Swatch Rocket Air FMB Gold Event Set to Mesh the Past with the Present

April 28th and 29th will see the ice rink of Thun, Switzerland, transformed into a bike paradise for the 8th annual Swatch Rocket Air event. The elite slopestyle event will take a journey back through time to meet Marty McFly, mullet haircuts and new way tunes all to fit with the theme for 2017; “Back to the 80s.” The Swiss event will hold an FMB World Tour Gold status for the second year in a row.

For those who have asked why the Flying Metal Crew changes the event theme each year, Event Director, Jerome Hunziker, has a simple answer: “We don’t want anyone to get bored!“ As a result, the end of April won’t be a dull moment in Thun. The Flying Metal Crew will work once again to bring their theme to life. While they may not be able to recreate a time machine like in the classic 80s movies “Back to the Future,” they will turn the ice rink into the next best thing: the ultimate 80s dance party! Come relive this iconic time, with its colorful fashion, design, and music, as riders take flight next to a human-sized disco ball and drop off a 10-meter-high ghetto blaster.


As an FMB Gold event, it is next to obligatory that the highest ranked slopestyle athletes will attend. Nicholi Rogatkin, 2015 Swatch Rocket Air winner and FMB Diamond Series leader, has already announced he will return to defend his title. Will he earn himself the win with his unique “Twister” trick or does the wild American have a new trick up his sleeve for the judges? Either way, we can expect the audience to be on their feet grooving for the riders!

The Swatch Rocket Air has also evolved into much more than just a single slopestyle show. There will be many activities taking place throughout the weekend including the Pumptrack World Battle. With the help of the online ranking system, riders can test their skills against each other on the Modular Pumptrack. For the generation of future riders there will be a “Like-a-Bike” race where children aged 2–5 can make their rounds. Finally, the 5x Flatland World Champion, Vicki Gomez, will entertain us all with a spectacular BMX Flatland Show.


The 2016 event was sold-out, so spectators will want to buy their tickets early. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased online at www.rocketair.ch/tickets.

Stay tuned for the lasts news by following @swatchrocketair and @flyingmetalcrew on social media. Followers will be given an insider look as the Flying Metal Crew brings to life their “Back to the 80s“ theme and Course Builder, Ramon Hunziker, shares details about the course design and we find out who will arrive in Thun to fight for the crown!

2016 Event Highlights

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MENTIONS: @FMBA / @flyingmetal

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