Living in the Swiss Alps sounds like a permanent vacation, right? Well, sort of! While my “office” is a world-class snowpark, the life of a teenage athlete in a tiny mountain village is a mix of high-speed action and very disciplined routines.
When Iโm not flying through the LAAX halfpipe, here is what a “normal” day looks like for me.
Sunrise, Science, and Snow
Home for me is Sagogn, a quiet, beautiful mountain village just 10 minutes away from the lifts at LAAX. Because Iโm chasing this professional snowboard dream, traditional school doesnโt really fit into a 5-day-a-week training schedule.
Instead, Iโm a student at Barcelona High School (BHS)โcompletely online! My “classroom” is usually my desk at 7:00 AM before the sun is even fully up over the peaks. I put in an hour of focus before heading up the mountain, and then itโs back to the books when I get home around 6:00 PM. Itโs a long day, but it gives me the freedom to pursue my quest without falling behind on my education.
Titan and the “Off-Day” Grind
People often ask me what I do for fun in a village as small as Sagogn. Honestly? There isn’t a whole lot of “hanging out” at malls here! On my days off, my main partner in crime is Titan, my crazy Siberian Husky. We head out for runs through the alpine trailsโhe definitely has more endurance than I do! To keep my body recovered, I usually hit the pool for some laps to stretch out the muscles after all those hard landings in the pipe. And sometime I like to cook, to just take my mind of everything, its the best mental therapy.
My Local Girls
My friend Leila, who is also half-Dutch, also trains in Laax on weekends. After our snowboard training we hang out and have fun shredding, skating or jumping on the trampoline in the freestyle park. No worries, I am not lonely ;-). And then there is Romina, my neighbor. She is also very kind to me, inviting me to hang out with her and the local girls from the village. We go and have hot coco at someone’s house on friday evenings and just chat.
Double Trouble: Ellie is in Town!
The best part about the freestyle community is that itโs global. My friend Ellie, who I know from the legendary slopes of Cardrona in New Zealand, has officially arrived in LAAX for her own training!
It has been so awesome having another girl around who “gets it.” We do the usual “girl stuff”โchatting about life and gearโbut because we both have that competitive drive, our hangouts often end up in the gym. Weโve been hitting the mobility workouts hard together; staying flexible is key when you’re trying to tweak those grabs!
We aren’t all work, though. We have a big bowling night planned for this week, and Iโm fully prepared to be as competitive on the lanes as I am in the pipe.
Holiday Visitors
The advantage of living in the alps at a ski resort is that everyone wants to visit. We have friends coming over for New Years, and we hang out together shredding on the slopes. My grandparents also came to visit us for Christmas, which was very nice. I am lucky that even though we live in different places I get to see them quite often, either in Switzerland or in Spain at their summer house.
Weekend Escapes
By the time the weekend rolls around, itโs nice to trade the quiet snow for a bit of city energy. I usually head out with my parents to Chur or Zurich. Whether itโs hitting the shops for some new fits or catching the latest movie on a big screen, itโs the perfect way to reset beforeย
Monday morning rolls around and the 7:00 AM alarm goes off again.
Living here is a balance. Itโs quiet, itโs intense, and itโs focusedโbut I wouldn’t trade this Alpine life for anything.
Keep on peaking !
Zazi
PS. Follow the adventures of Zazi, the Indonesian Athlete, Teen Modelย & Snowboard Girl, on Instagram: Click Here !
