Featured Image: Dean Blotto Gray, The Snow League
The creation of Shaun White's The Snow League (TSL) last year marked the greatest shake-up in competitive halfpipe skiing in years. We never thought we'd be saying this, but White, snowboarding's golden boy, truly supplied freeskiing with a much-needed rejuvenation at the highest level of the sport. With the success of Season One, we were curious to see where TSL would head in its second year.
The competition features many unique components not found in standard FIS pipe skiing. The head-to-head format pairs skiers off in a bracket-style layout, playing best-of-three game series against their opponents and advancing deeper with each win. Plus, the cash prize pot was the largest we've ever seen, with over half a million dollars divided between first through fifth place at each stop, and a bonus for the overall champ.
On June 3, TSL dropped the Season Two schedule, along with a few big changes coming for the 2026/27 winter. New locations and a new stop format are on tap, along with more skiers, an expanded three-day competition layout, and ample prize money heading right into riders' pockets.
Importantly, the total number of skiers on the TSL roster for main Events has jumped from 16 to 24, meaning freeskiing will be included at each stop and in every phase of competition in Season Two. This is a departure from last year, when skiers only participated in two of the four stops and did not have the same breadth of qualifying rounds as snowboarders.
Each Event during Season Two will showcase three days of competition. Day One will focus on qualifying rounds, followed by quarterfinal competition on Day Two, with semifinals and Finals on Day Three. "By integrating snowboard and freeski competition across all three days, the new format delivers a more consistent competition experience for fans and athletes," TSL stated in the official press release.
Another new edition for Season Two will be the TSL World Challenge at the iconic Cardrona Resort outside of Wanaka, New Zealand. This brand-new competition will be invitation-only, bringing together 16 TSL athletes representing the four regions of North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, and The Challengers.
The Challengers group will comprise "emerging next-generation talent from multiple regions." Each team will have four riders total: one male and one female freeskier, and one male and one female snowboarder. Results from the World Challenge will be separate from TSL's individual season standings.
TSL Season Two Schedule
September 18-20, 2026 | The Snow League World Challenger*
Cardrona Alpine Resort, New Zealand
January 7-9, 2027 | Event One at Buttermilk
Aspen Snowmass, CO, USA
January 21-23, 2027 | Event Two at Park City**
Park City Mountain Resort, UT, USA
March 11-13, 2027 | Event Three at LAAX
LAAX Mountain Resort, Switzerland
*: New Event
**: New Location
TSL Men's Ski Season One champ Luke Harrold with a mute grab in China last winter
Photo: Jenny Lang, The Snow League
TSL Men's Ski Season One champ Luke Harrold with a mute grab in China last winter
Photo: Jenny Lang, The Snow League
While the World Challenge won't directly impact the rest of Season Two, it will be incredibly cool to watch skiers and snowboarders team up to represent something beyond themselves or even their own countries. Of course, Cardona is a suitable host for such an event, with the resort becoming the mecca for park building and riding in the Southern Hemisphere over the last decade.
Aside from Cardrona, Season Two will feature another new stop in Park City Mountain Resort, Utah. A new 22-foot halfpipe will be unveiled, departing from PCMR's usual 18-foot build. This will the largest halfpipe at Park City since the 2019 FIS World Championships, setting the tone as Utah looks to the future in preparing to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.
“Season One set the foundation,” said White during the Season Two rollout in early June. “With Season Two, we’re expanding and creating new ways for athletes to compete and for fans to engage. From launching The Snow League World Challenge to returning to some of the most iconic venues in the sport, fans should be really excited for what’s in store for Season Two.”
Eileen Gu and Luke Harrold were able to secure the top spots last year, but with more skiers entering the arena for Season Two, it's anybody's game. Cheers to the TSL squad for putting on such an incredible showing of freeskiing and snowboarding on a global scale, and for getting money directly into the hands of the skiers who deserve it the most.
