Category: News

Sena Tomita (JPN) and Yuto Totsuka (JPN) made history by winning The Snow League’s inaugural event at Buttermilk at Aspen Snowmass (March 7-8, 2025) in the women’s and men’s snowboarding halfpipe competition. Each earned a first-place prize of $50,000 out of a total prize purse of $370,000 for the event. Tomita and Totsuka took the lead in the Snow League World Championship Standings, claiming 100 points each, with three events remaining in Season One.

 

The Snow League founder, Shaun White, reveled in seeing his vision come to life. White, who was on stage with the athletes to present the inaugural Snow League trophies, designed by Tiffany & Co., said, “I’ve never been so excited for a competition. There was so much drama, so much excitement,” he beamed. “I don’t know when I’ve been this excited for a competition—as a spectator watching the sport I love, it’s been so amazing to see.”

The first event at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colorado showcased a completely reimagined halfpipe finals format with eight men and eight women athletes pitted in head-to-head battles.

 

The women’s final saw a dramatic back-and-forth contest between the top athlete from qualifying, Maddie Mastro (USA) and Tomita. Each claimed a winning run in the best of three run format—first Tomita and then Mastro. This led to a third and final run, where Tomita rose to the challenge, overtaking Mastro by a mere 0.5 points to win. Tomita’s final run saw her throw a huge 12-foot frontside 1080 tailgrab, into a switch frontside 720, linking up a pair of 540s, finishing strong with a frontside 900 melon grab, and a final Method.

 

 

Speaking through a Japanese translator, Tomita shared, “I’m so happy to win the inaugural Snow League event—this feels like the start of something big!” When asked what the victory meant to her, she said, “It’s hard to put into words, but this is so awesome!” The 25-year-old was emotional, revealing that it had been a challenging season leading up to the event. Despite the nerves, she delivered when it mattered, claiming the win in front of a cheering crowd in Aspen.

 

 

In the third-place matchup, it was 16-year-old Gaon Choi (KOR) claiming the win—Choi had shown a fierce competitiveness earlier in the day, going back-and-forth with Tomita in the semifinals before falling to her in the third run. In her head-to-head battle with Mitsuki Ono (JPN), Choi won both of the first two runs to take third place, with Ono finishing in fourth.

 

 

In the men’s semifinals, a showdown of a trio of Japanese stars and a rising American battled it out for the top spots on the podium. Ayumu Hirano (JPN), the top qualifier coming into the finals, was relegated to the third-place matchup after losing an exciting semifinal battle against Totsuka. In the other semifinal, 16-year-old Alessandro Barbieri (USA) lost out to Ruka Hirano (JPN), with the Japanese star winning the first two runs to claim victory.

 

The final featured Totsuka (JPN) going against Ruka Hirano in a matchup that saw both athletes put down immaculate first runs, with Totsuka edging out Hirano. It was in the second run that Totsuka soundly defeated Hirano, posting the highest men’s run score of the day at 96.5. Totsuka dropped in on the right side, firing into a nearly 13-foot switch backside double cork 1080 Japan, into a backside 900 mute, and linking up back-to-back 1440s, going frontside triple cork 1440 Indy into a switch frontside triple cork 1440 Indy that had the crowd go wild.

 

Speaking in his native Japanese, Totsuka said through an interpreter, “To win [the Snow League] in these conditions was incredible.” When asked what it was like to be the winner of the first-ever Snow League event, Totsuka said it was an incredible feeling, and the fact that the legend, Shaun White, had created this event and to be able to win it was so much fun.

 

 

Ayumu Hirano faced the young Team USA athlete Alessandro Barbieri in the third-place matchup, who, in a valiant attempt to beat Hirano, put together a run that he had never stomped before. Barbieri said, “Just landing that run was enough for me to throw everything [he threw his helmet and snowboard in excitement]. Even if I didn’t win the round, I was still buzzing from it.” Hirano answered back to beat Barbieri in both runs to take third place on the podium.

 

 

Beyond the prestige of a podium finish, the Snow League Finals Day presented athletes with a high-stakes opportunity to earn a share of the groundbreaking $1.6 million purse spread across the four snowboarding events. Competitors vied not only for the inaugural Snow League title and critical World Championship Standings points but also a share of the $370,000 prize purse in Aspen, divided equally between genders.

 

Men and women’s podium finishers earned $50,000 for first, $20,000 for second, and $10,000 for third. All finalists earn prize money, with $5,000 for fourth and $2,500 each for fifth through eighth. Additionally, each of the 36 athletes receives a $5,000 appearance fee, further reflecting The Snow League’s commitment to advancing snowboarding competition.

