Next week the biggest annual slopestyle and pipe shindig in the European calendar, the Burton European Open is returning to Laax in Switzerland. Once again, Mini will be hosting and sponsoring their Creative Use of Space Award – you know, the one that rewards riders for using the course slightly differently, and pays out for those who do the best job of changing up the conventional jump, jump, rail, jump, claim routine.

As at the Canadian Open, the Creative Use of Space has an extra element thrown in at this year’s BEO, with the construction of a special feature. Not only will the riders be marked on their use of the feature, but the feature itself will be marked, pitting Laax’s park team against those at Calgary’s Olympic Park (site of the Canadian Open) and Stratton Mountain (where the US Open will be held later this winter) for the ultimate park prize. The CuOS award highlights will be live streamed on Redbull TV on Thursday 1st March for the Slopestyle, and Saturday 3rd for the Halfpipe.

Here’e the skinny from Mini:

Lead builder Roger Heid and his shaping crew were given US$5,000 to build a unique Mini feature that will then be entered into a competition against three other CUoS slopestyle features created for the Burton Global Open series. The most creative of the four will be awarded an additional US$5,000. In Laax, bricks will be a big part of the CUoS feature’s design. Heid has a vision in mind, “Everybody who is into urban shredding will love this obstacle”, he assures. While the Mini feature will bring a certain street vibe to the mountain, it’s also designed to give the riders great freedom when choosing their line.

Oh and the prize for the best men’s and women’s tricks on the feature? A cool $5,000 each. Not bad eh?