The phrase prodigy gets thrown around a lot, but Mia Brookes is the real deal. In 2023, she became the youngest World Champion in freestyle snowboarding history winning the FIS Slopestyle World Champs in Bakuriani, Georgia, at the age of just 16. The following year, she took gold in the slopestyle at the X Games in Aspen, a result she backed up with a bronze in 2025. She also won her second overall FIS Big Air title, claiming back-to-back Crystal Globes. So how did a kid from Sandbach in Cheshire—not a place renowned for its precipitous pistes or monster kicker lines—get this good?
“My parents have always been keen snowboarders ever since they were my age,” says Brookes, now 18. “So when I was born, I was basically brought into it.” Her mum and dad worked as a mechanic and a hairdresser, and had always found ways to take long periods of time off in winter so they could head to the Alps in their motorhome. “When I first started I was two years old, and I just loved it since then.” Perhaps more crucially for her development as a rider, the same year Brookes was born, a new indoor snow slope opened in southwest Manchester.
“Chill Factor [now called The Snow Centre] is super close to my house in the UK,” she says, “so going there with my crew was always super fun every Friday night. I would beg my mum to take me out of school to take me to ride there mid week.” While Brookes’ French, Canadian, or Japanese counterparts had whole resorts to play in, she was often riding the same rail line on repeat—and the fun came from concentrating on freestyle, getting her tricks really locked-in, and stepping them up each time. By age 10, Brookes had been added to Team GB’s development squad. By 13, she was competing with riders twice her age in the Europa Cup, and with the Milano Cortina Olympics fast approaching, Brookes now looks like Britain’s best hope of grabbing a gold medal. If she did, it would be a first for Team GB in snow sports. Not that she’s putting any pressure on herself.
“The whole thing just feels surreal,” she says of the upcoming Games. “But it’s basically a big chance to hang out with my mates, ride the biggest stage, and hopefully put something down that makes people proud back home. Winning would be sick, but honestly I’m just buzzing to be there.”
For the past two years, Brookes has based herself in Laax, Switzerland, which has been at the centre of the European freestyle scene ever since they built the continent’s first halfpipe back in 1985. She now has an apartment there, but she’s been riding and competing in Laax for a decade before that. Here, she gives us the local’s lowdown on where to go, and what to ride.
SNOW: What was it that made you first fall in love with Laax?
Mia Brookes: I think it was just the insane snowpark they had—and it was accessible for everyone and anyone. It was the first place where I could actually see exactly how and where I was gonna progress—going from smaller jumps to now riding the big jumps. It was also so dope to see the people that rode there. I remember when I first turned up, seeing all these crews filming and doing dope tricks, and just being in that atmosphere, surrounded by those people influenced my snowboarding so much.
S: What’s one thing you’ve only come to appreciate after a few years of basing yourself there?
MB: How good the mountain actually is beyond the park. When you’re younger, you only see rails and kickers. But after a few seasons here, I began to realise that the freeride terrain is insane. The lifts go up above 3,000m and you can access a ton of stuff without having to hike much at all.
S: What’s your favourite run to ride, just for fun, and why?
MB: Definitely P60—it’s a really long run with tons of rails and other obstacles all the way down, so you can never get bored. It’s also so fun to ride after riding the big jumps all morning. You can just go and ride P60 in the slush and film with your mates.
S: Where’s the first place you go when there’s fresh snow, and low avy risk?
MB: Heading up towards the glacier is definitely a good shout. There’s a few gullies up there that not many people know about, so it’s pretty sick to get first turns up there.
S: Where’s the best tree run for when the weather’s bad?
MB: The home run all the way down to the village of Flims is so fun. It’s good when the weather’s bad because it’s in the forest so you can see even if it’s super misty or puking with snow. But it’s also just sick even if the conditions are fine—all the side hits down there are insane.
S: Where’s the best piste run in resort for cranking
out Eurocarves?
MB: I don’t think there’s one in particular—honestly all of them are absolutely insane for first groomed runs. Obviously you have to get onto them early, before they start getting slushy.
S: What’s your favourite mountain restaurant, and your favourite dish?
MB: Café NoName, on the Crap Sogn Gion. Their soups are so good! Also the hot chocolates there are super nice. It’s right above the halfpipe and the minipipe too, so you can watch people shredding while you eat.
S: Where’s your favourite place to eat and drink down in town?
MB: To eat, definitely the burger bar. The best burgers for sure! And for a drink? Honestly everyone just goes and hangs at Indy bar. There’s always a good atmosphere in there with everyone just hanging out after riding.
S: What’s the best late night party spot?
MB: I’m honestly not a big party person haha. I’d probably just play my guitar super loud, and have my own mini concert in my apartment.
S: What’s the best time of the year to visit Laax?
MB: Definitely anytime in spring—everyone is out there enjoying the last bit of the season, and it’s super warm so you can ride in a tshirt, which is so fun! Also, the Laax Open week is pretty sick—that’s in January.
Follow Mia Brookes on Instagram @mia_brookes
The Laax Open will take place from January 14-18 2026. It’s one of the final chances for Olympic hopefuls to earn qualification points, so expect the world’s best to show up.
Assuming all goes well, Mia will be competing as part of Team GB in Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Her events are Big Air (qualis February 9 from 6.30PM; finals February 11 from 6.30PM) and Slopestyle (qualis February 16 from 10.30AM; finals February 17 from 1.00PM). Check our Olympics guide on p. 42 for details of how to watch her in action.
