Sixteen of the world’s top snowboarders and freeskiers will go head-to-head across four teams in The Snow League’s first-ever team-based competition.
Fans around the world can watch all the action live on The Snow League YouTube channel beginning at 9:30 a.m. NZST on Saturday, September 19 (2:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, September 18)
Cardrona, New Zealand – (September 18, 2026) – The brackets are set for the inaugural Snow League World Challenge, with 16 of the world’s best snowboarders and freeskiers ready to battle it out in the halfpipe at Cardrona Alpine Resort. Representing four teams: Team North America, Team Europe, Team Asia-Pacific and Team Challengers. Athletes will compete head-to-head for team honors and a share of the $20,000 prize purse.
Women’s Freeski opens with a duel between Snow League first-timers Indra Brown (Team Asia-Pacific) and Kelly Sildaru (Team Europe). On the other side of the bracket, is Amy Fraser (Team North America) up against Cardrona local Mischa Thomas (Team Challengers).
Women’s Snowboard will see Gaon Choi (Team Asia-Pacific), in her first competition since capturing Olympic gold, against Queralt Castellet (Team Europe). Then it’s Brooke D’Hondt (Team North America) versus Sara Shimizu (Team Challengers), who will be looking to continue her winning streak.
Men’s Freeski reigning Snow League World Champion Luke Harrold (Team Asia-Pacific) will take on Jon Sallinen (Team Europe), before Hunter Hess (Team North America) battles against Fin Melville Ives (Team Challengers), who is competing on his hometown halfpipe.
Men’s Snowboard kicks off between Cam Melville Ives (Team Asia-Pacific) and Jonas Hasler (Team Europe), with Jake Pates (Team North America) and Ryusei Yamada (Team Challengers) going head-to-head in what will be a highlight of the exciting day of competition.
Who is the favorite in each bracket? Check the Season One stats here.
Women’s Freeski
The women’s freeski semifinals open with a duel between two Snow League newcomers as New Zealand’s Indra Brown takes on Estonia’s decorated champion Kelly Sildaru. On the other side of the bracket, Canada’s consistent podium finisher Amy Fraser, who finished second overall in the Snow League Season One standings, goes head-to-head with Kiwi Mischa Thomas, in a matchup where clean execution and trick variety will make the difference.
Men’s Freeski
This bracket features the reigning inaugural Snow League World Champion, New Zealand’s Luke Harrold, who captured the historic Season One title on a tiebreaker at the LAAX finale. He matches up against Finland’s Jon Sallinen in his first Snow League appearance. The second semifinal pits USA’s Hunter Hess, who finished third in the Season One standings, against New Zealand’s technical talent Fin Melville Ives who was the top seed in China, but could not compete due to illness.
Women’s Snowboard
The top half of the bracket presents a compelling matchup between South Korea’s Gaon Choi, in her first competition since capturing Olympic gold in Milano Cortina and Spain’s veteran Queralt Castellet, who brings years of elite competition experience to the pipe. On the other side of the draw, Canada’s rising talent Brooke D’Hondt meets Japan’s Sara Shimizu, a breakout star who built massive momentum by winning the final 2 events of Season One.
Men’s Snowboard
The men’s snowboarding matchups kick off with a battle between Kiwi talent Cam Melville Ives (5th in Season One) and Swiss athlete Jonas Hasler in a contest of pure amplitude. The second semifinal features American veteran Jake Pates going up against Japan’s Ryusei Yamada, who put on a clinic in the latter half of Season One by finishing second in the overall standings.
Australian men’s snowboarder Valentino Guseli will also be joining as an alternate, in his Snow League debut.
The entire competition will stream live on The Snow League’s YouTube channel, beginning at 9:30 a.m. NZST on Saturday, September 19 (2:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, September 18), bringing the action to fans around the world.
The lead-up to the event has delivered the ultimate in team bonding, with athletes experiencing the best of New Zealand together, from jet boating and heli tours to extreme bungee jumping. The World Challenge, which is proudly supported by the New Zealand Government’s Events Attraction Package, then kicked off with a full day of action in prime winter conditions at Treble Cone in Wānaka for the Teamwork Challenge presented by Ares.
The athletes captured their best clip on the mountain using self-shot footage. Competitors then voted on the winning team with Team Asia-Pacific winning with an athlete-favorite clip of teamwork at work, featuring all four athletes sending it in the upper reaches of Saddle Basin giving them the first strategic advantage of the World Challenge: the ability to determine the competition bracket by choosing their opponent heading into Saturday.
The Snow League World Challenge in New Zealand now moves to the halfpipe at Cardrona, where athletes will have a full morning of practice on Friday, September 18 in the 22-foot halfpipe, followed by the Mini-Pipe Challenge from 1:00–3:30 p.m. local time. Three-time Olympic gold medalist and Snow League founder Shaun White, along with Snow League athletes, will join local youth competitors for the session, offering cash prizes, encouragement and plenty of stoke as the open event continues a signature Snow League tradition designed to inspire and connect with the next generation of athletes.
On Saturday, September 19, the Snow League World Challenge takes over the Cardrona halfpipe beginning at 9:30 a.m. NZST, the four teams go head-to-head in the inaugural New Zealand World Challenge. The competition will feature a best-of-three format, with the semifinals introducing a 720-degree spin cap designed to put the focus on style, amplitude and creativity. The 720 limit applies only to the semifinals, in finals, athletes will bring their full arsenal back into play, with all of the most progressive rotations on the table.
The Snow League World Challenge at Cardrona is free for fans to attend, with spectators invited to watch the world’s top snowboard and freeski athletes compete live.
The winning team will be announced at an awards ceremony and après celebration featuring live music by Sweet Mix Kids at the Base Area Plaza from 2:00–4:00 p.m. giving athletes, fans and the Cardrona community a chance to celebrate the day with music and good vibes.
ABOUT THE SNOW LEAGUE
The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated exclusively to snowboard and freeski halfpipe competition. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, the league brings together the world’s top athletes through a global, season-long competition format designed to elevate progression, storytelling, and fan experience. Season One featured four events across Aspen, China, and LAAX, with athletes competing for a $2.2 million purse and the inaugural Snow League World Championship titles. The league crowned its first-ever champions in 2026: snowboarders Sena Tomita and Yuto Totsuka, and freeskiers Eileen Gu and Luke Harrold.
The Snow League continues to expand its global footprint in Season Two, while building a year-round competition circuit and progression pathway for the next generation of snowboarders and freeskiers.
For more information, please follow The Snow League on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
