Shaun White’s The Snow League ready for world debut with inaugural Aspen event

The legend rides on.

Shaun White, the snowboard icon who helped bring the sport to the masses, is launching “The Snow League” this week in Aspen, and it could spark a change in how competitions are approached. With a unique head-to-head format, White’s endeavor will certainly be something different.

“We have this moment in time to really make a difference and make a League of our own,” he said Thursday during practice day via a news release. “I’m so thrilled to be here, and I can’t say this enough; it’s not about me — it’s about you and building this future for you guys. I’ve had a level of success within my career, and I think everyone in this room deserves that and more. This is the beginning of a new era.” 

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Qualifying takes place on Friday and finals are Saturday at Buttermilk Ski Area. As the league launches, here’s a quick guide on what to expect as snowboarding takes a bold step forward.

What is The Snow League?

You may be asking where exactly this fits into the grand scheme of the snowboard calendar, and so is everyone else. Like X Games, the Snow League is its own entity, separate from the World Cup events and not staged under the FIS banner. It’s not necessarily seen as a rival for the established contests, but another opportunity for athletes to compete and make money.

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Who is competing?

There will be 20 men and 16 women competing, all halfpipe snowboarders. White has made a big deal about using this league to find the next big star, so the invite list includes both current superstars and young talent knocking on the door of stardom.

A few of the biggest names in the sport are not competing in Aspen, notably Chloe Kim and Scotty James, the reigning X Games champions. But the Snow League roster is still loaded, highlighted by Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan and Olympian Maddie Mastro of California. It’ll take elite riding to even get through qualifying, which is kind of the point.

What is the format?

This won’t look like a World Cup event. There will be 36 combined athletes to start on Friday, but only eight per gender standing by the end.

For qualifying, athletes will be divided into four heats (five men, four women per heat) based off of the World Snowboard Points List. Each athlete will get two runs with the highest score counting. The top score from each heat automatically advances to finals. The second- and third-placed athletes will move on to the Last Chance Qualifier later in the day to determine the final spots.

Finals on Saturday will be a head-to-head tournament, best two-of-three runs advancing. Each athlete must drop into both the right- and left-hand wall. The first athlete to win two runs will advance in the bracket.

Where are the skiers?

We know White is a snowboarder, but where are the skiers? Don’t worry, they will be part of the Snow League going forward, meaning we could see some of our local skiers get involved in the future (Who doesn’t want to see Alex Ferreira compete?). But, for the debut this week in Aspen, it will only be snowboarders. The freeskiers will take part beginning with the second contest, which will be early next winter in China.

Do they get paid?

There is a $1.6 million prize purse up for grabs over the inaugural four Snow League contests. In Aspen, the top eight athletes per gender will get paid, with $50,000 going to the winners. Second place will get $20,000, and third place gets $10,000. Fourth place will earn $5,000, while places 5-8 all get $2,500. All athletes competing receive a $5,000 appearance fee.

At the end of the four events, the overall series champions will be crowned, with the winners earning an extra $50,000. There is equal pay across the board between the male and female athletes.

Who are the sponsors?

What branding can you expect to see at the Snow League? The first five corporate partners include founding partners Marriott Bonvoy, INEOS Automotive, and Pacifico, with Hublot and Tiffany & Co. also joining the fold. The league is represented by Range Sports to advise on its media rights and commercial partnerships strategy and execution.

Is there music?

There will be a concert on Saturday, following the finals, featuring Big Boi. If you don’t know, Big Boi was half of Outkast, along with Andre 3000, and is a six-time Grammy Award winner. The league is also teasing a surprise “halftime” performance from a yet-to-be-named artist.

Can I watch in person?

While Buttermilk will remain open as usual during the contests, separate tickets are required to access the competition venue for in-person viewing both days. As of Thursday, general admission qualifying tickets were going for $24.37, and finals tickets were $62.90, the latter including access to the Big Boi concert.

Is it being televised?

Peacock will exclusively televise both days of competition live, with action beginning at 9:30 a.m. MST. NBC Sports’ Todd Harris and Tina Dixon will call the contests, with help from snowboard editor and photographer Tom Monterosso (analyst) and professional snowboarder and influential podcast host Chris Grenier (reporter). Olympic snowboarding judge Connor Manning will also serve as a scoring analyst. Jac Collinsworth will be the host. The event is also being televised globally, with 95 countries able to tune in.

What happens after Aspen?

Aspen is only the beginning. The first season of the Snow League will be four events spread out over two winters, and Buttermilk will host two of them.

After Aspen this weekend, the next Snow League competition won’t be until Dec. 4-6 in Secret Garden, China, which happens to be where White’s historic career came to a close at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The league returns to Aspen for the third contest from Feb 26-28, 2026, with the final contest held March 19-21, 2026, in Laax, Switzerland. That’s where the first season-long Snow League champions will be crowned.

acolbert@aspentimes.com