The Snow League’s Newest Teammates? A Few Yellow-Eyed Penguins

Team Challengers is leaving more than a trophy behind in New Zealand, by helping protect one of the world’s rarest penguin species

_{Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for Snow League}

The inaugural Snow League World Challenge in New Zealand wasn’t just about pushing the boundaries of halfpipe competition, it was also about giving back to one of the country’s most iconic and endangered species.

To celebrate an unforgettable week at Cardrona, The Snow League has donated NZD$5,000 to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, helping support the nonprofit’s work protecting and growing New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho) populations.

The Trust is dedicated to making sure one of the world’s rarest penguin species can thrive in its natural habitat. Found only in New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the yellow-eyed penguin – known in Māori as hoiho, or “noise shouter” – faces growing challenges both on land and at sea. The Trust works to restore coastal habitat, monitor penguin populations, protect nesting sites and advocate for healthier oceans to give the species the best chance of survival. 

As a reward for their victory, Team Challengers will get to put their own stamp on the conservation effort by naming the GPS trackers placed on the beneficiary penguins. It’s a small but meaningful way for the winning team to stay connected to New Zealand long after the competition has wrapped up.

The GPS trackers play an important role in helping conservationists better understand how yellow-eyed penguins move, feed and survive in the wild, providing valuable data that helps protect these penguins. Through the initiative, every journey those penguins take will carry a reminder of the athletes who made history at Cardrona.

That feels fitting, because the World Challenge was all about trying something new.

This event was made possible by the support of the New Zealand Government’s Events Attraction Package.