 

 

The first event of The Snow League in Aspen Snowmass set the bar for the remainder of a groundbreaking first season of competition. Up next will be Event Two at Yunding Secret Garden in China, to be held December 4–6, 2025. The stars of snowboarding will face off again to earn points and challenge for the top spot in the Snow League World Championship Standings. Additionally, freeskiing will make its debut as the ski athletes are set to join the snowboarders in China, as the future of winter sports competition expands to a new discipline.

 

Fans can enjoy on-demand replays of the inaugural Snow League event in Aspen available on Peacock and are also invited to watch the Encore Presentation of Event One of The Snow League on the NBC network in the United States on Saturday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m. ET and on Warner Bros. Discovery’s linear channels in Europe on Tuesday, March 25, at 8:00 p.m. CET.

 

About The Snow League: Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist and entrepreneur Shaun White, Season One features a four-event global format boasting a $1.6 million prize purse, with athletes competing to earn points to determine the overall champions. The season kicks off at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass (March 7–8, 2025) and then moves to Yunding Secret Garden, China (Dec. 4–6, 2025), where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers will join the roster at the Beijing 2022 Olympic venue. The League returns to Aspen (Feb. 26–28, 2026) and concludes at LAAX, Switzerland (March 19–21, 2026), where the first-ever Snow League World Champions will be crowned.

 

Photo-Credits: (c) Blotto, Dasha Nosova, Adam Moran for Snow League

Happy faces at the 3rd Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY tour stop on 8th and 9th of March 2025 at PenkenPark Mountopolis – Mayrhofen-Hippach in the Zillertal

 

The third Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY tour stop hosted by Blue Tomato went down with bluebird and sunshineat PenkenPark Mountopolis in the Mayrhofen-Hippach holiday region on 8th and 9th of March 2025.

 

With its unique combination of international snowboard slopestyle competitions, free freestyle coachings and the popular Blue Tomato presents: Penken FunCross Battle, the Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY, one of the leading snowboard freestyle junior tours, attracted many young snowboarders from all over Europe to travel to the Zillertal for the twelfth time in a row. Watch the highlight video here.

 

For the 3rd VÄLLEY RÄLLEY tour stop, the PenkenPark, on of the top 5 snowparks in Europe and ‘home park’ of the Ästhetiker snowboard crew, presented itself as always with its perfectly prepared XXL setup in the sun. On Saturday, the open slopestyle contest was held with over fifty snowboarders between the ages of 4 and 25 on the ‘Advanced and Medium Line’. In perfect conditions. Participants from all over Europe put on a top-class freestyle show. To the delight of all athletes and spectators, Blue Tomato offered free hot dogs, drinks and snacks in the Riders Lounge right next to the snowpark.

 

 

The top winners of the day were Oliver Šťastný and Anna Tomanova from the Czech team. Both won the gold medal in the rookies age group (U18) with a strong performance. They also both secured overall victory as the best participants in the competition in the men’s and women’s open class. Arnor Thoroddsson from Iceland caused a stir with his stylish ‘FS Double Cork 1080 Indy’ and saved himself the highly coveted Horsefeathers Best Trick Award as well as the silver medal in the open men’s category. In the grom girls class (U16), Olivie Pouchova (CZE) was delighted to take first place and also took home the silver medal in the overall standings.

 

In the grom boys (U16), Leo Schab from Team Germany was delighted with his comeback from injury and rode straight to first place. 10-year-old Riley Sharpe from Team Great Britain defended his gold medal in the super grom Boys class (U12) from last year unchallenged, while another 10-year-old, Klaudie Pouchova from the Czech Republic, claimed the top spot on the super grom girls podium. Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY newcomer Finn Wallis from the British team (WhyAintYou) was crowned ‘Most progressive Grom’ by the aesthetes.

 

On Sunday, the programme continued with free freestyle coaching sessions, where everyone could take part. Shortly before midday, the starting signal was given for the Blue Tomato presents: PenkenFunCross Battle. Over fifty snowboarders had registered for the fun competition, which was held on the FunCross race track atPenkenPark. Two snowboarders competed against each other in a knockout system. The faster one advanced to the next round and so it went on until victory. The organisers of the Ästhetiker Snowboard Crew were also keen to take part, and managing director and Välley Rälley production manager Rudi Kröll was delighted to take first place in the men’s open class. Luca Webster (GBR) was the fastest of the ladies. Aris Kyriazis (GER) won the FunCross Battle in the U18 class, Kanoa Steidle came first in the U12 age group and Olivie Pouchova (CZE) was happy with her first place in the girls’ under-16 category. Blue Tomato rewarded all the winners with packed goodie bags and there were many happy faces at the end of another successful VÄLLEY RÄLLEY tour stop.

