Zalando brings Iouri Podladtchikov back for one last time
Snowboarding Olympic gold medallist Iouri Podladtchikov returns to the halfpipe for one last with Zalando.
Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle, is to bring snowboard icon Iouri Podladtchikov back from early retirement. Together with Zalando, the Olympic gold medallist and two-time World Champion will take on “The Last Run” at 8 p.m. on 28 January 2021 in the halfpipe in Laax. The run will be streamed live on youtube.com/zalando as the final performance in an unparalleled Swiss sporting career.
The event follows Iouri Podladtchikov’s unexpected announcement of his retirement from professional sport at the end of last August. “2020 was an exceptional year in many ways, and lots of plans had to be changed. Thinking of his charisma and outstanding career, we were convinced there needs to be something more. Such a remarkable success story calls for a worthy finale,” explains Laura Eschricht, Zalando’s Head of Marketing for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
With his free spirit and independence, Iouri’s courageous decisions tend not to follow social conventions. As well as being a professional snowboarder who takes pictures, and a photographer who invented the Yolo Flip, he is also a person full of boundless passion for whatever he loves doing at any given moment. Iouri Podladtchikov is always ready to take risks and reinvent himself, and this is also visible in his personal style: he wears what he likes – simple as that.
“This is exactly what Zalando stands for, and we’d like to encourage people to find their own style and express themselves through fashion – both in everyday life and on the slopes,” says Laura Eschricht. With over 2,000 winter sports articles, Zalando is underlining its position as the one-stop fashion destination for every lifestyle.
Iouri Podladtchikov is also excited about the event: “I’m really looking forward to it, and feel honoured to have my last run together with Zalando in this way. And actually I can’t wait, because I really miss it!”
“The Last Run” will be streamed live from Laax on 28 January 2021 from the 200-metre-long “big beast of Laax”, the world’s longest halfpipe. Iouri Podladtchikov’s choice of stage production for his last run will remain a secret for now. What is clear, however, is that he’ll be taking on “The Last Run” in a winter sports jacket from the outdoor brand Columbia that he modified himself, and will be presented for the first time at the run. A prize draw for a highly limited edition of this exclusive jacket will be held on Zalando’s social media channels after the event.
About Iouri Podladtchikov
Iouri Podladtchikov was born on 13 September 1988 in Moscow. Four years later his father’s job took the family first to Sweden and then to the Netherlands, before they settled in Switzerland in 1996. His parents had originally met while studying mathematics, and initially thought little of Iouri’s Olympic ambitions. He competed for Russia in 2006, before going on to represent Switzerland in 2010 and 2014. Following his Olympic win in Sochi in 2014, Iouri enrolled at the University of Zurich to study art history and photography. During the following years a series of injuries meant he persevered with his studies, registering for the Creative Practices Program at the International Center of Photography in New York in 2019. Following his return from New York, he announced his retirement from professional sport in August 2020 to focus on his books and exhibitions in Basel, Bern and Berlin.
About Zalando
Zalando is Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle. Founded in Berlin in 2008, we bring head-to-toe fashion to around 35 million active customers in 17 markets, offering clothing, footwear, accessories and beauty products. The assortment of international brands ranges from world-famous names to local labels. Our platform is a one-stop fashion destination for inspiration, innovation and interaction. As Europe’s most fashionable tech company, we work hard to find digital solutions for every aspect of the fashion journey: for our customers, partners and every valuable player in the Zalando story. Our goal is to become the starting point for fashion and a sustainable platform with a net positive impact on people and the planet.
