The dust is just beginning to settle from the latest Laax Open as we look back on a wild and windy week. Countless spins, heavy slams and an embarrassing amount of duct tape left us wondering where the FIS is taking snowboarding, but the people we met along the way made it all worthwhile. One of our favorite conversations from the event was with Switzerland’s top female pipe rider, Isa Lötscher. We got into filming, formats and the key to a proper Backside Air…
Hey Isa, what’re you up to now that the comp has wrapped up?
It’s always a good time here in Laax. So now I’m just filming, watching slopestyle and taking some photos… just having a bit of fun.
Looking back at the event, what were some of the things that stood out to you?
The level of riding at Laax is always higher than anywhere else, but this year was something special. Because of Olympic qualifications everyone was there, which made it one of the highest levels of riding we’ve ever seen. I also loved seeing more signature tricks coming back this season — the judges really rewarded special, less common tricks, like alley-oops or switch backside and things that you don’t see every day.
I guess the next month will be pretty busy for you? X Games is just a few days away…
Yeah, I’m really looking forward to X Games. I think that’s kind of the Freestyle Olympics, if we’re honest. It’s a huge honor just to be invited, and it’ll be my first time there.
After that, we’ll have about a ten day break, and then it’s time for the Olympics. We’ll find out the official decision from the Swiss Olympic committee in a few days, but I hope it all works out. And for The Snow League in Laax, it’s the same thing. I think it looks good, but the official invites haven’t been sent out yet.
What do you think about all of these new formats that X Games and The Snow League are trying?
I think that The Snow League’s format is really cool. The head-to-head aspect is new and interesting, especially because you get to ride back-to-back so quickly. Usually you do one run, wait a long time, then do the next… but the four-rider heats change that completely. It’s something new and different, which keeps the season interesting instead of having the same format all the time. It definitely took some adjusting, but now it works really well and feels fresh.
These days, most riders prepare one run at the beginning of the season and then perfect it throughout the year. Doesn’t that feel quite repetitive?
A bit, because you tend to plan it in the way that you know that the judges want to see. You build that run to get points… and maybe not always in the way it would be the coolest to ride. The goal is to improve the run for me over time, always stepping up one of the tricks. That way you see immediately whether you’re getting the most points out of your run. But I’ve also changed my run this year… and I’ll probably change it again.
What do you like more, riding for the judges or for the camera?
At the moment I find both super cool, which is why I’m still doing it. But in the future I see myself going more in the direction of filming. I think that at the beginning, contest riding was also a way for me to get into the scene… so, if you come up through a sports school, then you naturally grow into it through contests. And now I’d say that riding at this level is also super fun with all of the invites to the big events.
But I also see the attraction to snowboarding just to snowboard. It’s a different kind of riding when you’re snowboarding for a camera, or for yourself. It’s also important to me that my snowboarding looks good — even in a contest. I don’t only have the goal of putting down an extremely difficult run. I want to be able to look back at my snowboarding and be like, “Yeah, that’s cool” … you know?
Absolutely. So are there some plans to film later this season?
I have a Roxy project where we are shooting the new collection. We’re doing that in Laax. That’s always super cool because it’s really just pipe riding with the goal to make it look good. It’s just something different than contest riding. And then I have a powder project planned in the Ramoz hut. We’ll probably spend three days up there, without internet, just riding powder and filming.
What is your inspiration for projects like that? Do you have some role models?
In general, I’m just really into anything that feels a bit ‘artsy’ — where snowboarding is treated more like an art form. To be honest, I don’t really have these big, specific role models. Sometimes I’ll be watching a movie and see a certain part where I’m just like, “Wow, that specific shot is so cool.”
For me, it’s that vibe where the riding meets the photographer’s eye or a certain film style. I’ll catch myself looking at a spot and thinking, “Imagine hitting this from that angle and shooting it on actual film, for example.” Just that old-school aesthetic, you know? It’s about the soul of the whole picture.
It also helps when you have such a good Backside Air…
For me, that trick is like an ID card. A Backside Air says so much about a rider. Several people have told me that I have a really nice Backside Air, and that’s one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received in my life. It’s my favorite trick and there is all of this debate about where the grab should be. I’m also quite picky about how my Backside Airs look, to be honest.
So tell us… where should the grab be?
For me, it’s in front of the binding. Right in the middle works sometimes too. But either way, the back leg has to be poked. Some riders grab between the bindings have the tweak in the back, but the legs are both bent. That would bother me for my own method. I find that if you grab in front of the binding, you can lift your back leg higher and poke it more.
Who’s got your all-time favorite Backside Air?
That’s a hard question… but I have to say that one or two years ago at X Games, Kaishu did a huge method. I just found it legendary that someone in a contest run is like, “You know what? I’m going to ride another three meters on the coping just to have the coolest air of the day.” That’s why I have to go with that one. I also find it really cool when you see more stylish tricks in contest runs again now.
Totally agreed. It’s great to have riders like you and Kaishu in the mix, making sure that snowboarding looks good. Thanks for the chat Isa! Good luck with the rest of your season… Also a big thanks to Jonas Gasser and Jan Arnold for contributing to this interview and the Laax Open crew for another unforgettable event.