Airtime over LAAX:
Mathilde Gremaud and Birk Ruud are LAAX OPEN 2024
Champions in freeski slopestyle Radiant home victory for Olympic champion Gremaud – fifth place for Laax local Andri Ragettli
Freeski finale at Crap Sogn Gion – The world’s best 20 freeski athletes conclude the LAAX OPEN 2024, Europe’s most prestigious freestyle event and FIS Freeski World Cup host for the second time.
Numerous winter sports enthusiasts and freestyle fans line the 500-meter-long course in the LAAX snowpark. From top to bottom, it offers riders a variety of opportunities to show off their skills, within reach of spectators, unique on the FIS World Cup circuit. The “Shark Fins” are the most popular with the audience: 10-meter-high curved wings, to be taken on the right or left, conjure up a trick in the air, land and drive into the kicker line at full speed. Creativity is crucial in this sport, perfect technique on the two boards is also part of the acrobatic performance of the athletes!
Olympic champion Mathilde Gremaud mastered this most brilliantly, taking the first podium on this brilliant weekend for Swiss-Ski. With a top run and tricks such as a double cork 1080, the skater from Freiburg is a touch better than superstar Eileen Gu, just as she was at the Olympics. Jay Riccomini (USA) achieves his first World Cup podium and 3rd place in Laax.
Birk Ruud is also the new LAAX OPEN champion in the men’s event: “To be at the top is a really good feeling and I’m very proud of myself today.” The serial winner leads an extremely close, top-class sporting quintet. He was followed by Mac Forehand (2nd/USA) and Max Moffat (3rd/CAN), who caused a sensation in the finish area with a meter-high jump on the final quarter. Olympic champion Alex Hall (USA) finished in fourth place. LAAX OPEN 2023 champion Andri Ragettli (SUI) was a highly acclaimed fifth.
LAAX OPEN Media contact: Astrid Nehls