LAAX to Transform the Future of Winter Sports

What seemed like a marginal experiment in the 1980s has become one of LAAX's defining characteristics. Today, four decades later, the Swiss resort is once again challenging the status quo, but this time with a different goal: to make the mountain more diverse and inclusive.

The data is compelling. According to Sport England, Black participation in snow sports was too low to register in the 2022-23 season. A historical gap that is now beginning to narrow. And LAAX, true to its innovative DNA, has decided to act with two collaborations that mark a before and after in the Alps.

From London Asphalt to Alpine Trails

The first step came in 2025. That summer, LAAX partnered with Explorers, a social group founded in London by Sam Gordon that brings together more than 10,000 members, mostly Black Britons and other ethnic minorities, with the philosophy, "come alone, leave together."

After growing with support from brands such as Patagonia, Salomon, and Sports Direct, Explorers organized its first international trip to LAAX in September 2025. More than 70 participants hiked, biked, swam, and rafted through the alpine landscapes. The goal was not just to play sports, but to open a door to nature for communities that have traditionally been marginalized from this space.

"It’s about creating a world my younger self would wish existed," explains Gordon. "A place to discover what the mountain offers and understand our place in it."

The second move will come in 2026, when LAAX will host Soft Life Ski (SLS), Europe’s largest Afro-Caribbean ski festival. The first edition, in 2025, sold out in seven minutes and brought together more than 900 skiers and snowboarders.

The expectation for 2026 is higher: 1,500 attendees and a program that mixes DJs on the slopes, après-ski parties, and mountain activities. "We created SLS because we didn't see ourselves represented in the ski world," says Emmanuel Ojo, one of its founders. "Now we're showing that, when culture opens the door, new communities arrive with renewed energy."

A Future Strategy

In the first four months of 2025, LAAX recorded a 66% increase in British visitors compared to the previous year, becoming Switzerland's best-performing resort during that period.

The strategy goes beyond numbers. Andrew Westbrook, LAAX spokesperson, summarizes it: "Diversity doesn't happen by chance, it happens by design. We want the Alps to be a home away from home for everyone."

The Mountain No Longer Recognizes Borders

33% of Londoners admit to spending less than one hour a day outdoors. Initiatives such as Explorers or SLS are, therefore, more than one-off events: they are gateways for new and diverse audiences to discover winter sports.

LAAX pioneered the transformation of skiing into freestyle in the 1980s. Today, it aims to be a pioneer in something more ambitious: demonstrating that snow, music, and culture can converge in one place. And that the mountains of the future will not be exclusive, but inclusive.