A twisty weekend at the 11th LAAX Banked Slalom on Feb 28 - March 1 2026

Dreamy conditions for yet another event in LAAX. Coming from Crap Sogn Gion towards Curnius via the P60 slope, the playground of freestylers, things get exciting: turn after turn (17 and a half to be exact), the new Banked Slalom course presents itself with a ZING! Thigh-burn is to be expected by the time you reach the finish line! A total of 300 riders will be making their rounds this weekend through the hand-scooped steep turns, known as banks. The youngest is 5, the oldest 65. In 13 categories, they’ll be competing for the 11th time to be the fastest in this most original form of snowboarding. Get your swish on, folks!

Big names from the professional snowboarding scene of yesterday, today and tomorrow are on the start list, such as Peter Bauer, Reto Poltera, Therry Brunner, Christian Haller, Mikkel Bang, Nicolas Müller and Severin van der Meer, LAAX OPEN slopestyle rider Cool Wakushima, and banked champions Joshua Dirksen and Harry Kearney, who have both won in Laax and at the legendary Mount Baker in America. The largest field is made up of banked slalom enthusiasts, namely the Masters (over 40 years old) and Open categories (ambitious riders between 18-39 years old). Families also dance along the curves, splitting up on Saturdays and Sundays, where the juniors take their turns on the second day. Among them also the young favourites and title defenders Kai Kestenholz and Leo Thoresen. Everyone gets a cheer on and a cheer up, as this intergenerational event is all about enjoying the snowboard culture together.

#bankedslalomlaax

Banked Slalom 2025 / p: Ruggli