NEW YORK, NY - (August 11, 2026) - The Snow League is gearing up to bring the world's top halfpipe snowboarders and freeskiers to Cardrona Alpine Resort, New Zealand this September, with an elite international field headlined by a strong contingent of New Zealand athletes competing on their home snow.
Season Two will begin with the inaugural Snow League World Challenge at Cardrona, a first-of-its-kind international event which will bring together top halfpipe athletes from around the world.
The event will feature 16 Snow League athletes representing four teams: Team North America, Team Europe, Team Asia-Pacific, and Team Challengers - emerging next-generation talent from multiple regions - with each team represented by one male and female snowboarder, alongside one male and female freeski athlete.
This first-ever, team-based format highlights the global depth of snowboarding and freeskiing while creating a new competitive dynamic separate from the league’s individual season standings. Teams will compete across men's and women's snowboard and freeski disciplines in a fast-paced head-to-head format. The unique competition features creative semifinal rounds with a 720-degree spin cap before opening the finals to full progression, with team points accumulated to crown the inaugural Snow League World Challenge champions. In addition, there will also be a new one-hit tiebreaker rule, meaning that if a head to head is pushed into a third run, it will be settled by just a single hit as opposed to another full run.
The international roster spans four teams representing North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Challengers, bringing together Olympians, World Cup competitors and rising stars from across the globe.
Athlete Lineup
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)
Schedule of Events
Fans are invited to experience The Snow League action throughout the weekend, with opportunities to watch athletes train, participate in fan experiences and witness world-class competition:
Friday, Sept. 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, Sept. 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
For more information head over to The Snow League's website here