Shaun White is set to launch his new halfpipe league next week in Aspen, Colorado, marking the beginning of an exciting venture that will later reach the site of his Olympic farewell in China. The Snow League unveiled its complete four-stop schedule for its inaugural season on Monday, revealing that the competition will head to the Secret Garden snowpark in Zhangjiakou, China, this December. Following the event in China, the league will return to Aspen in February 2026, culminating with a final showdown in Laax, Switzerland, after the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics. The starting event is scheduled for March 7-8 at Buttermilk, located just outside of Aspen.
White’s last competitive performance took place at the Secret Garden during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he placed fourth after an emotional halfpipe final. The three-time Olympic gold medalist, now retired, is committed to establishing a league that unites the world’s elite snowboarders, addressing the need for a coherent competitive circuit that has historically been absent in the sport, especially regarding substantial prize money at major events.
The Snow League aims to disrupt this by presenting an impressive prize pool of $1.6 million, with $370,000 awarded per event and an additional $160,000 set aside for the champions of the league following all four events.
Top athletes are already gearing up for the opening contest, including defending Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano, who is among the 16 competitors invited to participate next week, alongside his brother Kaishu Hirano. Ruka Hirano, ranked second, is also in the mix, alongside American competitors Chase Josey and Chase Blackwell. For the women’s competition, Olympic silver and bronze medalists Queralt Castellet and Sena Tomita will compete, along with U.S. talents Maddie Mastro and Maddy Schaffrick.
In a distinctive format, the league’s finals will adopt a head-to-head, best-of-three bracket style. This setup will require riders to make their initial runs from both sides of the halfpipe, adding an extra layer of challenge to the competition.
The Snow League will also introduce freeskiing to its roster, starting with the event in China, although the names of the participating athletes in this category have yet to be disclosed. Notably, Eileen Gu made waves at the Beijing Olympics by clinching medals across all three freeskiing disciplines, securing gold in halfpipe and Big Air, along with silver in slopestyle.
