The iconic Swiss resort of Laax gets the deep dive treatment of Onboard’s Hot Spots…

Laax. It’s nice, yo. This Swiss resort a couple of hours from Zurich has, over the last 20 years or so, cemented its reputation as arguably the finest freestyle resort on European shores, if not on the planet. After becoming one of the first places to invest in a pipe dragon to maintain a permanent superpipe, Laax went all-in on freestyle to the point we’re at now where there are several different park zones for all ability levels, the superpipe and its less hectic little minipipe bro, and of course the insane P60 run that’s littered with hits throughout its almost 1km length.

Laax has played host to some defining events in its history: back in 2005 it was a no-brainer for Burton to move the BEO here, which enjoyed a decade-long run before evolving into today’s Laax Open – and a heavier contest on European shores you won’t find. And it’s not just ultraboarding – Laax also regularly welcomes less-prestigious but equally important regional events, plus the last three years has also seen them host the epic Sudden Rush Banked Slalom organised by local hero Nicolas Müller and his homie Terje Haakonsen.

“Few things in life are more epic than scoring Laax on a powder day and spending your hours lapping the trees and popping pillows”

Not only that, as countless movie parts will attest (looking at you, Nico), when it comes to backcountry riding Laax more than offers up the goods. Few things in life are more epic than scoring Laax on a powder day and spending your hours lapping the trees and popping pillows, but there are certainly some bigger lines to be hunted down if you know where to look. All this, plus they’re constantly showing off the goods they possess on this information superhighway via a multitude of edits, most notably The Crap Show series of which there are now several seasons to explore.

Off the hill, too, the resort crew has gone hard on ensuring that their setup is the perfect spot for snowboarders: the Freestyle Academy, a wealth of bars and clubs and a vibe that’s on point all add up to make Laax a spot that should be on every snowboarder’s bucket list.

Talking heads in order of appearance: Nicolas Müller, Severin Van der Meer, Kevin Backstrom, Lucas Baume, Reto Poltera, James Niederberger

Riders: Severin Van der Meer, Lucas Baume, Kevin Backstrom, James Niederberger, Nicholas Wolken, George Scott, Roope Tonteri

Filmers: Sam McMahon, Ed Blomfield, Sam Oetiker, Thomas Copsey, Will Nangle, Roope Tonteri

Edit: Thomas Copsey