Learn How to Carve Icy Slopes on Skis | Drill Bits
Stomp It Tutorials
Profile and significance
Under the name “Stomp It Tutorials,” ski coach and educator Jens Nyström has built one of the most influential modern platforms for learning freeski technique. A fully certified BASI Level 4 (ISTD) instructor, he appears on camera to demonstrate fundamentals and advanced drills that help skiers progress from parallel turns to carving, bumps, park basics, and creative freeski movement. What sets this project apart is its blend of clear coaching, video analysis, and athlete interviews that connect the dots between piste technique and the demands of slopestyle, big air, and even urban/street skiing. Through the brand’s in-person Stomp It Camps in the Alps and free online tutorials, Nyström has become a reference for adult learners and park-curious skiers looking for safe, structured progression.
Rather than building a career on World Cup results, his significance comes from educating at scale. The channel reaches a global audience with practical, repeatable cues—stance, edging, pressure control, timing, and tactical line choice—that translate directly to park features and off-piste situations. For many skiers, Stomp It has become the first stop before trying a 180 on a side hit, cleaning up carving angles, or preparing for that first day in the slopestyle line.
Competitive arc and key venues
Stomp It Tutorials is not a traditional competition résumé. Its “arc” runs through high-alpine training grounds and public parks where adult skiers can learn effectively. Camps are hosted on year-round or long-season glaciers such as Hintertux Glacier in Austria and on Swiss terrain like Zermatt and LAAX, venues known for reliable snow, large lift networks, and well-shaped snowparks. The choice of resorts matters: Hintertux’s Betterpark provides consistent jump lines for building air awareness, Zermatt’s high-altitude laps offer stable conditions for drilling technique, and LAAX adds world-class park infrastructure for slopestyle-style progressions.
Across these settings, the program emphasizes structured progressions—flatland skills, side-hit tricks, small-then-medium jumps, and finally terrain-park features—so learners build confidence before raising the stakes. While the project occasionally documents challenges (like trying a ski race or measuring carving improvements), the core “competition” is personal progression measured against clear technical benchmarks rather than podiums.
How they ski: what to watch for
Nyström’s skiing is defined by clean stance management and edge discipline. Watch for a stacked upper body over the outside ski, decisive shin engagement for early edge, and quiet hands that support balance without excess rotation. On-piste, he demonstrates progressive edging and pressure release that make carved turns look calm even at higher edge angles. In bumps and variable snow, he highlights absorption and re-centering drills that keep the hips mobile and skis light.
In a freeski context—side hits, rollers, and entry-level park—Stomp It prioritizes approach speed control, flat-base neutrality on takeoff, and compact shapes in the air. Spins build from 180s and 360s with clear spotting, then add grabs and off-axis awareness. The tutorials connect these park fundamentals back to all-mountain skiing, reinforcing that strong slopestyle and big air basics grow from sound edging, pressure, and timing mechanics on groomers.
Resilience, filming, and influence
The project’s influence comes from consistency and honesty. Videos often show the real process—missed attempts, micro-adjustments, and the exact cues that unlock the next try. That transparency resonates with self-taught skiers and those returning to the sport who want to avoid trial-and-error injuries. The brand also hosts long-form conversations with athletes and innovators, using interviews to unpack how creative skiers think about lines, tricks, and risk management. Together, these pieces make Stomp It a cultural touchpoint for skiers who value evidence-based instruction and the playful spirit of freeski.
The filming style favors clear angles, slow-mo when it adds information, and on-snow coaching that feels like standing beside a coach on the slope. It’s education first, entertainment second—yet the stoke is evident in the way drills are turned into games and challenges you can copy with friends.
