Shaun White announced his newest investment into the world of winter sports with the launch of The Snow League, the first ever professional league dedicated to snowboard and freeskiing halfpipe.
The first season of the league will put 36 top snowboard halfpipe athletes in competition against one another, all vying to become the world champion. Season 1 is set to get started in March of 2025, with a $1.5 million prize purse up for grabs by competitors over 5 competitive events. Freeskiing is expected to be introduced half way through the first season, and additional disciplines could be added as time goes on.
According to Forbes, the first event will take place in the United States, with the following four taking place around the world. The last event of the season is expected to be hosted after the 2026 Winter Olympics.
20 men and 16 women, chosen by the World Snowboard Points List, will compete in each event, accumulating points towards an overall world champion title. Each event will be three days, one training day, one qualifying day, and one championship day.
All athletes will compete in a four-heat, best-of-two run format qualifier competition, with the top eight men and women moving on to the championship. The championship will put athletes in a head-to-head bracket competition, with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
The $1.5 million prize purse will be distributed over all five events and to the top finishers over the league’s entire season. Every athlete who qualifies for the competition gets paid, no matter how well they do in competition.