 

Andreas Pramstraller from Mayrhofner Bergbahnen is delighted with a successful tour stop: ‘So many motivated starters from all over Europe show that the Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY is still one of the most popular snowboard tours for young snowboarders in the Alps. Thanks to the passion for snowboarding and the experience of the Ästhetiker crew, it becomes more special every year. The third tour stop in Mayrhofen in the perfectly shaped PenkenPark offered action, airtime and plenty of fun. A special highlight was the Penken FunCross Battle on our newly built FunCross,track, where young and old competed for the best time. We’re already looking forward to next year!’

 

 

With the third of four contest results, the cards in the VÄLLEY RÄLLEY Overall Ranking were reshuffled in Mayrhofen. The VÄLLEY RÄLLEY overall tour winners will finally be crowned the new Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY Royal Family 2025 after the fourth and final tour stop on the 3rd and 4th of May 2025 on Hintertux Glacier.

 

By participating in the Mayrhofen-Hippach holiday region, the snowboarders collected valuable points on theinternational World Snowboard Point List (WSPL), which they can use to qualify for European Cups and World Cups. Rookies (U18) are credited points in the World Rookie Ranking. As the current leading rookies in the VÄLLEY RÄLLEY overall ranking after the 3rd tour stop, Kristina Holzfeind (AUT) and Oliver Šťastný (CZE) each win a wildcard for the World Rookie Finals from 23th to 28th of March in Kaprun. Congratulations! The tour stop is also a recognised ASA (Austrian Snowboard Association) Austriacup.

 

All results, tour ranking, photo & video gallery: https://valleyralley.at/

 

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zillertalvalleyralley

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zillertal_valley_ralley

 

 

Photo-Credit: (c) Gustav Hersmann

Recap Absolut Park Spring Battle & FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau 2025 – March 09^th – 14^th, 2025, Shuttleberg Flachauwinkl/Kleinarl (Austria)

 

“It was a really big week”. The Spring Battle 2025 Slopestyle Awards go to Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL) and Liam Brearley (CAN).

 

Two ideologies should come together: The declared mission was to complement the independent elite snowboard competition, which has existed since 2002, with a FIS Snowboard World Cup. The Spring Battle Award Show marked the culmination of a week of high-level freestyle action in Absolut Park. Zoi Sadowski Synnott from New Zealand and Canadian Liam Brearley made the most of the innovative format, winning the Spring Battle with the best slopestyle runs ever performed. Local hero Anna Gasser took third place in slopestyle and also won the Best Rail Trick. It turned out that Spring Battle 2025 awarded the most WSPL points given in a competition in recent years.

 

“What’s important is that the freedom, flexibility, and innovation we have at Absolut Park and at the Spring Battle are preserved as much as possible. That was the premise for the whole project, and we saw that it works,” summarizes Absolut Park founder Seppi Harml. Even in spring weather, the first part of an intense week at Absolut Park was the Spring Battle. Without a thick rulebook, 100 men and 60 women had four competition days to film their best slopestyle run on video. Filmed with follow cams and high-speed drones, the format enabled freestyle snowboarding at the highest level. The demand for absolute perfection was the driving force for the riders, but it also showed the special challenges: “The Spring Battle is really cool, it’s something different, and you can be more creative. At the same time, it’s not that easy, to be honest, because you’re aiming for perfection and performing at the highest level for four days, constantly trying to improve the run. So it’s also a different kind of stress compared to traditional competitions, where you have to perform in a short time. Here, you’re trying to get the best out of your run for four days,” explains Anna Gasser.

 

 

Zoi Sadowski Synnott is also thrilled with the Spring Battle format: “The format is really sick, it’s different compared to the World Cup or X-Games. It took a while to get it going and I knew some of the other girls had already landed some runs. So once I landed, I was pretty hyped. It’s on your terms and you kind of just go how you’re feeling on that day and kind of give it your best, when you are ready, which is super sick.”

 

And how the 24-year-old New Zealander gave her best: With a Frontside Bluntslide 450 on the High Rail, Cab on to Flip off the Cannon Rail, followed by a Frontside 1080 and Backside 1260 to finish off over the two kickers, Zoi Sadowski Synnott clearly won the women’s slopestyle ranking ahead of Mari Fukada (JPN) and Austria’s Anna Gasser. She also now leads the overall snowboard world ranking WSPL with a perfect score of 1000 points.

