Heavy snowfall has forced officials at the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Laax to call off today's slopestyle qualification ©FIS

Heavy snowfall has forced officials at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup in Laax to call off today's slopestyle qualification, which had been brought forward from tomorrow due to a bad weather forecast.

A new programme is soon to be released, but finals in the Swiss resort are still scheduled for Friday (January 19).

The Laax Open has become one of the premier events of the snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe calendar in recent years.

This year's edition marks the final qualifying opportunity for many riders hoping to make their Olympic teams for next month's Games in Pyeongchang.

Mark McMorris, Tyler Nicholson and Max Parrot are looking to repeat the Canadian domination of last year’s men's slopestyle event.

Among those set to challenge them are Norway’s Marcus Kleveland, Staale Sandbech, Mons Roisland and Torgeir Bergrem, Sweden’s Sven Thorgren, Finland’s Roope Tonteri and Belgium’s Seppe Smits.

The women's competition will see the return of Austrian snowboard queen Anna Gasser to World Cup action.

Two months after bruising her heel during training for the Air and Style Beijing event, the reigning big air world champion will be striving for redemption following her second-place finish at last year’s Laax Open.

Canada's Mark McMorris is among those expected to be in contention for men's slopestyle success in Laax ©Getty Images
Canada's Mark McMorris is among those expected to be in contention for men's slopestyle success in Laax ©Getty Images

The 26-year-old is likely to face some competition as Norway’s Silje Norendal has displayed consistent form in recent times and Switzerland’s Isabel Derungs and Sina Candrian will have home town advantage.

New Zealand’s Christy Prior, who triumphed in American ski resort Snowmass last weekend, is also due to start alongside strong Japanese riders Reira Iwabuchi and Miyabi Onitsuka.

Slovakia’s Klaudia Medlová and Canadians Spencer O'Brien and Laurie Blouin feature in a competitive field as well.

Halfpipe qualification is due to be held tomorrow, as things stand, with the finals scheduled for Saturday (January 20).

Switzerland’s Iouri Podladtchikov, the Sochi 2014 Olympic gold medallist, will be looking to exert his dominance in front of a home crowd having failed to register a World Cup win so far this season.

Australia’s Scott James, the reigning world champion, will also be vying for glory.

In the women’s event, Spain’s Queralt Castellet will be the favourite following her win in Snowmass.

Former world champion Xuetong Cai of China is also expected to be a strong contender along with two-time Olympic medallist Torah Bright of Australia.