Featured Picture: Matt Energy
The Winter X Video games and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have introduced a partnership that can construct off the most important occasions within the sport. That is the most recent in a sequence of bulletins which have shaken up the competitors scene within the broad world of freeskiing. To be particular, there was extra change in freestyle competitors in the previous couple of weeks than in the previous couple of years. We’ve seen the announcement of X Video games League, a brand new year-round, cross-discipline competitors format coming in 2026. Then Shaun White debuted the idea of the Snow League, a halfpipe competitors circuit that can embrace freeskiing and snowboarding.
Occasions such because the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, Revolution Tour and extra are all in for a revamp. There’s lots to unpack right here, so we’ll break it down for you.
The brand new collaboration, titled The Winter X Video games Sequence, will carry collectively beforehand established competitions to construct one thing new. The Winter X Video games Sequence will embrace the U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Cup occasions, the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Massive Air offered by Toyota, alongside the Winter X Video games. There’ll nonetheless be an array of invited athletes however with new caveats.
Winners of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Massive Air occasions will obtain assured invites to the Winter X Video games Sequence. If the winner has already acquired invites, the subsequent podium place will probably be invited. The brand new Winter X Video games Sequence can even be geared towards youthful riders, giving them extra methods to pursue competitors and a steady earnings and profession path in skilled freeskiing.
“Moreover, the subsequent era of the nation’s finest freeskiers and snowboarders could have the chance to rise to the X Video games primarily based on outcomes from the Revolution Tour, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s growth sequence, which can even be co-branded with X Video games,” reads the press launch from U.S. Ski and Snowboard, issued on June twenty seventh. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard and X Video games can even collaborate on the calendar and occasions, together with including X Video games-specific disciplines like knuckle huck and avenue fashion to the U.S. World Cup weekends, which already embrace FIS-level halfpipe, slopestyle and large air.”
There are nonetheless inquiries to be answered, and no precise schedule or places for winter 24/25 have been introduced, however that is an thrilling step for all within the broad world of snowboarding. Sustainable monetary paths for athletes are a win for everybody, because it’s time they see their fair proportion of the income that our sport brings in. The Winter X Video games Sequence will look to carry freestyle snowboarding to the mainstream, and we are able to hope that this strikes the game ahead and brings cash to those that deserve it. And as followers, we get to have fun too. Final 12 months’s Winter X Video games featured a few of the finest motion but, with new additions like SLVSH and Girls’s Knuckle Huck being celebrated.
“Collaborating with X Video games is an thrilling step ahead in our mission to offer extra world class aggressive alternatives for freeskiers and snowboarders. With the current bulletins from X Video games concerning their growth to incorporate extra occasions in varied places and Shaun White’s Snow League, these sports activities have unmistakable momentum available in the market and we’re enthusiastic to work collectively to see them develop.” – Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO
“As we construct towards the X Video games League format, this partnership will permit us to ship on the promise of extra world class competitions and a extra constant schedule for the athletes. Working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard will guarantee we assist and develop the athlete pipeline, which can profit the complete business.” – Scott Guglielmino, X Video games President and COO
