This Swiss ski resort brings a California surfer vibe to the slopes

It’s my final day in Laax, and I’m standing at the edge of the world’s biggest half-pipe. The Beast, as it’s aptly named, stretches for 200 metres and is seven metres deep — a daunting sight for many, and certainly for this intermediate skier venturing into my first half-pipe. Snowboarders effortlessly slalom past me, defying gravity with each jump, landing with finesse on the compacted snow with a mischievous grin on their faces.

Two days earlier, after a scenic train journey from Zurich to Chur, followed by a bus ride up winding mountain roads, I’d expected to find the archetypal Swiss ski resort populated with wealthy retirees gliding about the slopes, and glitzy chalet restaurants filled with patrons in fashion statement skiwear. Instead, I was greeted by young snowboarders whizzing from ski lifts to terrace bars, Burton-clad staff watching freestyle highlights on YouTube and a lively vibe closer to a Berlin hostel than a Swiss chalet.

“Laax is mostly visited by people in their 30s,” explains our guide, Martina Calonder, a local of the same age and third-generation ski instructor. “In most ski resorts in Switzerland it’s above 50.” Part of the Flims-Falera-Laax ski area, Laax is managed entirely by a single company, Weisse Arena Gruppe, connected by a network of 28 ski lifts. Most of its 133 miles of piste are above 6,500ft, host to a variety of winter sports for different levels and styles. But among them, freestyling is what makes Laax so uniquely attractive to younger skiers.

Crowned the world’s best freestyle resort by the World Ski Awards for eight consecutive years, Laax draws in hordes of boarders and skiers from November to April. Its world-class freestyle offerings include the infamous half-pipe and a more manageable mini pipe. Beyond these, there are five snowparks peppered with countless rails, kickers, hips and other obstacles that dance the line between thrill and risk.

Martina guides me to the beginner snow park between the pistes of Crap Sogn Gion and Alp Dado, where riding its small bumps help me build confidence in landing jumps. Those seeking more of a challenge can then ski down to Ils Plaun, an intermediate zone, or the pro-level NoName zone, home to the aforementioned Beast. And here in Laax, skiers and boarders speak of these snow parks less like slopes and more like must-see Disneyland attractions.

But Laax is more than just a winter sports playground. The resort’s legendary Freestyle Academy, founded in 2010, reopens after a two-year revamp this season. Now, having almost doubled in size, this 2,000sq-metre, state-of-the-art underground complex houses a skate bowl, parkour zone with jump tower and airbag, half-pipes, ramps and freestyle trampolines with 360 cameras to allow for video analysis of jumps, catering to indoor thrill-seekers of all ages, year-round. Meanwhile, Flims Forest is a short bus ride away, woven with hiking and biking trails, and horse-drawn carriage-rides lead to the shores of Lake Cauma or the breathtaking vistas of the Rhine Gorge, often referred to as the Swiss Grand Canyon.

On my first evening, I trek up from Laax base station through flurries of snow from cannons hard at work covering the piste, to Tegia Larnags, a cosy mountain hut-turned-restaurant known for its hearty Swiss cuisine. Our table is soon filled with crisp röstis, perfectly grilled veal livers, and steaming pots of fondue — Swiss dining at its finest. The next day, however, I find myself at Riders Hotel’s restaurant, at Laax base, where the menu takes an unexpected turn. “We offer a fully vegetarian menu year-round,” explains Pascal Bertschinger, the 28-year-old chef. “Swiss mountain cuisine is typically traditional and meat-heavy, but it doesn’t have to be.” Here, the menu combines local ingredients with inventive twists, such as traditional spaetzli noodles smothered in a lip-smacking black garlic sauce.

The natural next stop is Riders Hotel lobby for some select après. Sipping a negroni at the bar, I could easily mistake it for a laid-back Copenhagen cocktail spot. Designed in minimalist Scandi style with warm wood finishes, the bar — simply named The Lobby — draws a hipster crowd, often seen sporting beanies and Vans year-round. Perhaps it’s the hotel’s dual role as a cultural hub and event space, hosting weekly film nights, as well as concerts, and serving as the go-to after-party venue during the Laax Open freestyle competition in January.

The freestyling, laid-back charm that defines Laax was very much the vision of its founder, Reto Gurtner chairman of Weisse Arena Gruppe. “Laax was born out of the time I spent in California; I wanted to bring the culture around surfing and the community feeling to the mountains here,” says the 69-year-old local legend. When I meet him at Riders Hotel, he’s wearing his iconic flat cap with a long brim, under which sits a bushy moustache and goatee. He speaks passionately about LAAX, and its aim to become a leading eco-conscious resort. “The goal is to be zero-carbon by 2030,” he says. Dubbed ‘Greenstyle’ by the team behind the long-term strategy, sustainability efforts in Laax so far are pioneering. All ski lifts are powered by renewable electricity, and the new FlemExpress gondola functions on-demand to avoid unnecessary runs while piste-grooming vehicles run on hybrid power and are digitally optimised. Riders Restaurant even features smart cameras atop bins analysing waste.

“People who come here are very happy about the green efforts,” says Martina, as we head out for my final runs. “But it’s still not the main reason people choose their ski destinations.” And she’s right. While it’s great to know the ski lift we’re on is solar-powered, my eyes are firmly fixed on the half-pipe and the people elegantly slaloming below. We exit the lift for a pit stop at Caffè NoName, overlooking the slopes where I down a half-pint of liquid courage and take my place at the edge of The Beast.

Before the boozy bravado can fade away, I push off quickly, my weight swiftly carrying me down the Beast’s curved wall. My heart pounds faster than my skis rattling over the snow. Within seconds that feel like centuries, velocity finally propels me into the air, like a child lifted by their parent. The warm sun is on my face, the breeze momentarily stops. I’m airborne. Then the rush of air returns as I fall back into the pipe’s curve, finally crumpling and rolling on the snow. It feels like catching a wave. Reto was right. This is a slice of California life; the closest thing to surfing you can experience on a mountain.