Featured Image: Courtesy of The Snow League
The second season of The Snow League is fast approaching, with the first-ever World Challenger taking place on September 18 and 19 at Cardrona, New Zealand. Today, TSL announced the official schedule and highly anticipated athlete roster for the new invitational halfpipe event.
Instead of the standard one vs. one bracket-style TSL format that we saw during Season One, the World Challenger will be comprised of 16 skiers divided into four teams: Team North America, Team Europe, Team Asia-Pacific, and Team Challengers, with the latter comprised of "emerging next-generation talent from multiple regions," according to TSL. Every team will include one male and one female snowboarder, alongside one male and one female freeskier.
While the World Challenger is technically the start of TSL Season Two, the points earned here will not impact individual stats heading into the other three Season Two stops.
Ever since Shaun White first introduced the idea of a ski and snowboard halfpipe league, we've been dreaming of the chance for the two sides to team up. The good guys alongside the bad guys... We'll let you decide who's who. But in all seriousness, this is the first time we'll get to watch skiers and boarders go toe-to-toe on an even playing field, and that's wildly exciting.
Hunter Hess knows a lot of things, two of them being safety grabs and proper amplitude
Photo: Jenny Lang, TSL
Hunter Hess knows a lot of things, two of them being safety grabs and proper amplitude
Photo: Jenny Lang, TSL
In addition, the World Challenger will encourage creative riding over spin-to-win by imposing a 720-degree spin cap in the semifinal rounds before opening the finals to full progression. Semifinals will undoubtedly be filled with some wickedly creative grabs and off-axis rotations, so don't just tune in to the finals!
The exact criteria for how teams have been chosen has not been outlined, but it's clear that some of the best riders in the world are stepping up to the plate. There are certainly other names we would have loved to see included in this unique format, but that being said, there's nobody we'd want to see removed from the current list.
Check out who'll be throwing down in the 2026 TSL World Challenger at Cardrona below!
2026 TSL World Challenger Roster
Team North America
Women’s Snowboard: Brooke D’Hondt (CAN)
Men’s Snowboard: Jake Pates (USA)
Women’s Freeski: Amy Fraser (CAN)
Men’s Freeski: Hunter Hess (USA)
Team Europe
Women’s Snowboard: Queralt Castellet (ESP)
Men’s Snowboard: Jonas Hasler (SUI)
Women’s Freeski: Kelly Sildaru (EST)
Men’s Freeski: Jon Sallinen (FIN)
Team Asia-Pacific
Women’s Snowboard: Gaon Choi (KOR)
Men’s Snowboard: Cam Melville Ives (NZL)
Women’s Freeski: Indra Brown (AUS)
Men’s Freeski: Luke Harrold (NZL)
Team Challengers
Women’s Snowboard: Sara Shimizu (JPN)
Men’s Snowboard: Ryusei Yamada (JPN)
Women’s Freeski: Mischa Thomas (NZL)
Men’s Freeski: Fin Melville Ives (NZL)
2026 TSL World Challenger Schedule
Friday, September 18
Open Athlete Halfpipe Practice: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm local time at Cardrona Alpine Resort
Mini-Pipe Challenge featuring Shaun White, Snow League athletes, local young skiers and riders: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm local time at Cardrona Alpine Resort
Saturday, September 19
The Snow League World Challenge: 9:30 am - 1:30 pm at Cardrona Alpine Resort
Awards Ceremony & Apres Set: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Base Area Plaza
