LAAX is well known for being the paradise for snowboarding. But since the beginning, the resort has hosted many free skiing events that attracted all the best freestyle skiers in the world. Since it’s mainly being shaped by snowboarders, the resort is still often considered as the Mecca of snowboarding. While everywhere in the world, there seems to be some kind of tension between board-riders and sticks-riders, here in Laax, the two sports seem to live in some kind of harmony.

A remarkable trend in this resort is a growth of groups containing both skier-girls and snowboarder-chicks since a few years. But it’s not only girls that get along well here, as we saw some filming crews containing both snowboarders and freeskiers, who are shooting their season edit together.

For you, we met up with a few riders to ask their perspective about the riding community.

Interview with a visiting skier – Severin Guggemoos

Hi Severin! Tell us about you: where are you from? Where do you normally ski?
Hi Reverse Mag! I’m Severin Guggemoos, my friends call me Gucci or Guggi I’m 28 years old and I come from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
I usually Ski in the region around Innsbruck in resorts like Stubai, Nordkette and some smaller jib parks like Rinn and Ehrwald. But my favorite parks are Absolut Park and Laax!

What was your first Impression about Laax? How do you like the slopes?
I love Laax! The vibe is always super good up here. It makes me feel a bit like a little kid who is waiting for something special to happen when I put my skis on and make my first turns! The long run down at P60 is priceless and for sure one of the most fun slopes for a park worldwide!

What is your feeling about the vibe between skiers and snowboarders here in Laax?
I think the vibe is much more relaxed between the two sports than in many other parks! Maybe it’s because the people know that this park is so dope, since a lot of the world’s best riders rip it here constantly. Everybody has a lot of respect for somewhat everything. I’m talking about nature, or respect for each other and for the sake of having a good time.

Why do boundaries exist between these two sports, while we actually ride the same features and share the same values? Does this separation make sense to you?
I think these boundaries mainly exist because of the strange behaviour from skiers, that snowboarders had to deal with when it became popular. Some resorts in the States started to ban snowboarders from their resort because they thought snowboarding was not a real sport and they said they should stop acting crazy. To be honest, I wouldn’t like it as well if somebody would say to me: „sorry no skiing allowed on these slopes, grab a snowboard and stop skiing“. But times changed and skiing is, just like snowboarding, a lifestyle and that’s why I think that the separation doesn’t make much sense anymore nowadays!
I’m glad that snowboarding became popular, as I’ve learned a lot from it. For example, why do we, skiers, actually ride with poles when we can use our whole body to control it all? Haha! One day I just stopped using them because my snowboarding homies always asked me what those things were good for? Obviously, I had no clear answer to that question. I’m grateful that this moment of harmony came, as it influenced my style a lot! Try it and feel free!
I´m having a good time with a good dude on the slopes whether they have one or two sticks under their feet!

Do you feel welcomed by local skiers and snowboarders?
For sure! My latest impression was super positive! No hate, just good vibes and smiles all day.

Who are your best snowboarder buddies?
My homies from Garmisch where it all started, Sebi Schmitz, Ethan Morgan, Marcel Eule, Christoph Mittmann and some local Innsbruck shredders like Chris Schwarz, Max Glatzl, Benno Bauer, Mario Käppeli and more!

Interview with a local snowboarder – Francisco Couto

Hi Franz, welcome back! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hey my name is Francisco Couto. I’m 23 years old and I’m working in the Burton Store in Laax. I’m originating from Portugal and I’ve been living in Switzerland for 11 years now.

Why Laax? What is it the best thing about spending the season here?
I chose for Laax because they have the best park in Europe. If you came to shred here once, you basically don’t want to shred any another park. So big up for the shaper crew! Also all my friends shred here and the people and the vibes here are awesome.

How do you feel about the vibe between skiers and snowboarders?
I think there is a good vibe between skiers and snowboarders here. It doesn’t really matter what kind of stick you ride. I guess we are all here for the same reason, which is to have fun on the mountain and share the same passion. The only difference is that some do it on one and others on two ‘boards’.

Do you feel like you are welcoming to local skiers or outsider skiers?
My two best friends are both skiers so I have always been riding with skiers. I think I don’t make a difference in how welcoming I am between skiers and snowboarders.

What do you know about freeskiing?
I know that it is a big community and since I have been riding with skiers a lot, I also know a lot about their tricks. I think it makes me more creative in my own riding, as a snowboarder.

Would you agree on a shooting, combining the two sports?
Yes definitely. My skier friends and me have been shooting together many times before.

Did you ever watch any skiing videos?
Yes, I love Shea Flyn’s part in Ten&Two. I like to watch them because, just like snowboarding movies, they inspire me.

Who’s your best skier buddy?
Gian Marchet Schicktanz, for sure.

Interview with a local Skier – Lucas Howald

Hi Lucas, thanks so much for talking to us. Tell us a little about yourself?
Hi Reverse. So I come from the region of Bienne, I’m 22 and my life is pretty much dedicated to skiing. I studied polyvalent mechanics, in which I found a job that allows me to work during summer, and ski all winter.

Introduce the Jahouse.
Where I come from, skiing is not optimal, there is almost no snow and most resorts don’t have a snowpark. Quickly, some young dudes from our region met up to rent a flat in a ski resort. At first, we were all studying so we only could come up the mountain during weekends or holidays. After these heavy school days, we managed to stay in Laax all together, all season long. That’s when we started making videos under the name of Jahouse Collective, which is a production mixing skiing and snowboarding flat mates.

Do people sometimes react on the fact that you are a crew mixing skiing and snowboarding in your video productions?
Honestly, just few people have expressed their dislike of seeing skiers and snowboarders filming together. For us, it has always been organic as we’ve always been a mixed crew. So I think that people who’ve known us for a long time, share that same vision.
The fact of filming and riding together is not a problem at all. But when it comes to gathering the shots, and putting them together into one visual project, it might create some inconveniency. It doesn’t matter whether you have just one or rather two sticks under your feet, people always relate more to one or the other and less to the mix.

Do you think that this separation between snowboarders and skiers makes sense?
Absolutely not! We both need the same facilities and features so why should we separate the two sports? Each rider has it’s own style, no matter what his equipment is. I believe the most important thing is that all riders respect each other and that’s what keeps that good spirit.

Does skiing with snowboarders help you improve your riding?
Yes, for sure it does! For me, snowboarding is a source of inspiration, especially when it comes to creativity and the choice of the line, or sometimes I’m even jealous of them when I see their endless opportunities of riding rails.

Pictures: Nicki Antognini
Words: Nicki Antognini & Dries Meesschaert
Location: Laax, Switzerland
Thanks to: Laax for hosting us this winter and Gucci, Franz and Lucas for your words.