In the afternoon intermission ahead of The Snow League’s Event Four snowboarding finals at LAAX, Switzerland, the spotlight shifted to the mini pipe where the next generation of Snow League athletes took over.
The Snow League teamed up with the LAAX Freestyle Academy to host a high-energy Mini Pipe Bash, inviting local rippers to drop into the mini halfpipe alongside Snow League athletes, local legends, and guest pros. With over 50 young athletes showing up ready to ride, the session quickly turned into a full-blown jam.
Located just adjacent to the main competition pipe, the perfectly sculpted mini halfpipe became a playground for progression, style, and pure stoke. The Snow League founder Shaun White joined in on the session, along with League snowboarders Lucas Foster, Joey Okesson, Jio Lee, Jonas Hasler, David Habluetzel, Pat Burgener, and freeskiers, including the newly-crowned Snow League World Champion Luke Harrold, Mischa Thomas, and Nick Goepper.
Local LAAX legends including Sochi 2014 Olympic gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov, three-time halfpipe Olympian Xaver Hoffmann, and Christian Haller also joined in.
The jam went down under sunny skies, with spectators cheering as the groms threw down alongside the pros. Cash and prizes were up for grabs for standout tricks, but the real reward was clearly the opportunity to ride side-by-side with the best in the world.
Two standout riders from the Freestyle Academy, Luis vom Berg and Lela Helfenstein, earned the opportunity to open The Snow League snowboard finals. They dropped into the main competition halfpipe, both delivering smooth confident runs down the 22-foot halfpipe.
The Mini Pipe Bash reflected The Snow League and Shaun White’s broader vision of building a clear progression pipeline from local talent to the global stage, encouraging the next generation of athletes like Luis and Lela.
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