Shaun White’s The Snow League returns to Aspen for second time
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Among the most difficult challenges facing Nichole Mason as the snowboard program director for the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club is keeping young athletes in the sport once they reach the competitive team level.
Contest entry fees, increased club tuition, better gear, transportation and hotel costs collect in a hurry, making the dream of becoming a professional snowboarder hard to reach for many 12- and 13-year-olds whose families don’t have deep pockets. But, with the help of Shaun White’s The Snow League, local riders can keep dreaming of one day dropping in at the Olympics.
“They sought the program out, which is one of the most special things about this event and partnership,” Mason said. “It was really The Snow League that came knocking on the door. The idea is to not say no to any kid who walks through those doors.”
The third-ever event for The Snow League, which White launched only last winter here in Aspen, heads to Buttermilk Ski Area for the second time in the league’s short history when qualifying gets underway Friday and finals go down Saturday. Before anyone drops in, however, the league has partnered with Mason and AVSC to host an athlete draw and meet and greet on Thursday, which serves as both the event’s kick-off party and an official fundraiser for AVSC.
Tickets were still on sale Wednesday night — sales were expected to end at midnight — for Thursday’s draw and reception, to be held inside The Viceroy Snowmass. The live athlete draw is scheduled for 5-6 p.m., with tickets costing $30 for kids and $50 for adults. It comes with the opportunity to mingle with many athletes who just competed at the Milan Cortina Olympics. There will be a reception and silent auction from 6-8 p.m.
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Also Thursday night at the Viceroy will be a private, VIP dinner alongside a select group of athletes and Olympians, which entering the week included Jake Pates, Joey Okesson, J.J. Thomas, Toby Miller, Hanna Faulhaber and Nick Goepper. The $1,250 VIP tickets also include an exclusive meet and greet with White prior to the athlete draw. Those tickets were sold out as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mason said The Snow League donated $20,000 to AVSC to host the athlete draw, with all proceeds from ticket sales going straight back to the club.
“I’ve just been amazed at the support that has just shined on us. It’s really cool just to have a night for snowboarding,” she said. “It was amazing they supported us like that. They’ve been amazing in helping take care of the snowboard community.”
For tickets and more info about the athlete draw, visit teamavsc.org.
Separate tickets are required to access the competition venue at Buttermilk. General admission tickets run $20 for Friday’s qualifying and $60 for finals on Saturday. A limited number of premium hospitality tickets are also available, costing $300 for finals.
Per the Snow League website, “all fans who hold a valid Aspen Snowmass lift ticket or season pass on Feb. 27 or Feb. 28 can use their Aspen Card to access the General Admission areas of the venue, on a first-come, first-served basis free of charge.”
Visit thesnowleague.com for more. Peacock will televise the finals.
The Snow League — the brainchild of White, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who is largely considered the greatest halfpipe snowboarder of all time — features a unique head-to-head format that will recognize one male and one female winner by Saturday afternoon. Japan’s Yuto Totsuka, who just won Olympic gold in Italy, won the inaugural men’s contest in Aspen last winter, while Japan’s Sena Tomita took the women’s title.
The second Snow League contest, held earlier this winter in China, was won by 2022 Olympic gold medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan and China’s Patti Zhou, only 14. The China contest also saw the Snow League debut of halfpipe skiing, won by Canada’s Brendan Mackay and China’s Eileen Gu. While some freeskiers are taking part in the general festivities this week in Aspen, there is no separate skiing competition this time around.
Hirano and Totsuka are both expected to compete this week in Aspen. The Americans competing in Aspen include Pates, Okesson, Alessandro Barbieri, Chase Blackwell, Ryan Wachendorfer, Chase Josey, Lucas Foster, Maddie Mastro, Maddy Schaffrick, Rochelle Weinberg and Zoe Kalapos.
“Going into a fundraiser and paying zero dollars to get it off the ground is a dream come true,” Mason said of the athlete draw and the general support from the league. “The Snow League is pretty much like, ‘Let’s make it happen. Let’s close these barriers for you and let’s keep kids in the sport. Let’s make sure we are giving every kid access to the sport.'”
The four-event first season of The Snow League — held over two winters — will conclude with the final contest from March 19-21 in Laax, Switzerland. It’s there the first overall season champions will be crowned.
