Beyond Medals Last Dance takes over Laax
- Xavi Quirós
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Over three days, some of the best riders on the globe put down some heavy tricks – both on the slopes and in the skate park, with high energy and no shortage of good vibes.
The Beyond Medals crew brought everyone together for one final Last Dance in LAAX, closing out the snow season in style. With a mix of snowboarders, skateboarders, and industry heavyweights, LAAX once again proved why it holds its place as one of the world’s best board sports hubs.
DAY 1: WELCOME VIBES & SKATE SESSIONS
Landing at the Riders Hotel in LAAX, snowboarders, skateboarders, and industry heads gathered from across the globe, all hyped for the weekend ahead. After a few drinks and a well-fuelled welcome dinner, things kicked off at the Freestyle Academy, where skateboarders dropped into the intimidatingly steep vert ramp, followed by a cash-for-tricks session in the bowl.
DAY 2: BIG JUMPS, RAT RACE & KATFISH LIVE
While the skateboarders were shifting focus to strapping in for some fun party laps, the snowboarders were gearing up for their first contest: Big Air. With a heavy comp year behind them, some riders came in fully dialled, while others were shaking off the Big Air cobwebs. Riders like Tess Coady and Sean Fitzsimons went big while staying composed mid-air, securing well-deserved wins.
The High Jump followed, drawing in a big crowd as riders began pushing for height. Starting low, the session quickly escalated – from creativity first to pure survival. As the bar rose, landings became optional, as long as the pole stayed in place.
While spectators felt it in their knees just watching, the jumps kept getting higher as the bar rose to over 3.5 meters. In the end, Dusty Henricksen and Dane Menzies battled it out, settling for a shared win as the bar reached heights that defied gravity. Tess Coady claimed another win, taking home the women’s High Jump.
With the sun blazing, the afternoon rolled into the legendary Caffè No Name terrace, where the crowd were flowing to the tunes of DJ ITE, fuelling riders for Saturday’s final on-snow event: the Rat Race. Once the slopes had been cleared, all bets were off – the fastest one down the valley takes it all. A run that takes the average rider about 30 minutes took Sebbe de Buck four. Close behind came Maca Taiz Valle as the fastest female, alongside Chris Pfanner as the fastest skateboarder.
Wrapping up the day, Rene Rinnekangas and his punk band Katfish put on a heavy live show, followed by the prize-giving ceremony, which included not just prize money but also all-expenses-paid surf trips for the winners.
If you already wanting more, we’ve got you. Together with Method Mag we just dropped their latest episode of Dropping In – Hangover Laps at Beyond Medals Last Dance, giving the mic to riders, filmers, and MCs navigating the fine line between riding and afterparty.
DAY 3: HALFPIPES & HANGOVERS
Fresh snow and zero visibility made for a challenging final day – even for those who managed a decent night’s sleep. Still, the crew showed up with big vibes and strong riding for Sunday’s mini pipe cash-for-tricks session. Halldor Helgason brought the energy, Rene Rinnekangas laid down tricks in his signature style, while Zoi Sadowski-Synnott closed things out with precision and control.
Still hungry to see more BTS? There’s more to come, a 16mm short coming to Wasted Talent Channels on Sunday, 26th of April.
