While the roster for season two is yet to be confirmed, freeskiers Eileen Gu (China), Luke Harrold (New Zealand), and Japanese snowboarders Yuto Totsuka and Sena Tomita all won their respective season one titles to earn automatic requalification. <\/p>\n
Eileen Gu (left) and Luke Harrold (right) celebrate with The Snow League founder Shaun White after winning the season one freeski titles. Photo \/ The Snow League<\/p>\n
Should all four athletes be returning and available for the New Zealand challenge, they could form a team of champions for the Asia-Pacific group. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t an Olympic competition when I began. X Games had just started. Those things really hadn\u2019t become anything and so it was a really strange time to kind of pave the way for the sport,\u201d White told Newstalk ZB\u2019s Jason Pine. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen obviously the Olympics took it on and when you look at the Olympics, we\u2019re the top-rated events that take place at the Olympics, the most viewed. There\u2019s that appetite for these competitions. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople enjoy viewing it, the characters are colourful, the athletes are colourful and so when we started out, I was like, gosh, I know that the field is deep.\u201d <\/p>\n
White said despite having to build season one around the Winter Olympics schedule and when athletes would be available, there was clear interest in the competition. <\/p>\n
A unique offering in the sport, The Snow League puts athletes in head-to-head match-ups on finals day rather than having everyone completing a couple of runs and having the best score win. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bracket format, with athletes having to win a number of one-on-one match-ups to succeed at the event. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think Snow League is all about bringing something new to the table,\u201d White said. <\/p>\n
Kiwi Luke Harrold was the inaugural Snow League men’s freeski champion. Photo \/ The Snow League<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this, we really wanted to keep fans engaged during the US and European somewhat off-season. Obviously [there\u2019s] Chile, New Zealand and these places that have the incredible snow at a different time in the season, so I thought it was amazing to come down there, do our event, but also kind of shake things up and do it a little different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winning the inaugural season, Kiwi Harrold automatically requalified for season two, while snowboarder Cam Melville Ives also made the cut for an automatic return by finishing fifth in season one. Skier Mischa Thomas also featured in season one, finishing eighth in the women\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n
Reigning freeski halfpipe world champion and crystal globe winner Fin Melville Ives was also signed for the inaugural campaign but was unable to compete in either freeski event. While the athlete line-up for season two is yet to be announced, it is expected all four Kiwi athletes will return. <\/p>\n
The event will be getting funding from the Government\u2019s Events Attraction Package \u2013 the invitation-only pool that also helped to fund such events as the World Surf League Championship Tour in Raglan, the Linkin Park, Robbie Williams and Post Malone concerts, and the upcoming New Zealand International Football Festival, when English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur take on A-League champions Auckland FC. <\/p>\n
\u201c[I\u2019m a] huge fan of New Zealand. I\u2019ve been down plenty of times, competed there, [there are] so many reasons that we\u2019re bringing the Snow League to New Zealand,\u201d White said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut look, there\u2019s amazing talent that comes from New Zealand. The scenery\u2019s beautiful, the culture\u2019s amazing and it\u2019s got that outdoor playground thing going on. There\u2019s so much to do down in New Zealand and I absolutely love it. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been on my wish list for The Snow League to come to New Zealand. So, it\u2019s a very pinch-me sort of moment that we\u2019re finally bringing the event there and I just can\u2019t wait.\u201d <\/p>\n