 

 

The men’s field was also filled with top riders, with 100 participants, including Olympic champions Red Gerard (USA) and Yiming Su (CHN), 24-time X-Games medalist Mark McMorris and his Canadian colleagues Liam Brearley and Cameron Spalding, as well as the strong Japanese team with Taiga Hasegawa and Hiroto Ogiwara. Nobody wanted to miss the spectacle.

 

Liam Brearley landed his submitted run on the second last day and said: “It’s super sick, you have multiple days to film the line, so everyone comes into the contest thinking they have so much time to film a line. You know, it’s pretty chill, and then it ends up being pretty intense trying to get that line. Super sick to see all the creative and different lines go down. It’s an amazing contest and you are having fun riding with everyone, that’s the best part.”

 

With a 270 to 5-0 Stall on the Wallride, a Backside 180 on to the Cannon Rail with a Cab 7 off, followed by a Switch Backside 1440 double grab and a Cab 1800 on the kickers, 22-year-old Liam Brearley showed the hardest run in the Spring Battle setup and took the win. In addition, the Canadian took the lead in the WSPL ranking. Dane Menzies from New Zealand placed second, ahead of Norwegian Oyvind Kirkhus.

 

 

Not only was there the slopestyle competition, but the Spring Battle Best Rail Trick was also held at the custom-built setup right in front of the Chill House. Many of the riders took the opportunity and tried their skills on the rails after their slopestyle runs, while others focused only on that. Both snowboarders and freeskier were judged. Anna Gasser managed a perfect Switch Lipslide Transfer 270 on her first attempt, winning her the title ahead of Paula Benito (ESP) and Laura Zaveska (CZE). “Winning the rail trick is definitely the highlight of the week for me. A lot of people don’t really see me as a rail rider. It’s cool to be up there with the best,” Anna said about her somewhat unexpected success. In the men’s snowboard category, Petr Ershov (RUS) won closely followed by local hero Clemens Millauer.

 

 

During the week at Absolut Park, not only did two snowboard worlds collide, but the weather couldn’t have been more different. After spring during the Spring Battle, winter returned for the FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau. Snowfall and poor visibility made it impossible to hold the men’s contest, so there was a final result only for the women’s competition. Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL) struck again and won the World Cup ahead of Annika Morgan (GER) and Mari Fukada (JPN).

 

The Spring Battle Award Show on Friday evening seamlessly transitioned into the afterparty at the new Dips&Drops Sports Hotel in Flachau, where the beats of scene DJ Stylewarz played throughout the night. 

 

The Spring Battle 2025 is now history, but the 25-year success story of Absolut Park in Flachauwinkl is far from over. To see all the runs and tricks in detail again, it’s best to check out the replay of the Spring Battle Award Show on the Absolut Park YouTube channel.

 

More information and full results: www.absolutpark.com.

 

 

Photo-Credits: Markus Rohrbacher – Absolut Park, Markus Fischer – Absolut Park

The inaugural season spans three continents and takes place in world-class winter sports resorts during 2025-26: Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, USA; LAAX, Switzerland; and Yunding Secret Garden, China.

 

The Snow League, the first professional winter sports league dedicated exclusively to snowboarding and freeskiing, has officially announced the schedule and locations for its debut global contest series. Founded in June 2024 by three-time Olympic halfpipe champion Shaun White, the league aims to redefine competitive winter sports in these iconic ski resorts across three continents.

 

On March 7-8, 2025, 36 world-class halfpipe snowboarders will inaugurate the league at Aspen Snowmass Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, USA. The next stop takes place on December 4-6, 2025, at Yunding Secret Garden, China, the site of the 2022 Olympics, where 16 of the world’s top freeski athletes will join the competition for the remainder of the inaugural season.

 

After the 2026 Winter Olympics, the league will return to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen from February 26-28, 2026. The season will culminate in the iconic LAAX Halfpipe in Switzerland from March 19-21, 2026, where the first-ever Snow League World Champions will be crowned.

 

Reto Gurtner, Chairman of LAAX, stated: “Innovation and progress are deeply rooted in LAAX’s DNA—both in snowboarding and in how we celebrate and develop freestyle sports and their communities. We are excited to host The Snow League and continue pushing the boundaries together.”