Geography that built the toolkit
Operating primarily in the Alps, Stomp It benefits from high-altitude glaciers and resort infrastructure tailored to progression. Hintertux offers nearly year-round laps where repetition is possible even in shoulder seasons. Zermatt provides long pistes for carving drills and stable weather windows to film consistent technique. LAAX contributes park variety for slopestyle-style training, with lines that scale from beginner to advanced without forcing risky leaps in difficulty. This geographic mix—glaciers, big-mileage groomers, and mature park ecosystems—forms the backbone of Stomp It’s method.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Because the focus is skill development rather than sponsorship, equipment advice stays practical. The coaching frequently underscores boot fit and stance alignment before worrying about ski models. For skiers chasing measurable feedback, the channel explores digital tools like the Carv motion system, which can quantify edging, balance, and turn shape in real time. Camps also use airbags and carefully tiered jump lines—again prioritizing safe, controllable steps toward slopestyle and big air fundamentals. For instruction standards and career pathways, the BASI framework at BASI Level 4 (ISTD) provides context for why the cues are systematic and reproducible.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Stomp It Tutorials matters because it translates high-level technique into actions any motivated skier can try on the next run. If you want to carve with more edge grip, prepare for the park with foundational spins and grabs, or simply make all-mountain skiing feel smoother, the drills and explanations connect cause and effect without jargon. For freeski culture, the project lowers the barrier to entry for slopestyle and big air by teaching how to manage speed, pop, spotting, and landing mechanics safely. And for creative skiers inspired by urban/street skiing, the emphasis on balance, pressure control, and approach lines builds the coordination that later shows up on natural features outside the park. In short, it’s a modern pathway for adult learners and motivated intermediates to join the freeski conversation with skill, understanding, and stoke.
Laax
Overview and significance
LAAX, part of the Flims Laax Falera ski area in Switzerland’s Graubünden, is widely regarded as Europe’s leading freestyle stronghold. The mountain hub at Crap Sogn Gion sits above the base village of Laax Murschetg and anchors an entire ecosystem built around park, pipe, and progressive riding. LAAX’s identity is inseparable from its event pedigree and infrastructure. The resort hosts the LAAX OPEN each January, a long-running FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup stop that draws a global roster and keeps course design at world standard. For everyday skiers, the headline is simple: few resorts on earth are as consistently tuned for slopestyle laps, halfpipe progression, and creative line choice.
What sets LAAX apart is how the freestyle focus permeates everything from terrain build and daily maintenance to how crowds move across the mountain. The resort doesn’t just add a park to a piste map; it builds entire traffic patterns and amenities around freestyle flow. That’s why you’ll hear people speak of it as a destination in itself, not just a stop in a larger Swiss itinerary. For freeskiers looking to log high-quality repetitions on features that mirror competition standards, LAAX is the benchmark.
Terrain, snow, and seasons
The lift network rises from base areas in Flims, Laax, and Falera to a broad high-alpine plateau around Crap Sogn Gion, with access to multiple aspects and a variety of wind exposures. Winter operations typically run from late November into mid-April, with exact dates adjusted annually based on snow and lift schedules. Upper-mountain zones frequently sit well above 2,000 meters, and on cold cycles the snow stays chalky and fast—ideal for park and pipe maintenance. On warmer spells, LAAX’s experienced shaping and grooming teams keep takeoffs and landings trustworthy through daily rebuilds and salt cycles.
Big-storm days steer many skiers toward lee-side stashes and wind-buffed gullies off the ridges; on bluebird resets, you’ll find crisp groomers for speed checks between park sessions. Off-piste terrain quickly graduates to avalanche-prone slopes; those who venture beyond marked runs must treat it as backcountry with full equipment and knowledge. When the high alpine is closed for wind, mid-mountain park lines and sheltered pistes remain the reliable plan B.
Park infrastructure and events
LAAX operates multiple dedicated parks and lines built for different skill levels and session goals. The centerpiece is the superpipe on Crap Sogn Gion—nicknamed “The Beast.” Official resort materials put it at roughly 200 meters in length, around 22 meters wide, and up to 6.9 meters high, making it the largest competition-ready halfpipe in the world and a season-long draw for national teams and private camps. For skiers, the pipe’s defining qualities are consistent walls, true entries, and speed that holds across the flat—essentials for learning new tricks safely.
