LAAX’s Freestyle Academy Heads To The Circus

After almost 12 successful years since opening in a disused tennis court, the legendary LAAX Freestyle Academy closed its doors in March to be demolished and completely rebuilt by spring 2024. But freestylers fear not, the academy has been relocated to a Big Top, just two-minutes away.

• Europe’s first Freestyle Academy to be rebuilt, and will become entirely carbon neutral once complete
• The Freestyle Academy, located in LAAX, Switzerland, will be rehomed in a Big Top provided by Switzerland’s largest circus
• In the Big Top, Freestylers will have access to trampolines, vertical ramps and more

Provided by Switzerland’s largest and oldest Circus, Circus Knie, the academy’s new home is located by the Prau la Selva Sports Centre in Flims and will open to locals and tourists in July 2022.

In the meantime, the Freestyle Academy will be renovated to the highest ecological standards set out by LAAX’s Greenstyle Initiative, and will therefore be entirely carbon neutral as per agreements with the Weisse Arena Group, LAAX’s parent company.

By reusing materials from the existing structure, waste will be kept to a minimum and by spring 2024 a brand-new freestyle hall will reopen underground, bigger and more action-packed than before.

The Freestyle Academy delivers a slice of Californian cool to the Swiss mountains. Its ethos is clear: encouraging guests to live with the wonder and fearlessness of children, always chasing a new adrenaline high. Born with a dream of reinventing the famous skate parks and surf schools in California in the home of freestyle snow sports, the Freestyle Academy has no rules; guests from age two and above are welcome to jump, climb, and flip all over the bespoke facilities, before taking their new tricks to the skate park or mountainside.

Trampolines inside LAAX’s old Freestyle Academy which is being demolished

Ivan Capaul, the Freestyle Academy's Operations Manager said "A simple gym would be too boring for our replacement. The nature of the Freestyle Academy demands something more unusual."

From July 2022. The huge circus tent will be home to all the academy’s freestyle equipment and sporting facilities, from vertical ramps, trampolines, to the giant airbag, all will be located in the temporary structure. This relocation was made possible through an exciting partnership with the Circus Knie, Switzerland’s largest and oldest circus. The Freestyle Academy team were able to rely on centuries of know-how from the Knie team during the construction of the Big Top in March.

The circus tent, with a 44-metre diameter and a height of 14 metres, not only offers space for old favourites such as the skate bowl and the airbag with trampolines, but also new, artistic elements from the circus.

"The circus theme and freestyle in combination is designed to inspire young and old alike. It’s a totally unique experience, and we hope it will pique the interest of new fans who fancy trying something new in a welcoming and supportive environment”, says Reto Poltéra, CEO of the Weisse Arena Gruppe and responsible for the leisure and sports sector.