Corvatsch is a super snowpark
Andri Ragettli World Champion and Overall World Cup Winner Freeskiing
Local lad Andri Ragettli is the most prominent figure in freestyle skiing. He has had a fulimant career that not even his severe injury could derail. He is eagerly anticipating the upcoming World Championschips in the Engadine Valley.
Andri Ragettli is at ease talking about his childhood in his home- town, Flims (GR). He admits to having been a naughty boy. Smiling, the 26-year-old adds: «Everything had to go according to my plan.» It's much the same nowadays. Turned top athlete and entrepreneur, he always has a plan and knows very well how he wants to implement it. More often than not, his plans are successful. In Slopestyle and Big Air, Andri is the man to beat this winter.
Andri is a top athlete, creative thinker and businessman. He performs quadruple back flips with five twists in competitions, keeps surprising his social media audience with ever-new crazy stunts, and, on his website, he markets his brand 'AiR' to fans worldwide. His sister Christina runs his PR, and his brother Gian does all the filming, producing
full-fledged TV shows. «We encourage each other and always speak openly and honestly,» Andri describes the familial bond. Andri was a little boy when his father died. «My mum worked very hard to keep us going, so we kids became independent early on.»
That might be one of the reasons why Andri was able to hold his ground in the freestyle
circuit. He competed in his first World Cup at age 15, and just two years later, he won the Overall Slopestyle Crystal Globe. Marius Cadalbert, his mental coach and manager, was an invaluable support. «Marius is a part of my family. I could always count on him; he stood by me when I
had to pull through my first injuries.»
In Andri Ragettli's meteoric career, there seemed but one way: upwards, and quickly so—until the 16th of March 2021, when he suffered a severe knee injury on landing a 'Left Triple 1980' at the World Championships Big Air finals. Andri immediately left for Klinik Gut in St. Moritz to seek treatment by specialist orthopaedic surgeon Georg
Ahlbäumer, M.D. «Georg was frank and told me outright that an easy journey was not ahead,» Andri recalls. «But I am the kind of guy that, even at the lowest point, is quick
to re-orientate himself and work towards a new goal.»
The complicated surgery was a success. It marked the first step on an astonishing journey back to sports. «I have good body awareness, know my limits and keep pushing them,» explains Andri. Physiotherapist Marzell Parpan from Chur became an essential partner in the rehab process. Over
30 weeks, he worked closely with Andri, working towards improving his knee's range of motion and consulting Andri on his rehab training schedule. Four months later, Andri was back on skis, and after just nine months, he made his comeback in the World Cup— with a win!
Speaking of his accident and the comeback has made Andri pensive. «This injury
opened my eyes. Before the accident, I possibly thought I was immortal or would
never get hurt. But it taught me to listen to my body. And, once again, I realised how
important it is to have my family and friends, my physiotherapists and physicians to always
be here for me.»
Standing still is stepping back. Andri practices his jumps and tricks incessantly, finetuning them to perfection; he comes up with surprising new tricks that he posts on social media; he morphs his looks. His new outerwear partner, ELHO, was a surprise, too. The one-time cult brand disappeared into oblivion 20 years ago and has gone through a revival in the past three years. The force behind ELHO’s comeback is Swiss-born creative Donald Schneider. In New York, Paris and Berlin, he creates advertising campaigns for leading fashion and lifestyle brands. In 2004, he brought
together Karl Lagerfeld and H&M, a game changer for H&M, which initiated many successful cooperations between leading world brands.
«Donald Schneider reached out to me. He told me of his idea to revive ELHO and wanted to hear my thoughts on it,» Andri says. «He listened closely and quickly fired me with enthusiasm for his vision. His indepth knowledge of the fashion industry and focus on the label's functionality and quality quickly won me over.» ‘s new look is reminiscent of the days of the big snowboard boom in the 1990s. «A great comeback, » Andri says of the relaunch.
Andri mixes ELHO’s style with his own. Under his label 'AiR', he sells T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, caps, beanies and goggles. «AiR boosts my efforts to turn my name into a brand. It's less about the revenue,» explains Ragettli, the businessman. «The fans can identify with me, enjoy the products, and
increase my name's visibility when they wear my label.» Andri generates the ideas for his brand. «I also have a clear vision of business matters. Sometimes, I know straight away how to go about it; sometimes, I don't. I can rely on my team throughout the process from beginning to end.»
Friends and family are dear to Andri. He mentions it again and again. His success is in part due to the fact that a host of people stand steadfastly behind him. They will travel to all the competitions in his home state, as do many friends, which motivates Andri no end. «It's incredible: a whopping three World Cup competitions take place in my home state – the Big Air in Chur in autumn, the Laax Open in mid-winter and the season finale at Corvatsch. It goes to show how much we have achieved in this sport.»
Andri will also be counting on the home crowd's support at the World Championships next March. «Corvatsch is the ultimate Slopestyle course! It has one of the best kicker combinations in the world. It's great to see how much Corvatsch is investing in our sport.» Andri also looks forward to the Big Air ramp at the Olympic ski jump in St. Moritz. «Having the World Championships at home will be awesome. It will give our sport in Switzerland an even bigger boost.»
For Andri's fans, there will be no end of highlights next winter, too. Italy will host the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, and the Freestyle competitions will be held in Livigno, in Northern Italy. Andri wants to
have another crack at an Olympic medal. He has already been crowned World Champion, World Cup winner and winner of the X Games three times. He won't go as far as calling it a love-hate relationship.
«Everything is fine between the two of us,» he says jokingly of his relationship with the Olympic Games. «I just didn't have that extra portion of luck you need in any competition. But, hey, winning at the Olympics is a big dream.»
