The £6.5 million facility is the brainchild of Bonvin and only one half of a two-part project which will also bring the first surf lagoon to landlocked country Switzerland when Alaïa Wave opens in Sien, 30 minutes from Crans-Montana, in 2020. “The idea is that you can come for one week and you can ski, skate and surf,” says Bonvin, who hopes to transform the Swiss region of Valais into an action sports mecca.

Bonvin continues to show us around Alaïa Chalet, with the indoor facility, sheltered from the snowstorm outside, split into two: on one half there’s a training gym with an array of trampolines and airbags, and on the other the skatepark with a pump track, bowl and kicker with an airbag landing for skaters, skiers and snowboarders. The kicker is constructed from wood – not snowflex – so Alaïa Chalet’s rental skis and boards, for use on the airbag, have skate-style wheels.

“Every single one of them skates, so when they design something, they know how they would want it for themselves”

“You’ve got two options when building a big air jump: snowflex and wood,” says Bonvin. “The problem with snowflex is that you lose speed. With this, you gain a lot of speed so you can really go high. We’ve designed it in a way so that both beginners and pro athletes can enjoy themselves here. There are lines for beginners, intermediates and experts.”

Alaïa Chalet’s outdoor skatepark will include a street plaza, three-level bowl and snake run, all of which (along with the indoor facility) has been built by California Skateparks, the team behind some of the world’s most famous skate spots, including Venice Beach in California.

“It’s pretty cool to train on a trampoline,” says the 19-year-old. “It means you know exactly where you are in the air, you have the feeling. You can try something new, go a bit bigger. Practice it again and again.”

Ultimately, however, inclusivity is at the heart of Alaïa Chalet. Bonvin sought inspiration from Camp Woodward, which offers world-renowned action sports and gymnastics summer camps in locations across the United States. While Alaïa Chalet will be open to one-time visitors, Bonvin hopes to nurture the next generation of riders through a series of camps. The facility also includes a digital media and music studio to teach video production and editing, while an 88-bed lodge is due to open across the road in September.

“The younger generation want to try these sports but they lack the infrastructure so they give up,” says Bonvin. “Even if your parents buy you a skateboard and you head to a skatepark, they will still be worried about you smoking weed or doing bad stuff.

“Or you fail, hurt yourself, throw your skateboard away and give up. It can be really hard to progress in skateboarding, freestyle skiing or snowboarding if you don’t have a really good environment. Otherwise you give up easily and start playing basketball or football.”

Bonvin hopes to expand Alaïa Chalet to include climbing facilities and an even bigger ramp. “Pro athletes ask us all the time if we can have a huge kicker to train for the big air competition,” he says.

“We want to make action sports accessible”

He also hopes to demonstrate Crans-Montana’s potential as an action sports destination to the local lift company, in order to attract further investment in the snow park and mountain bike trails. Ultimately, expansion across Switzerland is the 23-year-old’s long-term ambition.

“We want to make action sports accessible for everyone,” he says. “We want to provide the infrastructure – the facilities and coaching – so you can really progress and have a passion for these sports for the next ten or 20 years.”

Do It Yourself

Mpora flew with SWISS to Geneva (one-way fares start from £67) and took a direct train from the airport to Sierre, where a 15-minute funicular runs from the valley to Crans-Montana.

The recently-refurbished Hotel Elite is situated close to the resort centre and slopes, and provides comfortable, modern accommodation, with a bar and restaurant overlooking the Rhône valley. Rooms start from £141 per night.

Entry to Alaïa Chalet starts from 29 Swiss Francs for a two-hour, access all areas ticket (CHF 24 for aged 16 and under), with ten-visit, six-month and 12-month passes also available. A one-week skateboard camp will take place on August 10-17, with full-board accommodation, Alaïa Chalet access, coaching and a video souvenir costing CHF 1165 (CHF 1099 for aged 16 and under) For more information, visit the Alaïa Chalet website.

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