Stories
NEW WORK: Launch Party | Snowboard Edition - Olympic Channel
date
28/01/26
author
Barry Flanigan
We’re proud to unveil our new project with the Olympic Channel – Launch Party | Snowboard Edition.
Filmed in Saas Fee, Switzerland, the new original documentary offers all-access insight into the world’s leading snowboarders as they begin their road to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, featuring leading athletes including legendary Mark McMorris (who also co-executive produced the film), Su Yiming, Maddie Mastro, Valentino Guseli, Red Gerard and Mons Røisland.
Shot over three weeks in October, Launch Party captures life on and off the slopes offering rare access inside one of winter sport’s most tight-knit communities. Embedded within the community throughout the production, our crew were welcomed into day-to-day life in Saas Fee, allowing for a level of intimacy and access rarely seen in elite winter sport.
Launch Party explores the culture and camaraderie that define snowboarding at the highest level. Away from competition, the film follows athletes through downtime on golf courses, informal jam sessions, guitar evenings and shared meals. On the snow, it captures the constant push for progression – big air sessions at Stomping Grounds, attempts at NBDs (never-been-done tricks), and the physical and mental demands of returning from injury or chasing Olympic form.
The film follows McMorris as he targets the one title missing from his career, Su Yiming as he reflects on rediscovering motivation after making history at Beijing 2022, and Maddie Mastro as she balances the pressures of her third Olympic cycle with life away from competition. Alongside them, Hailey Langland races against time to recover from injury, while Valentino Guseli looks to establish himself among the sport’s elite.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of Saas Fee – a small Alpine town that, each year, becomes a temporary home for the best snowboarders in the world. It is here that friendships are formed, limits are tested, and Olympic ambitions begin to feel real.
Launch Party is available to watch in full for free on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and on the official Olympic apps for mobile and connected TV devices.
