Alaia Group Takes Control Of Crans-Montana Snowpark

From the start of the winter season, the Alaïa group, in collaboration with the company Helvepark and its main partner Tudor, will be taking over the management of Crans-Montana’s Snowpark. An agreement has been signed with the Haut Plateau ski lift operator to provide users with market-leading freestyle facilities.

Following the opening in May of Alaïa Bay in Sion and Alaïa Wake Surf in Le Bouveret, the young Valais start-up organisation has signed a three-year agreement with the Crans-Montana Aminona ski lift operator to manage the ski area’s snowpark.

Adam Bonvin, the group’s founder, said: “Thanks to our presence within the ski area, we can officially say that Alaïa now offers the possibility of combining several sports in one day, including snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. A childhood dream is becoming a reality and I can’t wait for our customers to experience it.”

Alaïa is one of the fastest growing start-ups in Europe and focuses on developing unique experiences in the action sports world. The company creates and manages sports facilities and accommodation with a large portfolio of locations, including Alaïa Chalet, an indoor/outdoor action sports centre in Crans-Montana, Alaïa Bay, continental Europe’s first surf pool in Sion, and Alaïa Lodge (from December 2021) in Crans-Montana, a hotel combining urban style with an alpine flair.

Philippe Magistretti, president of the CMA group, said: “It is a great pleasure to entrust the management of Crans-Montana Snowpark to the Alaïa group; a dynamic and trustworthy partner with vast expertise and a vision for the future of freestyle. They can rely on CMA’s support for the successful implementation of their project.”

With this change, Alaïa group hopes to contribute in a significant way to the resort’s revitalisation strategy by attracting young, snow sports fans. The Valais-based group can also count on the support of its partners, in particular the Geneva watch brand Tudor, which joined the venture with Alaïa since the beginning and lends its name to the project as Alaïa Parks by Tudor.

TUDOR is an award-winning Swiss-made watch brand, offering mechanical watches with refined aesthetics, proven reliability and unique value for money. The origins of TUDOR date back to 1926, when "The Tudor" was first registered as a brand on behalf of the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. He created the Montres TUDOR SA Company in 1946 to offer watches with the quality and dependability of a Rolex, at a more affordable price point. Because of their robustness and affordability, throughout their history TUDOR watches have been chosen by the boldest adventurers on land, underwater and on ice. Today, the TUDOR collection includes emblematic models such as Pelagos, Black Bay, 1926 and Royal. Since 2015, TUDOR has also offered mechanical Manufacture Calibres with multiple functions and superior performance.

Crans-Montana Snowpark is considered as one of the best in Switzerland, and with its Olympic-sized half-pipe, it is also one of the biggest. Alaïa Parks by Tudor is open from December until the start of June. From December and depending on snowfall, various lines will open progressively, starting with the Cry d’Er area and followed by the “Mérignou” minipark. As the season draws to a close, from May to June, the snowpark moves to the Plaine Morte Glacier where a number of national teams take up residence for training. Adam Bonvin added, “Whether you come to Alaïa Bay, Alaïa Chalet or, from mid-December, Alaïa Lodge – our new hotel in the heart of Crans-Montana – elite athletes can now access specifically adapted training facilities in the best conditions possible. The complementarity of sporting activities gives the Crans-Montana resort and the canton of Valais an undeniable competitive advantage when teams are choosing their training location.”

Focusing on the long term

As was the case last season, operations have been entrusted to Helvepark, a company specialising in the design and construction of snowparks, as well as event management. Adam Bonvin said: “We intend to collaborate with leading experts, and the Helvepark team has proven its skills in other resorts, as well as in Crans-Montana. This collaboration will allow us to capitalise on the excellent work already undertaken.” Romain Espejo, director of Helvepark, said: “We appreciate this ongoing show of trust and are delighted to continue working on this project. Last year, we successfully installed new modules and have already connected with several athletes and events’ organisers. We are excited to collaborate with Alaïa on further developments.”

After a challenging season, another important point to highlight is the events agenda. The aim of winter 2021–2022 will be to organise several freestyle events in the snowpark, culminating with the arrival of the Audi Nines in April – an event that brings together 40 of the world’s top freestyle skiers and snowboarders.

Special bundles combining the Alaïa universe will be available to buy online at www.alaiaparks.ch. These include the “Day Pass” for a price of CHF 45.- per adult or CHF 37 for kids, which gives the access to the snowpark, unlimited access to the Téléski Snowpark, as well as two ski lift journeys from the resort (either the Crans–Cry d’Er cable car or the Montana–Arnouva cable car and the Arnouva–Cry d’Er chairlift), an unlimited All-Access pass for Alaïa Chalet and an optional surf session at Alaïa Bay, including the Winter Kit, which is valid until the end of April.

The snowpark opens progressively from the start of the winter season (mid-November to mid-December) with a range of lines (depending on snowfall). The park is fully operational from the start of January.

From November to April, the snowpark is located in Cry d’Er before it moves to the Plaine Morte Glacier for the Spring Session and training camps for national teams (May to early June). No other snowpark in Switzerland is open for longer.

The snowpark covers an area of around 140,000m2 and includes 60 different modules across the entire site. There are several lines for beginners and experts alike.

To find out more, visit:

alaiaparks.ch
facebook.com/alaia.parks
instagram.com/alaia.parks