The Snow League Sets Bracket for World Challenge Event

The 2026-27 freestyle skiing and snowboarding competition season has finally arrived. 

The Snow League kicks off its second season September 18, with its inaugural World Challenge at the Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand. Yesterday, the League released the competition’s bracket, giving skiing and snowboarding fans a chance to see who their favorite riders will be competing against. There are definitely some heavy hitters.

• Related: The Snow League Renews Deal with NBC Sports for its Second Season

The bracket begins with the semi-finals round, with the winners moving on to the finals round. Each semi-final round will see Team Asia Pacific go up against Team Europe, and Team North America facing Team Challengers. Here are the match-ups:

Women’s Snowboard:

• Gaon Choi (Team Asia Pacific) vs. Queralt Castellet (Team Europe)
• Brooke D’Hondt (Team North America) vs. Sara Shimizu (Team Challengers)

Women’s Freeski:

• Indra Brown (Team Asia Pacific) vs. Kelly Sildaru (Team Europe)
• Amy Fraser (Team North America) vs. Mischa Thomas (Team Challengers)

Men’s Snowboard

• Cam Melville-Ives (Team Asia Pacific) vs. Jonas Hasler (Team Europe)
• Jake Pates (Team North America) vs. Ryusei Yamada (Team Challengers)

Men’s Freeski

• Luke Harrold (Team Asia Pacific) vs. Jon Sallinen (Team Europe)
• Hunter Hess (Team North America) vs. Fin Melville-Ives (Team Challengers)

The semi-finals round features some intense matchups between some of the best halfpipe skiers and snowboarders in the world. Team Asia Pacific snowboarder Gaon Choi will look to carry the momentum from her 2026 Winter Olympics halfpipe gold against the 2022 Olympic halfpipe silver medalist Queralt Castellet of Team Europe. Two-time Olympian Amy Fraser will face off against 2023 World Junior Championship bronze medalist Mischa Thomas. And rising American star Jake Pates will go head-to-head with 2026 Olympic bronze medalist Ryusei Yamada. Each matchup features two incredible riders, and scores are sure to be close.

The New Zealand World Challenge is unlike any of The Snow League’s season one events. Instead of competing individually, the 16 athletes were grouped into four regionally based teams by nationality. Each team has a male and female skier and snowboarder, and individual scores are counted towards their team score. The World Challenge is a halfpipe-only event, and the results will not affect the league’s individual regular season standings.

Alongside the team format, the World Challenge is adding another interesting twist: a spin cap. For the first time in Snow League competition, the World Challenge will feature a 720 spin cap, meaning any trick spinning over a 720 will be scored as a fall. While the spin cap will only apply to the event’s semi-finals, The Snow League hopes its new rule will encourage more creative runs, varied trick selection, and less “spin to win” rhetoric. The final round will remove the cap, and athletes can compete using whatever tricks they want.

• Related: The Snow League Introduces Spin Cap to World Challenge Event to Combat “Spin to Win” Criticism

Following the World Challenge, Snow League season two competitions will return to their normal rules. Athletes will compete individually, racking up points throughout the season. Traditional Snow League season two competition will begin on January 7 at Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, before taking to Park City, Utah, for the first time. Season two wraps up with the league’s final event in Laax, Switzerland, from March 11-13, where the league will crown its World Champions.

But before a champion is crowned, 16 athletes will compete this weekend at New Zealand’s Cardrona Alpine Resort for the World Challenge. Each semi-final matchup features incredible skiers and snowboarders, setting the stage for an intense finals round as the competition moves forward.

Fans can stream the World Challenge on The Snow League’s YouTube channel.