There is much to learn from the Americans: How to fly to the moon. How to play basketball. And how to build a ski resort - just look at Vail, Beaver Creek or Breckenridge. These US resorts all follow one mantra: ski in, ski out, meaning short distances from the hotel to the lift and vice versa.

Switzerland has something very similar, thanks to two Retos: Reto Poltera and Reto Gurtner have brought lifestyle, freestyle and green style to the Alps. Both hail from Graubünden, but have lived the American dream: as young sunbathers in the 1990s, they independently moved to California and inhaled the West Coast vibe. When they returned, they had the American combination of surfing, skating and snowboarding in their luggage and a bold vision: to bring the US spirit to their somewhat dusty homeland, to Laax to be precise, which, together with Flims and Falera, offers 235 kilometres of pistes, making it one of the largest interconnected winter sports resorts in Switzerland.

 

Laax is home to the largest halfpipe in the world

Today, Reto Gurtner is president of the Weisse Arena Group, an integrated tourism and leisure services company he founded, which includes mountain railways, hotels and restaurants, as well as a ski and snowboard school and a management company. Reto Poltera heads the group's Education & Equipment division. Together, they have launched a small winter sports revolution in Switzerland that is attracting worldwide attention. How did they do it? By building exciting snowparks with banked turns and jumps instead of uniformly smooth pistes, and turning Laax into one of the world's leading ski resorts for freestylers. There are 28 lifts, five snowparks, the world's largest halfpipe and Europe's first indoor freestyle hall, the Freestyle Academy.

Unofficially, the community of just over 2100 has long been known as the California of the Alps, despite its idyllic location in the Surselva region of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, 90 minutes by car from Zurich. On the ski map, the resort is divided into a series of rugged valleys and unspoilt forest areas - all in the shadow of the Vorab Glacier and the striking peaks of the Tectonic Arena Sardona, a Unesco World Heritage Site. 

Unlike other well-known Swiss ski resorts such as St. Moritz, Klosters or Samnaun, the scene here is not dominated by wealthy entrepreneurs and society ladies in expensive designer ski outfits, but by young snowboarders who go straight from the slopes to the bar - without changing. Sports enthusiasts, skiers and snowboarders don't come to Laax for the glitz and glamour, but for the great runs, the breathtaking scenery and the cool village atmosphere.

 

Mountain Railways have been CO₂ neutral since 2008

Laax also scores with uncompromising sustainability - the Weisse Arena Group is committed to green energy, environmentally friendly products and a conscious use of resources. The mountain railways have been CO₂ neutral since 2008, all ski lifts are powered by renewable energy and the FlemExpress gondola operates on demand to avoid unnecessary journeys. Artificial snowmaking is CO₂ neutral, the snow groomers are hybrid and digitally optimised, there are plenty of free water filling stations and e-shuttles around the resort. There is a free repair service for ski clothing to extend its life cycle, and vertical gardens at the bottom of ski lifts that provide food for bees, birds and insects all year round. By 2030, the entire resort will not only be carbon neutral, but will also produce its own energy from renewable sources. With this strong focus on sustainability, Laax is a pioneer of eco-tourism in the Alps.

That alone may be reason enough for many to ski here rather than Crans, Cortina or Courchevel. But the real USP is the unrivalled freestyle offering - a functional affair, packed with eco-design and innovative technology. Laax has been voted the world's best freestyle resort at the World Ski Awards for the ninth year running, and the legendary Freestyle Academy, founded in 2010, has just reopened after a two-year renovation - almost doubling in size and featuring a state-of-the-art underground hall with skate bowl, ramps, freestyle trampolines, parkour zone with jump tower, airbags and cameras to film the jumps.

 

Numerous options for overnight accommodation

There's never a dull moment off the slopes, halfpipe or trampoline. Where young snowboarders hang out, cool cafés/bars/clubs are not far away. Right behind the Freestyle Academy is the Riders Hotel, a hip hostel in minimalist Scandi style. Non-hotel guests also appreciate the experimental vegetarian restaurant, the casual, urban lobby cocktail bar and the club with top DJs and many high-calibre acts. 

The star of the village's hotels, however, is the Rockresort Design Hotel, opened in 2009 next to the Laax Murschetg valley station, an avant-garde ensemble of cube-shaped buildings made of solid Vals quartzite, grouped around a central square like randomly placed boulders. New buildings have been added over the years, and two more cubes will be completed this year. The pan-Asian restaurant, Nooba, and the rustic bar, Il Pup, are popular meeting places for après-ski, which can last late into the night. Of course, Rockresort is also committed to the conservation of resources and the environment. Both the energy consumption and the ecological footprint are to be kept small - which has clearly been achieved: in 2024, the Rocksresort was honoured as the World's Best Green Ski Hotel at the World Ski Awards. For the sixth time.

 

Food & drink

Grandis Ustria da Vin: a modern yet cosy wine bar and restaurant. With a selection of over 1,000 wines, raclette with wild mushrooms, polenta with cheese or grilled venison fillet. grandislaax.ch

Tankstelle Bar & Shop: cool music, stylish ambience, delicious cocktails and an upcycling shop for vintage fashion. Via Murschetg 25, Tel.

Ristorante Camino: pizzas from the wood-fired oven and authentic Italian Mediterranean cuisine, just like “dalla Nonna”. And last but not least, the relaxed Camino Bar with the best drinks and a feel-good atmosphere. signinahotel.com

Tegia Larnags: cozy mountain hut with terrace and hearty Swiss cuisine – rösti, fondue, capuns and meat from the Beefer, all deliciously prepared. larnags.ch

Tegia Curnius: another mountain hut, this time in a minimalist, modern lodge style, serving the best Grisons specialties such as Maluns (chowder), Salzis (sausage), mountain cheese or barley soup. curnius.ch

Indy Bar: a cozy place for a drink, a beer or a traditional mulled wine. The open-air bar is open in the afternoons, while DJs and bands create a great atmosphere in the evenings. Via Murschetg 15, Tel. +41 81 927 96 96

 

Overnight

Riders: The 69 rooms are as chic as they are environmentally friendly, with exposed wood details and modern mid-century elements, comfortable king-size beds, floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious walk-in showers. There are also family rooms, rooms for friends and studio rooms. ridershotel.com

Riders Resort: 206 modernly furnished apartments in different categories and sizes for maximum flexibility. The accommodations are specially designed for self-catering, but hotel services can be booked for added convenience. rocksresort.com