Featured Image: Matt Power
The Winter X Games and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have announced a partnership that will build off the biggest events in the sport. This is the latest in a series of announcements that have shaken up the competition scene in the wide world of freeskiing. To be specific, there has been more change in freestyle competition in the last few weeks than in the previous few years. We’ve seen the announcement of X Games League, a new year-round, cross-discipline competition format coming in 2026. Then Shaun White debuted the concept of the Snow League, a halfpipe competition circuit that will include freeskiing and snowboarding.
Events such as the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, Revolution Tour and more are all in for a revamp. There’s plenty to unpack here, so we’ll break it down for you.
The new collaboration, titled The Winter X Games Series, will bring together previously established competitions to build something new. The Winter X Games Series will include the U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Cup events, the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air presented by Toyota, alongside the Winter X Games. There will still be an array of invited athletes but with new caveats.
Winners of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air events will receive guaranteed invitations to the Winter X Games Series. If the winner has already received invitations, the next podium place will be invited. The new Winter X Games Series will also be geared toward younger riders, giving them more ways to pursue competition and a stable income and career path in professional freeskiing.
“Additionally, the next generation of the nation’s best freeskiers and snowboarders will have the opportunity to rise to the X Games based on results from the Revolution Tour, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s development series, which will also be co-branded with X Games,” reads the press release from U.S. Ski and Snowboard, issued on June 27th. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard and X Games will also collaborate on the calendar and events, including adding X Games-specific disciplines like knuckle huck and street style to the U.S. World Cup weekends, which already include FIS-level halfpipe, slopestyle and big air.”
There are still questions to be answered, and no exact schedule or locations for winter 24/25 have been announced, but this is an exciting step for all in the wide world of skiing. Sustainable financial paths for athletes are a win for everyone, as it’s time they see their fair share of the revenue that our sport brings in. The Winter X Games Series will look to bring freestyle skiing to the mainstream, and we can hope that this moves the sport forward and brings money to those who deserve it. And as fans, we get to celebrate too. Last year’s Winter X Games featured some of the best action yet, with new additions like SLVSH and Women’s Knuckle Huck being celebrated.
“Collaborating with X Games is an exciting step forward in our mission to provide more world class competitive opportunities for freeskiers and snowboarders. With the recent announcements from X Games regarding their expansion to include more events in various locations and Shaun White’s Snow League, these sports have unmistakable momentum in the market and we are enthusiastic to work together to see them grow.” – Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO
“As we build toward the X Games League format, this partnership will allow us to deliver on the promise of more world class competitions and a more consistent schedule for the athletes. Working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard will ensure we support and grow the athlete pipeline, which will benefit the entire industry.” – Scott Guglielmino, X Games President and COO
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