[Billy Morgan. All photos: Marcel Lammerhirt]

That beer brand that makes dodgy booze but has a killer marketing department doesn’t do snowboard contests, but if it did it the Laax Open would fit right into its ‘best in the world’ schtick.

The biggest freestyle snowboard event in Europe is on and brings the best Snowboarders and young challengers from around the world to LAAX.

On the second day of the LAAX OPEN the slopestyle qualifications were on the program. In the new course, including a rail-combination, a wave obstacle, three kickers and a quarterpipe, the 56 male and 23 female riders could demonstrate their creativity and skills. In the men’s qualifiers UK rider Billy Morgan earned the highest score. The top twenty from today’s qualification will meet all the invited and seeded riders, such as Mark McMorris, Peetu Piiroinen or Stale Sandbech, in the semi-finals on Thursday. Best lady today was US girl Julia Marino. The top nine female riders will enter the semi finals together with big names like Jamie Anderson, Enni Rukajarvi or Spencer O’Brien.

Wednesday’s program includes the semi-finals in Halfpipe, starting at 9.45 am followed by the creative festival in the rocksresort from 2.30-7 pm.
Live webcast will be on from 9:40 am to 3.20 pm for free on www.laax.com/open.

LAAX OPEN 2016: Results Qualification Slopestyle, January 19, 2016

Men
Heat 1
1 Ulrik Badertscher (NOR) 85.28
2 Mikko Rehnberg (FIN) 84.57
3 Yutaro Miyazawa (JPN) 82.57
4 Dario Burch (SUI) 79.85
5 Marco Grigis (ITA) 77.28
6 Joel Staub (SUI) 76.28
7 Sebastian Konijnenberg (FRA) 74.42
8 Maximilian Preissinger (GER) 73.85
9 Carlos Gerber (SUI) 73.28
10 Bendik Gjerdalen (NOR) 70.42
11 Takeru Ootsuka (JPN) 67.71
12 Markus Olimstad (NOR) 65.57
13 Florian Fischer (SUI) 57.71

Heat 2
1 Billy Morgan (GBR) 89.28
2 Charles Reid (CAN) 82.57
3 Boris Mouton (FRA) 75.00
4 Tomoki Wakita (JPN) 73.71
5 Nuutti Niemela (FIN) 71.71
6 Petter Gron (NOR) 68.14
7 Torgeir Bergrem (NOR) 62.57

Women
1 Julia Marino (USA) 91.00
2 Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) 89.00
3 Lia-Mara Oesch (SUI) 87.28
4 Lucile Lefevre (FRA) 86.57
5 Celia Petrig (SUI) 86.00
6 Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) 85.28
7 Laurie Blouin (CAN) 84.85
8 Carla Somaini (SUI) 82.42
9 Jenna Blasman (CAN) 80.00