Hunter Hess will headline Team North America at the inaugural Snow League World Challenge, bringing an elite field of snowboard and freeski halfpipe athletes to Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand on September 19.
The event will feature 16 athletes divided among four teams: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Challengers, with each team consisting of one men’s and women’s snowboarder and one men’s and women’s freeski athlete.
Hess will be joined on Team North America by fellow Americans Jake Pates in men’s snowboard, while Canada’s Brooke D’Hondt and Amy Fraser will represent the team in women’s snowboard and freeski, respectively.
The international field includes some of the biggest names in halfpipe competition, including Estonian freeski star Kelly Sildaru, Spanish snowboarder Queralt Castellet, Finnish freeski athlete Jon Sallinen, and New Zealand snowboarders Cam Melville Ives and Fin Melville Ives.
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A New Team Competition
The Snow League World Challenge will introduce a team-based format separate from the league’s individual season standings. The four teams will compete across men’s and women’s snowboard and freeski in a head-to-head format. Semifinal rounds will feature a 720-degree spin cap, before athletes have full progression available in the finals. Team points accumulated throughout the competition will determine the inaugural World Challenge champion.
The competition is part of The Snow League’s preseason and will take place during a larger week of events across Queenstown, Wānaka and Cardrona.
Competition begins Thursday, September 17, with the Teamwork Challenge presented by Ares at Treble Cone in Wānaka. Athletes will create their own mountain footage before presenting their entries at a draw ceremony at Rippon Vineyard.
On Friday, September 18, Cardrona will host open halfpipe practice from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a Mini-Pipe Challenge featuring Shaun White, Snow League athletes and local young skiers and snowboarders.
The main event takes place Saturday, September 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time at Cardrona’s 22-foot halfpipe. An awards ceremony and après event will follow at the resort’s Base Area Plaza.
Full Athlete Field
Team North America
- Women’s Snowboard: Brooke D’Hondt (CAN)
- Men’s Snowboard: Jake Pates (USA)
- Women’s Freeski: Amy Fraser (CAN)
- Men’s Freeski: Hunter Hess (USA)
Team Europe
- Women’s Snowboard: Queralt Castellet (ESP)
- Men’s Snowboard: Jonas Hasler (SUI)
- Women’s Freeski: Kelly Sildaru (EST)
- Men’s Freeski: Jon Sallinen (FIN)
Team Asia-Pacific
- Women’s Snowboard: Gaon Choi (KOR)
- Men’s Snowboard: Cam Melville Ives (NZL)
- Women’s Freeski: Indra Brown (AUS)
- Men’s Freeski: Luke Harrold (NZL)
Team Challengers
- Women’s Snowboard: Sara Shimizu (JPN)
- Men’s Snowboard: Ryusei Yamada (JPN)
- Women’s Freeski: Mischa Thomas (NZL)
- Men’s Freeski: Fin Melville Ives (NZL)
Watch the World Challenge
The Snow League World Challenge will stream live on The Snow League’s YouTube channel on Friday, September 18, at 5:30 p.m. ET, corresponding to Saturday morning in New Zealand.
The event will serve as the preseason competition ahead of The Snow League’s second regular season.
The regular season will begin at Buttermilk at Aspen Snowmass from January 7-9, 2027, before moving to Park City Mountain from January 21-23 and concluding at Laax, Switzerland, from March 11-13.
The Snow League was founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and held its inaugural season in 2026. The league’s first champions were snowboarders Sena Tomita and Yuto Totsuka, and freeskiers Eileen Gu and Luke Harrold.