Beyond the pipe, Snowpark LAAX spreads its features across zones that include the legendary NoName area and the Ils Plauns sector between Crap Sogn Gion and Alp Dado. The resort advertises five snowparks with more than ninety obstacles at peak build, including an Olympic-size pro kicker line, medium jump lines, jib gardens with progressive rails and boxes, and specialized learning areas. The point isn’t just quantity; it’s how the features are grouped to create repeatable, meaningful laps. LAAX’s slopestyle lines routinely echo FIS course spacing and landing geometry, which helps competition-focused skiers translate practice into results.
Every January, the LAAX OPEN brings World Cup slopestyle and halfpipe to the resort, with broadcast-ready venues and festival energy in the base area. The event’s longevity has shaped the local build culture; course shapers refine kicker radii, rail placement, and speed control with the same discipline used for the contest, then keep those lessons alive through the rest of the season. Year-round progression is reinforced by the Freestyle Academy, an indoor facility in the destination where skiers cross-train on trampolines and ramps for safe aerial practice before taking tricks to snow.
Access, logistics, and on-mountain flow
Travel is straightforward from Zürich. Take the SBB rail to Chur and connect by PostBus to Laax; from Chur, the bus ride is typically under an hour. Base services are split between Flims and Laax, but most park skiers gravitate to the lifts out of Laax Murschetg, where the rocksresort sits steps from the gondola, offering ski-in/ski-out apartments, food options, and after-lap amenities. Tickets are sold on a dynamic pricing model via the resort’s shop; booking earlier or avoiding peak holiday windows commonly yields better value.
Once on snow, the flow centers on Crap Sogn Gion. From there, you can choose fast laps through the NoName zone, route toward Ils Plauns for varied jibs and medium kickers, or head higher when conditions allow. A critical part of LAAX’s efficiency is how uplift lines feed parks without cumbersome traverses. Keep an eye on the resort’s live info for lift and park status, as wind holds at altitude can shift the best lap choices during a given day.
Local culture, safety, and etiquette
LAAX’s culture is unapologetically freestyle-first. Cafés and meeting spots at park entrances, notably Caffè NoName, create a community feel where pros and locals mix. With that scene comes shared etiquette. In the pipe, call your drop clearly and wait until the previous rider exits. On slopestyle lines, never stop on landings or knuckles, and re-merge only below blind spots. Speed management is part of the craft here; if you’re uncertain about a hit, side-slip out safely rather than forcing it. Park staff are visible and approachable—use them for updates on feature wax, salt, or speed on warmer afternoons.
For freeride zones beyond marked runs, treat the terrain as avalanche country. Check the daily bulletin, carry beacon, shovel, and probe, and make conservative choices when wind loading and temperature swings are in play. Respect rope lines—closures often reflect grooming or build work, not just safety hazards, and ducking them damages the features everyone relies on.
Best time to go and how to plan
For park skiers, two windows stand out. Early season, once upper lifts and first lines are ready, delivers low-traffic laps and pliable snow for dialing speed. The heart of winter around the LAAX OPEN offers the best chance to see World Cup venues in action and benefit from contest-level builds, though crowds and accommodation prices rise accordingly. Spring brings longer days and forgiving landings, with the shapers maintaining lips and rails for all-day sessions when freeze–thaw cycles take hold.
Plan accommodation as close to the Laax base as budgets allow to maximize lap count. Preload your ticket in the app and check the resort’s live park status before committing to a sector. If you’re progressing flips or new spins, split sessions between the indoor Freestyle Academy and on-snow attempts to minimize risk. For day-to-day details—operating hours, transport, and current events—use the official Flims Laax and LAAX pages, and consult Getting There for the Zürich–Chur–Laax route overview.
Why freeskiers care
Freeskiers come to LAAX for repetition, reliability, and relevance. Repetition means you can lap slopestyle lines and the superpipe quickly, linking attempts into meaningful progress. Reliability means the shaping team keeps features true and the snow surface predictable even when the weather swings. Relevance means the design language on these hills mirrors what you’ll meet at major contests, from rail deck angles to trickable transfer lines to the timing of pro kickers. Add the community energy around Caffè NoName, the convenience of the rocksresort base area, and the pathway from the Freestyle Academy to world-class parks, and you have a destination that turns ambition into results. Whether you’re a film-focused rider building a trick list or a competitor hunting cleaner finals runs, LAAX provides the environment to make it happen.
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