ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Ayumu Hirano headlines the roster of snowboarders who will compete in The Snow League, Shaun White’s new set of halfpipe contests that brings together top athletes to compete for $1.5 million in prize money.
Hirano won gold at the Beijing Games by completing a run that featured a risky triple cork jump that hadn’t been landed previously as part of a complete halfpipe run. White finished fourth in that contest — the last of a career that spanned five Olympics and included three gold medals of his own.
The 38-year-old envisions The Snow League as a way to unite action sports, which traditionally have run through scattered schedules that create difficulty in bringing together the best in the sport.
Others in the field include Americans Maddie Mastro and Lucas Foster, 2022 Olympic medalists Queralt Castellet and Sena Tomita, and Gaon Choi, who last year became the youngest Winter X Games halfpipe gold medalist at age 14.
Back-to-back Olympic champion Chloe Kim, who has supported White’s league, is not on the list of competitors.
White’s group has secured a deal with NBC and Peacock to televise and stream the league, which kicks off March 7-8 in Aspen.
Plans are to include freeskiing on the halfpipe for events beyond the debut, which have not yet been announced.
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