 

 

Shaun White, founder of The Snow League and three-time Olympic halfpipe champion, added: “The Snow League brings to life the kind of global competition format I could only dream of during my career. We’ve assembled the best athletes, and now we are delivering on our promise to hold world-class events in elite resorts. Each stop has been carefully selected to meet the needs of the riders. As for the halfpipes, I’ve had the personal pleasure of riding in all of them over the years.”

 

Sandy Macdonald, Sports Director, emphasized the world-class caliber of these venues: “A true world champion deserves a championship-worthy stage. These resorts feature the best halfpipes in the world, built by the industry’s top shapers. Their commitment to maintaining competition-ready, state-of-the-art facilities sets the standard for excellence—exactly what The Snow League demands.”

 

 

With a record-breaking prize pool of $1.6 million, The Snow League is setting new benchmarks for professional snowboarding and freeskiing competitions. Each event will award $370,000 to the competitors, including a $5,000 participation fee for every athlete, plus an additional $160,000 for The Snow League World Champions.

 

Athletes will earn points at each event based on their contest results. At the end of the season, these points will determine The Snow League World Champions in halfpipe snowboarding and freeskiing.

 

The Snow League Events – Inaugural Season:

Event 1: March 7-8, 2025
Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, USA
Discipline: Snowboard Halfpipe

Event 2: December 4-6, 2025
Yunding Secret Garden, China
Disciplines: Snowboard and Freeski Halfpipe

Event 3: February 26-28, 2026
Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, USA
Disciplines: Snowboard and Freeski Halfpipe

Event 4: March 19-21, 2026
LAAX, Switzerland
Disciplines: Snowboard and Freeski Halfpipe

 

About The Snow League

Founded in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated exclusively to snowboarding and freeskiing. Established by three-time Olympic halfpipe champion and entrepreneur Shaun White, the league’s inaugural season features a global competition format with four events. The debut event takes place on March 7-8, 2025, at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, followed by stops at premier winter sports destinations worldwide. In its first season, all four events will feature men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe competitions. Starting from the second event in late 2025, freeski halfpipe will be introduced and remain an integral part of the league. Athletes accumulate points at each event, with the highest scorers being crowned The Snow League World Champions at the end of the season.

 

For more information, visit www.thesnowleague.com and follow The Snow League on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

 

#TheSnowLeague

 

Photo-Credit: (c) Ruggli, Stadler

 

All eyes are now on the PenkenPark in Mayrhofen. This is where the 3rd Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY Tourstop hosted by Blue Tomato will take place on 8 and 9 March 2025. With a unique combination of international snowboard slopestyle competitions, coaching sessions and side events, the VÄLLEY RÄLLEY is one of the leading junior series for young snowboarders from all over Europe. A special highlight on Sessions Day is the Blue Tomato presents: Penken FunCross Battle, where everyone can get involved. Registration for the contest and coaching sessions is now open at https://valleyralley.at/.

 

The PenkenPark in Mayrhofen is the ‘home park’ of the Ästhetiker Snowboard Crew. As one of the most popular freestyle parks in the Zillertal, it is also one of the top 5 snow parks in Europe. At the 3rd Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY tour stop, the programme includes the open snowboard slopestyle competition as well as many side events. On contest day, snowboarders of all ages will be competing on the advanced and medium line. Plenty of medals and prize money await the day’s winners. The best trick will also be rewarded with a prize from Horsefeathers.

 

 

Depending on weather conditions, the competition will take place on Saturday or Sunday, with coaching and Penken FunCross Battle on the other day. The Ästhetiker crew will announce the final schedule by Thursday before the event. On both days, Blue Tomato will be catering for the well-being of all participants in the Riders Lounge with free hot dogs, snacks and drinks. With the third of four contest results, the tension in the VÄLLEY RÄLLEY Overall Ranking will finally rise in Mayrhofen. The overall tour winners will be crowned the new Zillertal VÄLLEY RÄLLEY royal family after the fourth and final tour stop at Hintertux Glacier in the beginning of May. By participating in the Mayrhofen-Hippach holiday region, snowboarders will collect valuable points on the international World Snowboard Point List (WSPL) to qualify for European Cups and World Cups. The tour stop is a recognised ASA (Austrian Snowboard Association) Austria Cup and rookies (U18) are credited points in the World Rookie Ranking. The two leading rookies in the Overall VÄLLEY RÄLLEY Ranking each win a WildCard for the World Rookie Finals.

 

Further information on the international points system can be found at http://www.powdern.com.

More about the event: https://valleyralley.at/

 

 

Photo-Credit: (c) Gustav Hersmann