Rock A Rail Ski & Snowboard Tour 2025 Shakes Up the Freestyle Roots Festival in Thun

The Freestyle Roots Festival celebrated its 5th anniversary with 8.000 visitors, a weekend fully dedicated to freestyle sports, their unique lifestyle, and a vibrant community spirit. From October 10-12, Thun was in the spotlight as Rock A Rail brought winter right into the heart of the city.

The essence of the Rock A Rail Tour, now in its third year, lies in street snowboarding and street skiing. No other format represents rail contests at such a high level. Progressive and creative setups featuring technically demanding rails and features challenge the riders to their limits while offering endless opportunities for creativity. On the impressive structure, 8 meters wide, 7 meters high, and 40 meters long including the landing – riders showcased what’s possible on one or two boards.

In the women’s snowboard category, Anne-Sophie Lechon (BEL), a familiar face at Rock A Rail, took third place. Mia Langridge (GBR) impressed with her unmistakable street style and a spectacular Switch Backside Frontside 270, securing second place. The judges praised her “loose” riding style – exactly how street snowboarding should look. Defending her title with ease, Swiss rider Livia Tannò once again claimed the win. She landed nearly every trick, including a Switch 50-50 on the Down Flat Down Rail. As the only woman to take on the Flat Down Rail with a 50-50 to 50-50, she rode consistently, technically clean, and with a cool street attitude, simply unbeatable that night.

The men’s final brought some surprises: Swiss Olympian Nicolas Huber entered his first-ever classic rail jam and surprised everyone with a strong fifth place. 2024 Tour Champion Leon Gütl finished fourth. Third place went once again to Petr Ershov (RUS), who delivered solid, clean, and reliable tricks throughout. Making a remarkable comeback after an injury break, Fricz Botondi (HUN) impressed as arguably the most stylish rider of the contest. He wowed the judges with what was considered the best trick of the day, a Backside Tailslide 270 Out on the Down Flat Down Rail. Pure street attitude. But the biggest surprise of the night came from just 16-year-old Colin Frans (USA): after taking third place at the Rock A Rail Kick-Off a week earlier, he claimed his first major victory in Thun. Making full use of the entire setup, he showcases tricks such as a Cab 270 Frontboard on the Down Flat Down Rail and a Switch Frontboard to Pretzel Out on the C-Rail.

The freeski competition also delivered top-tier action, with diverse riding styles and an impressive skill level across the board. Anouck Brodard (SUI) finished third, with Lou Carraz (FRA) taking second. The victory went to Ellen Damsgaard (DEN), celebrating her first Rock A Rail win. She impressed with a wide range of tricks and a confident, controlled performance on every feature. In the men’s field, 2024 Thun champion Michael Oravec (SVK) returned to defend his title. Although he couldn’t repeat last year’s victory, he delivered the best trick, a Transfer Flat to Double Kinked Rail 630 Out to the Bottom. The standout of the day was Tyler Nicholls (IRL), who impressee with variety, creativity, and smart line choices, making the most of every part of the setup. Behind him, Nils Rhyner (SUI) and Jeremy Boiston (FRA) completed the podium in second and third place.

For the third time, Rock A Rail was part of the Freestyle Roots Festival, and Thun has likely never seen such a strong rider lineup. In the legendary Freestyle Roots “Battle of Freestyle”, where different sports went head-to-head, the winter athletes narrowly missed out on victory to the bike riders. The setup turned into a true show stage for this occasion, with rapid-fire action and crowd-pleasing performances. Big thanks to Swiss-Ski for running not the qualification on Friday with the winners taking the last spot for Saturday’s Rock A Rail. Swiss-Ski also took over the ramp with kids-friendly features on Sunday for the Kids Shred.

That wraps up the second stop of the Rock A Rail Ski & Snowboard Tour 2025. Next up: Snowfest Innsbruck, from November 21–23, 2025, one of the absolute highlights of the tour. Riders can grab the final spots on November 16 during the open qualification for snowboarders and freeskiers at Hintertux Glacier. Registration opens soon at www.snowfest.eu.

1. Livia Tannò, SUI

2. Mia Langridge, GBR

3. Anne-Sophie Lechon, BEL

1. Colin Frans, USA

2. Fricz Botondi, HUN

3. Petr Ershov, RUS

1. Ellen Damsgaard, DEN

2. Lou Carraz, FRA

3. Anouck Brodard, SUI

1. Tyler Nicholls, IRL

2. Nils Rhyner, SUI

3. Jeremy Boiston, FRA

More information: www.snowfest.eu, www.rockarail.tv, www.freestyleroots.ch

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