Masters Men (45-49) category, while Pascal Imhof from Grindelwald took the top spot on the podium in the Masters Men (40-44) category, as he did last year. His wife Murielle Imhof won the Masters Women (40+) category ahead of Austria's freestyle queen of the millennium Nici Pederzolli and 2006 Olympic champion Tanja Frieden.
OPEN VERY QUICKLY
On Saturday, the action continued with the Open Class for amateurs aged 18-39. Traditionally, this is the category with the most participants. Svenja Schallner won the women's competition, while 35-year-old Alex Rufibach, who had already won the Open category in 2018, took the men's title. He also surprised everyone at the end of the day when the top three and five riders from each category competed against each other once again in the "Fastest Run" race to determine the fastest riders across all categories. Rufibach surprisingly defeated both the best pros and master riders and smiled from the top of the podium for the second time that day, closely followed by Reto Neiger, Pascal Imhof, and Travis Rice.
KIDS & FAKIE RACE
On Sunday, the focus was traditionally on the next generation, and the sun shone as brightly as the youngest participants. Every year, it is astonishing to see how well the little ones already perform on their boards, proving that they are every bit as good as the older ones. Fearless and playful, they mastered the steep turns and had a lot of fun. Paula Bauer and Lura Wick stood out among the girls. Among the boys, the defending champions in their age groups were Nico Bondi and Jonas Hasler, who stood on the podium at the Burton US OPEN Juniors a week ago. Leonie Hasler and Julian Furrer won the teen category (14-17 years).
The Fakie Race brought the event to a close – a prestigious title for the riders, as it involves completing the course backwards. David Hablützel showed his class here, outclassing the rest of the field by several seconds. "I'm fit. And I'm fast. Very fast," he said at the start.
At the end of the day, all riders spontaneously celebrated their passion for the sport and cruised through the course together. Pure goosebumps! In line with Reto Poltera's statement: "The Banked in LAAX is like a surf session at the sea!" That was the SuddenRush Banked Slalom 2020 in LAAX – see you next year!
