Learn how Sena Tomita claimed the first-ever Snow League win at Aspen Snowmass—and how she’s preparing to carry that momentum into Event Two at Yunding Snow Park in China.
Sena Tomita, the current Snow League Points leader, is no stranger to victory. In 2022, she struck gold at X Games and followed it up with an Olympic bronze medal in Beijing. Tomita rolled into the inaugural Snow League Event One in Aspen Snowmass, March 7-8, 2025, fresh off a World Cup win, the first of her career. She channeled that winning energy into the inaugural Snow League, digging deep into her competition arsenal to dominate across two days and make history with the first-ever Snow League victory.
Tomita’s Path to Victory
Over ten runs at Aspen Snowmass, the regular-footed Japanese athlete stacked up eight clutch wins when it mattered most. Two of those came in tiebreaker showdowns—the first against teenage phenom Gaon Choi of Korea in the semifinals, and the second in a high-stakes final against the USA’s Maddie Mastro.
Tomita’s triumph in Aspen, under the brand-new Snow League head-to-head format, was hard-earned—and that’s exactly what makes it so special. Here’s how it all went down.”
Day One Qualifiers: A First Look at the Women’s Competition Field
The Aspen halfpipe didn’t take long to heat up during Friday’s qualifying, with 16 women split into four heats. Tomita made light work of her heat, locking in her spot for Saturday’s semifinals with the top score of 88.25. But she wasn’t the only one making noise. Mastro looked polished and powerful, topping all qualifiers with a 90.00 and snagging the five-point bonus that comes with it. Sonora Alba (USA) and Choi also topped their heats, and four more athletes powered their way in through the Last Chance Qualifier.
Finals Day: Head-To-Head Drama in a Stacked Field
On Finals Day, the brand-new Snow League format took center stage: a head-to-head, best two-of-three showdown. The rules require athletes to drop in on both walls within their first two runs—or risk disqualification. The result? No holding back, no safe runs, and a whole lot of tactical decision-making. It’s a format designed to push progression, variety and spotlight the drama of one-on-one competition—and it delivered.
In the quarterfinals, Tomita met up with four-time Olympian and one of the most decorated riders in the field, China’s Jiayu Liu. But Tomita didn’t flinch. She put down two clean, composed runs to sweep the matchup, topping out with an 80.25 to advance into the semifinals.
Semifinal Showdown: The Snow League’s First Third-Run Tiebreaker
Tomita’s semifinal matchup against 16-year-old Choi turned into a matchup for the ages. Choi had already set the tone the day before, topping her qualifying heat with an 88.75, and she came out swinging in run one. Throwing down a massive switch backside 900 and a frontside 1080, Choi edged out Tomita with an 88.25 to 81.75.
Women’s Finals Day Bracket
But The Snow League format requires athletes to drop in on the opposite wall for their second run, forcing a mix-up. Tomita seized the opportunity, dropping on the right wall, throwing down a huge frontside 1080 tailgrab, followed by a 720, 900, and back-to-back 540s—to score a commanding 91.50 and even the battle as Choi put down a score of 87.25.
That set the stage for the League’s first-ever tiebreaker. Tomita dropped in first, performing under pressure to deliver a run of pure precision. The score was withheld until Choi completed her run—all eyes turned to the top of the halfpipe to Choi, who looked poised to answer back as she kicked off with another phenomenal technical run—until disaster struck at the bottom of the pipe. Going for a frontside 1080, she just missed the grab and washed out on the landing. Tomita posted the competition’s highest score yet—a 93 to Choi’s 55—securing her spot in the finals. Choi was relegated to the third-place matchup, but she came back strong—posting a new women’s high score of 93.75 to defeat Japan’s Mitsuki Ono, proving she is a major threat in The Snow League.
Final Showdown: Tomita Edges Mastro by a Narrow Half Point Margin in Aspen Showdown
By the time Tomita reached the finals, her record was nearly flawless—six wins and just one loss in head-to-head battles. Standing in her way was none other than Mastro, the top qualifier from day one, who had cruised through her own bracket with surgical precision. Mastro had taken down Elizabeth Hosking in the quarterfinals and Ono in the semifinals, lacing every run along the way without triggering a tiebreaker.
The stage was perfectly set: Tomita, riding high off a 93-point semifinal run—the highest of the competition—against Mastro, whose 90-point run in qualifiers had marked her as the one to beat. Both regular footed riders, both kicking off with their preferred left side drop in.
Tomita came out swinging in Run One, unleashing her signature frontside 1080 tailgrab more than ten feet out of the pipe and linking it seamlessly into a switch frontside 720 Indy, back-to-back 540s, and a massive frontside 900 melon holding that same amplitude from top to bottom, breaking into the 90s again with a score of 91.25.
Mastro answered back with her trademark style, opening with a massive double Crippler Indy, followed by a backside 900, back-to-back 540s, and a stylish frontside 720 tailgrab. But a loss of amplitude near the bottom cost her, and the judges awarded her an 85.50—putting Tomita one run away from the win.
Run Two flipped the script. Tomita, dropping from the right wall, opened strong with a method into her frontside 1080, but couldn’t ride it out. That opened the door wide for Mastro, who put down a clean, confident run to even the score and force the women into the day’s second tiebreaker.
With the pressure peaking, both athletes delivered. Tomita once again leaned on her amplitude and technical precision, while Mastro stacked her run with technical difficulty. When the scores finally dropped, the difference was razor-thin—just half a point in Tomita’s favor. And that was the moment she sealed the Aspen Snowmass win, cementing her place at the top of the Season One Snow League standings.
Tomita took home $55,000 in prize money and 100 points as the top-ranked athlete heading into event two at Yunding Snow Park in China set for December 4–6, 2025.
The Snow League Points Leader, Sena Tomita, in her own words:
After having time to reflect and bask in her Aspen Snowmass victory, Tomita spoke about the pressure of being the only athlete to compete in two third-run tiebreakers—and win. “My heart was pounding as I knew I had to land that one run. Before dropping in for the third run, my legs were shaking. I went first in both rounds, so I fired myself up, thinking that if I nailed it, I could put serious pressure on the others.”
Following her inaugural Snow League victory, we asked Tomita how she celebrated after the Aspen Snowmass final. She was characteristically modest: “I never imagined I’d actually win. I didn’t perfectly land my third run, so I’m sure the judges had a tough time deciding. But I was truly happy to face Maddie in the finals.” She also gave a shoutout to the men’s field, adding, “Yuto from Yonex also took the win in men’s, and Ruka, also from the Yonex team, came in second—we were all overjoyed together!”
Looking ahead to Event Two in China, Tomita shared her excitement: “I’m super excited now. After completing the first round, I’ve got a feel for how it goes, and I’m confident I can enjoy this second round in China even more while giving it my all. I’m also really looking forward to having fun with everyone again!”
