The best way to get the most out of a trip to a new area is linking up with a local to show you around. When it comes to LAAX, Switzerland, it certainly helps when that local is Christian Haller. In this installment of GIRO’s “Distant Relatives” series, Christian shows Nils Mindnich and Sebbe De Buck around the resort–one that boasts one of the best terrain parks in the world as well as a plethora of surrounding backcountry lines.

A word from GIRO about the video: 

The “Distant Relatives” series continues, where we travel to a new place and lean on a key local to show us the goods. In our newest video, “Distant Relatives – Christian Haller” we went to LAAX to experience what a week with friends is like for the 29-year-old pipe-turned-backcountry rider (a.k.a. Hitsch).

Hitsch grew up in Engadine Valley in Switzerland, where he learned how to ride hitting the side-country there and we couldn’t wait to experience what the area has to offer through him as our guide.

LAAX is known for its big freestyle community, international snowboarding contests, the largest halfpipe in Europe, beautiful geography, and bringing riders from all over the world together. But, as the snow gods would have it, there wasn’t a ton of fresh snow in the two weeks that we were there.

That didn’t stop Christian from showing the stylish slow-motion king, Sebbe De Buck, speedy and fearless Nils Mindnich, and the Giro crew a good time at and around LAAX—whether it was hiking the pipe, building out-of-bounds kickers, hitting up the club, playing sting pong, or just making some nice turns and indulging in a cold one after!