By Jen Murphy
Photography Courtesy the Snow League
The most decorated snowboarder of all time, Shaun White has unrivaled bona fides: Over the course of his career, the superstar athlete has racked up three Olympic gold medals and 21 podium finishes at the X Games. But his legacy consists of more than a medal count and the dizzying half-pipe tricks he pioneered. With last winter’s launch of the Snow League, he’s ensuring a whole new future for his sport.
The first competitive federation for snowboarders, the Snow League gives athletes a world title to chase for the first time. Like alpine skiing, it comes with serious podium money: A total prize purse of $2.2 million—the highest ever in snowboarding—was offered during the inaugural season. The four-event series kicked off at Buttermilk in March 2025, and travels to Asia and Europe with a return stop in Aspen February 27–28, 2026, with a two-day half-pipe competition featuring some of the sport’s biggest names and rising stars.
It’s a consequential—and long-overdue—new chapter for snowboarding, says White. “Hosting two events in Aspen this first season feels like the perfect way to set the tone for what the Snow League is all about,” he says. “We are giving the athletes the chance to push their limits on one of the most iconic mountains in the world, and they feed off the energy Aspen always delivers.”
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