Shaun White’s Snow League Heads To New Zealand With A New Twist

The inaugural Snow League World Challenge will be held at Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand in September 2026. This event marks the first team-based competition in Shaun White’s snowboarding league, featuring four international teams representing four disciplines: male and female snowboarders, and male and female freeski athletes. The teams will accumulate points throughout the competition, with the highest-scoring team declared the World Challenge champion.

A unique rule change has been implemented: athletes are limited to a 720-degree spin cap during semifinal rounds. While competitors still demonstrate amplitude, style, grabs, rotations, and creativity, this format cap aims to reward the best all-around halfpipe rider rather than the one who can perform the most spins. This rule change was inspired by a concept proposed by Yuto Totsuka and Ryusei Yamada during the previous season.

Organizer Hunter Hess explains that the spin cap prevents the competition from becoming overly confusing for viewers and allows them to appreciate the best result for the competitors. Freeskier Jake Pates notes that the format change is long-awaited, as snowboarding viewers have been struggling to understand the scoring system due to the increasing difficulty of tricks. Pates, who returned to competition after a four-year hiatus, is focused on mastering rotations and inversions in training, given the new rule.

The athlete-requested format change also impacts athletes' strategies. Competitors no longer compete purely against themselves, but also against their opponents. U.S. freeski halfpipe team member Jake Pates emphasizes that while individual performance remains crucial, being aware of opponents' runs and potentially gaining an advantage from their performances becomes essential.

New Zealand will be particularly well represented in the Snow League World Challenge, with Team Asia-Pacific featuring snowboarder Cam Melville Ives and freeski athlete Luke Harrold, along with Team Challengers, which includes freeskiers Mischa Thomas and Fin Melville Ives. Established international names like Canadian snowboarder Brooke D’Hondt, Spanish Olympian Queralt Castellet, Estonian freeski star Kelly Sildaru, and Korean snowboarder Gaon Choi will also compete at the event.

A Teamwork Challenge will take place in Wānaka on September 17, influencing the competition bracket for the World Challenge tournament on September 18.