The Snow League Season Finale Slatted for March 19-21

Featured Image: Marcel Laemmerhirt, The Snow League | Location: LAAX, Switzerland

It's been a hell of a winter for halfpipe skiing, maybe the biggest in decades. Freeskiing made its debut in The Snow League, Shaun White's new halfpipe-specific competition circuit, where Eileen Gu continued her historic run and Brendan Mackay ousted hearty competition. We saw Zoe Atkin rise to the top at X Games Aspen while 19-year-old Fin Melville-Ives stunned the world by beating both Goepper and Ferreira.

The World Cup circuit proved to be no less disappointing, as each stop built to the showdown at the 2026 Winter Olympics. There, Gu once again rose to the occasion and secured gold, with rising star Fanghui Li and the talented Atkin close behind. The men's side closed out the Olympic freeskiing schedule in all-time fashion. Coming down to the wire, we saw Goepper go for broke and try an NBD switch double misty 1260. He bit the wall but walked away like a stud. Ferreira finally got his long-awaited gold, as Henry Sildaru reminded us all why he's in the running for one of the most talented freeskiers on earth and Mackay landed in third.

That brings us to mid-March, as many of the halfpipe riders we watched over the last few months are headed to LAAX, Switzerland for the fourth and final stop of The Snow League Season One. While this will mark just the second freeski appearance at TSL, the pressure is still very real, as bragging rights and tens of thousands of dollars are on the line.

Brendan Mackay boosts his way to a victory at TSL China, the second event of season in December, 2025

Photo: Jenny Lang

If you haven't caught up on the previous TSL events, there are a few key differences seperating the new competition from others in the ski world. TSL is an invitational circuit, with eight ski men and eight ski women competing during the season. There are also 22 snowboard women and 26 snowboard men competing at every stop.

The competition is formatted as a bracket that pairs riders in head-to-head matchups. Best of three runs, with the winner advancing to the next round. That means you can't just throw your best tricks and walk off. You have to craft different runs, trying to top whatever your opponent puts down. Think March Madness, but just a bit more airtime.

We'll have to wait and see who goes against whom in LAAX, but have a look at the full women's and men's ski rosters below.

The Snow League Women's Ski Roster: Eileen Gu, Kexin Zhang, Fanghui Li, Svea Irving, Cassie Sharpe, Amy Fraser, Rachael Karker, Zoe Atkin

The Snow League Men's Ski Roster: Brendan Mackay, Luke Harrold, Gus Kenworthy, Nick Goepper, Birk Irving, Hunter Hess, David Wise, Fin Melville-Ives

TSL China women's ski podium (left) and men's ski podium (right)

Photo: Dean Blotto Gray, TSL

All 16 skiers and 32 boarders will arrive in LAAX ahead of the March 19 start date. As one of the most iconic freestyle hubs in the world, it's only fitting that we find ourselves here to close out TSL Season One.

Thursday, March 19, will feature snowboard qualifiers as the massive field is trimmed down. On Friday you can expect an afternoon of both ski and snowboard quarterfinals, with ski semifinals and finals going down under the lights. It's free to spectate the comps, though you will need a valid LAAX lift ticket to reach the venue. General admission viewing is first come, first serve.

If you feel like making it a true occasion or don't want to risk it with general admission, you can purchase the Fan Pass, Night Pass or ball out and secure Premium Admission. These options will also get you access to live music performances that will take place on both Friday and Saturday evenings.

There's no doubt that this will be an incredible weekend of riding. The historically large prize purse (more than $500,000) will be at the forefront of every rider's mind. Cash is king as they say! No matter what, more eyeballs of halfpipe skiing and more money is skiers pockets is a good thing in our eyes. We'll see you in LAAX.