We don’t know a lot about The Snow League, the newest competitive ski and snowboard league started by Olympic legend Shaun White, but we do know one thing: Tickets go on sale December 18. The announcement – albeit, a subtle one – was made on social media before the weekend. The Snow League will debut at Aspen, Colorado’s Buttermilk Resort on March 7 and 8, 2025. The first event of the season will only include snowboarders, and halfpipe will be the only event. Freeskiing will debut at the league’s second event in late 2025.
There will be four total events around the world in the first season with further dates and locations to be announced. There will be a prize purse of $1.5 million, and men and women’s competitors are set to earn equal prize money.
One of the draws of White’s league is a fresh new format. The focus will be on both head-to-head matchups and a season-long points system, and each competition will build toward crowning the first Snow League champion.
It’s a step away from the traditional world of contest snowboarding, which has to this point, been governed by the Federation of International Skiing. For years, riders in the contest circuit have lamented that snowboarding is considered second-rate to the folks in charge of things at FIS. Olympians Sean FitzSimons and Red Gerard discussed the disconnect on the latest episode of The Bomb Hole podcast.
“There's ski racing part of the FIS and then snowboarding that's doing really well, it’s just like eight steps below they just don't really care about it you know it's just such old money over there at FIS,” Gerard said.
“It sometimes feels like ‘we’ve got to do this because the Olympics exist,” FitzSimons added. “I think with these contests coming out, you're putting a lot of pressure on FIS to make it actually sick, and to make it something that people will want to view, and make it viewable. I mean that's been the problem and I think that's the biggest problem right there.”
One thing we do know is where viewers will be able to watch The Snow League. Not only will fans get to see some of the best riders hit the halfpipe in person in Aspen, but they will be able to watch all four of the league’s events on Peacock with encore presentations on NBC. The lack of streaming capabilities has been wildly frustrating in the world of snowboarding. Even the family members of riders struggle to watch competitions live, Gerard said on The Bomb Hole.
“Shaun White is a true icon and his vision for The Snow League has us excited for this next evolution in our long-time partnership,” NBC’s Joe Gesue said in a press release. “This innovative new venture will showcase top snowboarding and freeskiing athletes at iconic venues around the world, giving world-class competitors a much-deserved spotlight and help us all build momentum heading into what promises to be a magical 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.”
Ссылка на источник: https://www.snowboarder.com/news/tickets-snow-league-aspen-shaun-white