NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Snow League, founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, announced today the snowboard athlete roster for its inaugural season.
The full field will consist of 36 athletes, 20 men and 16 women, who earn their spot in The Snow League from the World Snowboard Points List (WSPL) standings. Currently, 32 athletes are confirmed, with the remaining four spots held as wildcard entries to be allocated based on upcoming competition results. All athletes are committed to competing across the global halfpipe event season to claim the first-ever Snow League World Championship title and a piece of the unprecedented $1.5 million total prize purse.
The competitor list brings together global athletes from nine countries, ranging from progression-driven teenage upstarts to established four-time Olympians. This world-class lineup includes 2022 Olympic gold medalist Ayumu Hirano (JPN), renowned for his unmatched consistency and his winning triple cork. Joining him is 2024 Crystal Globe winner Mitsuki Ono (JPN), who has dominated the World Cup circuit claiming back-to-back titles. The field also boasts 2022 Olympic silver and bronze medalists Queralt Castellet (ESP) and Sena Tomita (JPN), ready to take on the 22-foot Snow League superpipe.
Representing Team USA, Maddie Mastro (USA), the 2024 Crystal Globe runner-up, arrives at The Snow League fresh off a decisive World Cup win in China. Lucas Foster (USA) joins following a 2024 Dew Tour podium finish, showcasing his now-signature double alley-oop McTwist. And 17-year-old Bea Kim (USA) comes into the Snow League after an incredible rookie season that saw her finish third in the World Cup standings.
The Snow League founder, Shaun White says, "This is a dream roster of athletes at the absolute pinnacle of halfpipe snowboarding. Each and every one of these riders are pushing the boundaries of competition and trick innovation, and I can't wait to see what they do with our new competition format when this event comes to life in Aspen.”
“The Snow League is more than just a competition - it's a stage to celebrate the very best in snowboarding, and I'm truly honored to help elevate these incredible pros to new heights.”
The Snow League’s first event at Aspen Snowmass features two full days of snowboard halfpipe competition at Buttermilk Mountain, with fans invited to experience a free day of qualifying action on Friday, March 7, featuring all 36 athletes. Saturday, March 8 is Finals Day, with eight men and women vying for the podium. The day will feature head-to-head competition in an innovative format that puts the spotlight on creativity and progression to determine the winners.
Admission is free for Qualifying Day on Friday, March 7, but advance reservations are required. Finals Day tickets on Saturday are $50, but available at a 50% discount for Colorado residents. Children 12 and under enter free with a paid adult. Reserve tickets for both days now at www.TheSnowLeague.com.
The Snow League has partnered with Tixr as the league’s exclusive ticketing partner, utilizing the Tixr platform to provide fans a best-in-class ticketing experience for all events.
Additional notable athletes competing at The Snow League include Guinness World Record holder for the highest halfpipe air, Kaishu Hirano (JPN), who made worldwide headlines blasting 24 feet, 4 inches (7.41m) out of the Olympic halfpipe. X Games gold medalist and three-time Crystal Globe winner Yuto Totsuka (JPN) will come armed with his polished triple cork 1440. And Korea’s Chaeun Lee (KOR), the youngest FIS World Champion in 2023 at 16 years old, recently made history landing the first triple cork 1620 in the halfpipe and will be looking to bring that to competition.
The field features further young upstarts, including the youngest athletes in the field, Gaon Choi (KOR), who made history as the youngest X Games halfpipe gold medalist in 2023 at age 14, and Jio Lee (KOR) in the men’s field; both will be 16 years old heading into Aspen.
Legends of the sport competing include four-time Olympian and three-time Crystal Globe winner Xuetong “Tongtong” Cai (CHN) and three-time Olympian David Habluetzel (SUI), aiming to crown their careers with a victory at The Snow League’s first-ever event.
The snowboarding field will debut at the first stop of The Snow League snowboard competition at Aspen Snowmass’ Buttermilk Mountain on March 7–8, 2025. Athletes will accumulate points based on their results from each stop to be tallied together at the end of the season to crown The Snow League World Champion. Results from each stop also count toward the World Snowboard Points List, which are considered in Olympic qualifying criteria by most nations. The complete start list for Aspen will be announced leading into the event. Freeskiing athletes will be announced at a later date following the Aspen competition.
Men’s Field
Alessandro Barbieri, 16, USA
Ayumu Hirano, 25, JPN
Chase Blackwell, 25, USA
Chase Josey, 29, USA
Chaeun Lee, 18, KOR
David Habluetzel, 28, SUI
Jio Lee, 16, KOR
Joey Okesson, 21, USA
Kaishu Hirano, 21, JPN
Louie Vito, 36, ITA
Lucas Foster, 24, USA
Pat Burgener, 30, SUI
Ruka Hirano, 22, JPN
Ryusei Yamada, 18, JPN
Shuichiro Shigeno, 18, JPN
Valentino Guseli, 19, AUS
Wang Ziyang, 21, CHN
Yuto Totsuka, 22, JPN
Women’s Field
Beatrice Kim, 17, USA
Berenice Wicki, 21, SUI
Brooke D’Hondt, 19, CAN
Elizabeth Hosking, 22, CAN
Gaon Choi, 16, KOR
Jiayu Liu, 31, CHN
Maddie Mastro, 24, USA
Madeline Schaffrick, 30, USA
Mitsuki Ono, 20, JPN
Queralt Castellet, 35, ESP
Ruki Tomita, 22, JPN
Sena Tomita, 24, JPN
Sonora “Sonny” Alba, 18, USA
Xuetong “Tongtong” Cai, 30, CHN
About The Snow League
Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medal winning snowboarder and entrepreneur Shaun White, the league’s first season will feature a four-event global competition format, with the inaugural competition kicking off at Aspen Snowmass’ Buttermilk Mountain in March 2025, and continuing at top winter resorts worldwide. The first season will feature men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe competitions at all four events. Freeskiing will be introduced during the league’s second event in late 2025, and will be included in all future events. Athletes will compete to accumulate points based on their results from each event to be tallied together at the end of the season to crown The Snow League World Champion.
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