THE NINES COURSE PREVIEW

The Nines presented by Falken are back and blasting in beautiful Crans-Montana, Switzerland for an historic 30th edition of the unconventional action-sports event series. On the heights of the Plaine Morte Glacier at 2,800 meters in elevation, The Nines has once again created a stunning vision of futuristic snowpark design. Now, it’s time for an elite squad of world-class skiers and snowboarders to spend the next five days exploring its myriad possibilities. Join Andri Ragettli, Sarah Hoefflin, Laurie Blouin, Hailey Langland and the rest of the crew as they drop into The Nines 2022 in the GoPro Course Preview.

A Study In Organic Shapes

While previous editions grabbed attention with “castles made of snow” and angular shapes, this year’s Nines setup embodies a more flowing, organic approach—in keeping with the event’s commitment to only build using natural, non-artificial snow. The 2022 setup is composed of three unique features:

The “Perfect Jump”

Riders are already raving about the dimensions of this big air jump. With a 24-meter gap to the sweet spot, it’s large enough for the biggest tricks, while three oversized bowls lend additional options and a unique appearance.

The Swatch Downward Spiral

With design inspiration from skateboarding as well as Swiss watchmaker Swatch, this element presents a never-before-seen challenge in snowsports: a 7-meter-deep downward spiral with an exit through a tunnel.

“I was a bit stressed at first because I didn’t know if the Swatch feature was going to work,” says Swatch team rider Nico Vuignier (SUI, SKI), who helped design the feature. “I was really relieved when I saw that it was working and that the riders like it. I think the overall setup is way more creative than previous years because there are so many options, and less than 10% of them have even been tried yet. I think it will be quite exciting for the next couple of days.”

The Sphere

Last but not least, The Sphere is a mushroom-shaped monolith at the bottom of the course. Its 8-meter-high central tower and surrounding ring provide near-limitless transitions, gaps and rails for the riders of the Nines to explore.

“At first I was pretty nervous, but once you start riding it, it’s really fun and super cruisy, says 15 year old Mia Brookes (GBR, SNB). “This is the first time i’ve ever seen a setup like this. It’s completely different from anything else I’ve ever done, and I think that’s what makes it so cool.”

“I came to The Nines in 2016, 2018 and now in 2022, so I’ve kind of gotten to see the course progress,” says Hailey Langland (USA, SNB). “It’s really cool to see the features that The Nines are bringing to everyone’s attention. This entire park feels kind of like an orchestra—every single feature plays into one another. It’s going to be really cool to see what everyone’s going to do on everything.”

Public Day: 9th of April

After two years without an onsite audience, The Nines are very excited to welcome the public back to the show. On the 9th of April, The Nines will conclude with an action-packed exhibition that’s free to watch for anyone who wants to make the trip up to the Plaine-Morte Glacier. See the attached schedule for more information on the Public Day. For tickets please click here.

For more information and updates on The Nines presented by Falken, visit thenines.cc and follow them on Instagram at @thenines.cc.