Twelve Olympians including Eileen Gu, Gus Kenworthy, Cassie Sharpe and David Wise will be among the freeskiers kicking off halfpipe competition at The Snow League China, Dec. 4 – 6.
NEW YORK, NY, – October 1 – The Snow League, the first professional winter sports league dedicated exclusively to snowboarding and freeskiing, takes a historic step forward with the addition of 16 world-class freeskiers (8 men and 8 women) to its Season One roster.
These top freeskiers will make their Snow League debut at the second event of the inaugural season, December 4- 6 at China’s Yunding Snow Park, the iconic venue of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games. They join the roster of 36 snowboarders who launched the League at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass in March.
The powerhouse lineup includes 12 Olympians with 13 Olympic medals among them, led by global icons and Olympic champions Eileen Gu (CHN), Cassie Sharpe (CAN), and David Wise (USA), alongside Olympic medalists Nick Goepper (USA), Rachael Karker (CAN) and Gus Kenworthy (GBR).
The complete women’s field includes Gu, Karker, Sharpe, Zoe Atkin (GBR), Hanna Faulhaber (USA) Amy Fraser (CAN), Svea Irving (USA) and Fanghui Li (CHN).
The men’s field includes Goepper, Kenworthy, Wise, Luke Harrold (NZL), Hunter Hess (USA), Birk Irving (USA), Brendan Mackay (CAN) and Fin Melville-Ives (NZL).
The freeski competition kicks off in the halfpipe on Saturday, December 6, with quarterfinals organized into four head-to-head brackets. Athletes will be seeded based on their global ranking, with each matchup decided in a best-of-three format. Following The Snow League’s unique competition rules, skiers must drop in from opposite walls during their first two runs. The first athlete to claim two runs advances through the bracket to the semifinals and final, where they’ll battle for the prestige of the inaugural Snow League freeski podium, as well as a share of the event prize purse and valuable points toward the Snow League World Championship title.
“Welcoming the world’s top 16 freeskiers to The Snow League is a defining moment for our league,” said Omer Atesmen, CEO of The Snow League. “These athletes represent the pinnacle of talent, creativity, and progression in freeskiing, and now they’ll have the stage they deserve on a global platform built to match their goals and purpose. Together, we’re creating a new era of competition where the best in the world battle head-to-head, inspire millions of fans, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in winter sports.”
Following China, the freeski field will be on hiatus for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina before reconvening on European snow in LAAX, Switzerland, March 19–21, for the final showdown where The Snow League’s Season One champions will be crowned.
The freeski purse for Season One of the Snow League is $580,000 across two events – Yunding Snow Park, China and LAAX, Switzerland – with equal prize money for men and women. Each gender will compete for a $85,000 purse, broken down as follows: $50,000 for first, $20,000 for second, $10,000 for third and $5,000 for fourth. This payout structure applies to both events in Season One. In addition, the overall Snow League freeski champions will receive $80,000 in Championship awards, split between the top three men’s and women’s finishers.
The Snow League prides itself on being athlete-first, with all 52 freeski and snowboard competitors receiving a $5,000 appearance fee, totaling $260,000 per event. This unprecedented level of support reflects a long-overdue commitment to athletes in winter sports and is an initiative The Snow League is proud to enact and champion.
Viewing Information
NBC Sports and Peacock will present complete coverage live of The Snow League freeski competition in the United States including Quarterfinals, the halftime show, Semifinals and Finals.
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports will air all The Snow League Finals day action live in Europe on Max and discovery+.
Additional global broadcasters and further details will be announced closer to the start of competition.
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), heading next to Yunding Snow Park, China (Dec. 4–6, 2025), where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers will join the roster at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games venue. The League returns to Aspen (Feb. 26–28, 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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