Freeskiing Arrives at The Snow League in China

All Images: Courtesy of The Snow League

On December 6 at China's Yunding Snow Park, freeskiing made its debut in The Snow League, the new halfpipe competition circuit from Shaun White. And to say that this was the new juice competitive freeskiing needed would be an understatement. To the delight of literally everyone, we saw 1620s, tail grabs, over flips, zero spins (shout out Hunter Hess) and so much more.

The talent was expectedly next-level, but the significance of this comp goes beyond the highlights. Bringing with it a record-setting prize purse, a new bracket-style competition format and a global presence, The Snow League just launched a new chapter of freeskiing. Let's break down the podium results, takeaways and what you can expect next from The League.

Launched in 2025, The Snow League is well underway, with the recent competition in China being billed as Season One, Event Two. Event One took place in Aspen Snowmass last March, but featured only snowboarding, making this stop in China the official launch for freeskiing. There had been plenty of hype leading up to this moment, and rightfully so.

The Snow League Season One, Event Two in China

Skier: (2) Brendan Mackay, (3) Eileen Gu, (5) Nick Goepper, (6) Fanghui Li

Never before have we seen a prize purse of over $500,000, nor have we seen such a unique head-to-head format in halfpipe skiing. Riders are seeded based on their World Cup rankings, with each matchup being a best-of-three series in which skiers have to drop from both sides of the pipe. This forces competitors to alter their runs depending on which side they want to start on, who they're facing and how risky they're feeling. It adds a new level of depth and complexity to halfpipe riding that we've never seen... until now.

Event Two in China featured a stacked lineup of skiers, ranging from iconic Olympians like David Wise, Cassie Sharpe, Eileen Gu and Gus Kenworthy, the latter of which we were thrilled to see returning to competitive halfpipe skiing for the first time since the 2022 Olympics. The roster also included powerful up-and-comers like Kiwi's Luke Harold and Fin Melville Ives, as well as China's Kexin Zhang.

In the women's field, Elieen Gu knocked out Cassie Sharpe early on. She proceeded to face Fanghui Li and Kexin Zhang en route to a first-place finish. It was Zhang who took home second place, with Li defeating Svea Irving to claim third, rounding out the podium for a Chinese sweep.

"It’s so much fun competing here in China and sharing the podium with two friends and teammates," remarked Gu after her victory. "Growing up, one of my biggest goals has always been to introduce freestyle to more young people, particularly girls. To see the first [freeski] Snow League event happening here in China... is absolutely incredible. Seeing all the excited spectators cheering the three of us on today was really special."

Notably, Gu's highest scoring run on the day included a left 900 tail, into a right 720 reverse tail, a switch left 720 Japan, a right 900 Buick, a right alley oop flat spin 540 critical, finishing with a left alley oop mute. She noted that two of the runs she put down were runs she had never attempted before in a competition. As if winning wasn't impressive enough, she did it with experimental skiing. But at the end of the day, that's what The Snow League pushes riders to do.

*The Snow League - China Women's Freeski Bracket*

In the men's field, it was a mix of familiar faces and young guns who stole the show. Brendan Mackay put Canada on the map as he bested two U.S. riders, Hunter Hess and Nick Goepper, on his way to a championship showdown with 17-year-old Luke Harold.

Harold skied remarkably well, through Mackay, 10 years his senior, was able to snatch the victory after putting up a stellar 89.00 run and sealing the deal as Harold washed out in the tiebreaker. Keep a close eye on Harold as the Olympics draw near. He's sure to be a major threat for years to come, and is no doubt thrilled with a remarkable second-place finish, ousting a few legends of the sport on his way.

One of said legends was Kus Kenworthy, who fell to Harold in the semifinals. He faced Goepper in the third-place matchup, but Goepper took a bad spill, slamming onto the deck during his run. Despite a cracked helmet, he was fortunate enough to walk away with a bruised tailbone, a headache and a fourth-place finish.

When asked about the win, Mackay said, "To walk away on top is incredible, and I’m so stoked." He added, "It was really cool competing in this format. There’s a lot of strategy, and also a lot of luck with who you’re up against—whether you can conserve energy or if you have to put it all out there in quarters. I feel super grateful to have put down my runs. I’m so stoked."

The $580,000 prize pruse (split across two events) was cracked into, as finishers earned themselves points, which count toward the overall standings, and cold hard cash. At each event, men and women podium skiers earn:

First Place - $50,000

Second Place - $25,000

Third Place - $10,000

Fourth Place - $5,000

An aditional $80,000 will be split between the top three men's and women's finishers at the end of Season One this spring.

In all, it's incredible to see both athletes and fans expressing gratitude for the revolutionary new format. Not only does The Snow League encourage novel riding and creative approaches that vary upon who you're matched up against, but it also puts money directly in the hands of athletes. While there's no one-stop solution to underpaid athletes and individuals in the industry at large, this appears to be a step in the right direction.

Stay tuned as freeskiing returns to The Snow League March 19 - 21 in LAAX, Switzerland.

The Snow League 2026 Freeski Standings