Canada’s Mackay holds a 15-point lead over New Zealand’s Luke Harrold in the men’s freeski division, leaving the championship race open heading into LAAX.
The Snow League men’s freeski title race couldn’t be tighter heading into the final event in LAAX, Switzerland, March 19–21. Event Four marks the second and final competition for the freeski field, with the inaugural men’s Snow League World Championship title on the line.
Canada’s Brendan Mackay, the bronze medalist at Milan Cortina 2026, is in the lead with a 15 point margin ahead of the 17-year-old Kiwi, Luke Harrold with 85 points. Mackay and Harrold threw down in a battle of 1620s in China with Mackay victorious in the third run tiebreaker—anticipation is sky high at the opportunity to witness that level of riding in the halfpipe at LAAX.
Gus Kenworthy continues his successful return to the halfpipe, with 72 points, currently locked in at third. The standings drop off there.
Nick Goepper, currently fourth, will not compete in LAAX as he recovers from a fall in Italy. The next athlete in the standings is fellow American, Birk Irving with 52 points. While Irving still has an outside chance mathematically to challenge for the title, he’ll be just as focused on moving into the top four to secure his invitation to Season Two.
Hunter Hess (44 points) and David Wise (38 points) will also be looking to climb above the cut line and, like all athletes, make a run for the top of the podium.
Back in the championship conversation, if Mackay goes back-to-back, he will clinch the title. But the championship is also there forHarrold to take if he wins in LAAX and Mackay finishes third or worse.
Meanwhile, Kenworthy, currently 28 points back, would need Mackay to miss the podium entirely and Harrold to finish no higher than third to claim the title. The stage is set for a dramatic finale.
There could also be a surprise factor from LAAX call-up Matt Labaugh, who enters the field looking to make an impact in his Snow League debut.
In addition to the historic title, athletes will be competing for the Event Four podium in LAAX and the $85,000 USD men’s event prize purse, along with an additional $40,000 USD championship bonus split across the top three in the season standings.
With several athletes still mathematically in contention, the men’s division promises a dramatic finale in LAAX as the first-ever men’s Snow League Champion is decided.
About The Snow League
Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist and entrepreneur Shaun White, Season One features a four-event global format boasting a $2.2 million season purse, with athletes competing to earn points to determine the overall champions. The season kicked off at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass (March 7–8, 2025), then headed to Yunding Snow Park, China (Dec. 4–6, 2025), where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers joined the roster at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games venue. The League returned to Aspen (Feb. 27–28, 2026) and concludes at LAAX, Switzerland (March 19–21, 2026), where the first-ever Snow League World Champions will be crowned.
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