Hello Snow League!

// news

The WSF has just announced it’s newest member: Shaun White, who we all know and love, and his baby “Snow League”

shaun white 1024x683 - Hello Snow League!

The WSF is proud to welcome Shaun White’s “Snow League” as its newest member. Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medal winning snowboarder and entrepreneur Shaun White, the league’s first season will feature a four-event global competition format, with the inaugural competition kicking off at Aspen Snowmass’ Buttermilk Mountain on March 7-8, 2025 and continuing at top winter resorts worldwide.

White hopes The Snow League’s format will allow fans around the world to follow athletes throughout the season, where they can discover new superstars, underdogs, and fierce rivalries in the world of snowboarding and freeskiing. White, drawing from his own experiences, hopes to elevate the sport and inspire the next generation of athletes by creating a platform that highlights their skills and stories.

snow league - Hello Snow League!

Shaun White says the following about joining the WSF: “We are grateful that the WSF has recognized The Snow League as an official member and that all Snow League events will be included on the WSPL. The WSPL is the truest representation of global snowboarding events, recognizing the best riders in the world. With their help, The Snow League will identify top talent and the next generation of rising stars and provide a clear and transparent pathway into The Snow League.”

How will athletes be chosen?

The Snow League’s snowboarding field will be made up of the top 20 men and 16 women in the world. Riders will be chosen using a modified ranking from the World Snowboard Points List. The WSPL is the definitive universal, transparent and fair ranking system for competitive snowboarding globally.

Competition and Season Format

The competition structure and format will be different than what has been seen before. The Snow League is the first ever competitive platform where the world’s elite athletes can compete consistently throughout the year and season over season. The first season will feature men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe competitions at all four events. Freeskiing will be introduced during the league’s second event in late 2025, and will be included in all future events.

The league’s structure, including a points-based ranking system and head-to-head championships, ensures a competitive and engaging experience for both participants and spectators.

A prize purse will be awarded at each event. Athletes will also earn points for their results, which will be cumulative at the end of the season where an additional prize purse will be distributed to the league’s top finishers. The total prize purse for the first season will be at least $1.5 million, representing the richest prize purse in both sports.

The snowboarding competition will include a training day and two days of competition with innovative formats:

●  Day 1: Training day

●  Day 2: Qualifying day – 20 men and 16 women will be seeded into four qualifying heats, each with abest of two run format. The top qualifier from each heat will advance to championship day. The next two best scores from each heat will also earn a chance to compete for the last four championship spots in another heat using an additional best of two run format.

● Day 3: Championship day – 8 men and 8 women move on to championship day which features a head-to-head bracket format, seeded from qualifying day with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals rounds. A rider must win two of three runs to advance to the next round in the bracket.

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