Featured Image: Matt Power, X Games | Skier: Kirsty Muir
It's been a wild ride for the X Games over the last few years. With CEO Jeremy Bloom launching everything from AI judging to logo rebrands, increased prize pools to a brand new competition league, we never know what's around the corner. The new Moonpay X Games League (XGL) just began its inaugural Summer Season, and no sooner will winter be here. Ahead of XGL's winter debut, the program announced the addition of a new club.
The new club, dubbed XC Golden State, will represent Northern California, specifically the Bay Area through Lake Tahoe. The club was sold to a Bay Area investment group led by entrepreneur and investor Jonathan Turner.
Bloom was vocally excited about the deal, stating, "Northern California has helped shape action sports for generations... few regions have had a greater influence on the athletes, brands, and culture that define our industry today. We’re thrilled to welcome Jonathan and the entire Golden State ownership group as we continue building the future of the X Games League."
The new club, XC Golden State, will compete in the first XGL Winter Season in 2027
The new club, XC Golden State, will compete in the first XGL Winter Season in 2027
MoonPay XGL is a new creation from Bloom and crew. Spanning the entire year, the idea was to create a year-round, team-based competition circuit that pushes athletes while giving them a larger prize purse, more exposure and teammates to lean on. At the same time, fans now have a regional club they can root for in the world of action sports. XGL is divided into four summer clubs and four winter clubs. "Athletes compete in a structured season and team-based format, allowing for season-long storylines and deeper athlete-fan engagement across broadcast, streaming, live events, and digital platforms," the official X Games press release explains.
Clubs draft players, set salaries, and will ultimately serve as traditional "teams" for people to follow, while still giving individual athletes the chance to shine. It's an interesting recipe, and one that's never been fully tried in freeskiing. The concept is intriguing, but in sports like ours, where creativity and individuality are key, it begs the question of whether or not those attributes will be subdued.
There are compelling arguments on both sides, with proponents arguing league formats will lead to more exposure and better, well-deserved athlete compensation. On the flip side, there's hesitation amongst the freeski community, noting that perhaps formats like these will overshadow individual freedom and draw resources away from those involved in smaller, community-driven events. The broader discussion comes hot off the announcement that freeride skiing will be introduced in the 2030 Olympics.
Click HERE to read FREESKIER's discussion with the legendary Mike Douglas regarding the future of freeride.
The first-ever XGL Winter Season will debut in 2027, with the Winter Draft taking place this September in Los Angeles. You can expect to see X Games returning to Aspen for the coming seasons, as the companies struck a three-year partnership in June of this year. As for who will be representing each club this season, we'll have to wait and see.
