![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MischaThomas_PipePractice_S2E0_Neil_5062-scaled.jpg\")
Mischa Thomas, free ski winner.<\/p>\n Mischa Thomas, free ski winner.<\/p>\n
Mountainwatch | Press Release<\/p>\n
Cardrona, New Zealand \u2013 (September 19, 2026) \u2013 The Team Challengers, Mischa Thomas<\/a> (NZL), Sara Shimizu<\/a> (JPN), Fin Melville Ives<\/a> (NZL), and Ryusei Yamada<\/a> (JPN) topped The Snow League\u2019s inaugural World Challenge at Cardrona Alpine Resort.<\/p>\n Incoming weather brought competition to an early close, with semifinal results determining the final team standings. Despite the shortened competition, Team Challengers finished the semifinals as the points leader. Yamada, Melville Ives and Thomas each won their respective divisions, while Shimizu finished second behind Queralt Castellet<\/a> (ESP).<\/p>\n The Team Challengers were a favorite from the start. Cardrona local Fin Melville Ives, competing in his first competition since the Olympics, advanced ahead of Team North America\u2019s Hunter Hess<\/a> (USA) to take the freeski title and extend Team Challengers\u2019 points lead. He embraced the creative format, saying, \u201cI\u2019ve never really done butters or drifts. I thought it was really sick to show a new avenue to what competing is and show them it\u2019s not always about the biggest spins and the butters.\u201d<\/p>\n Melville Ives\u2019 top-scoring run featured a crowd-pleasing Tokyo Drift flair, showcasing the creativity and style that made the new format so distinctive. \u201cI was just really hyped to do these tricks. I\u2019ve never really done them in comp before. There\u2019s always just been tricks that I do for fun here and there, but they\u2019re also pretty scary too.\u201d<\/p>\n Olympic bronze medalist and Season One runner-up Ryusei Yamada, already established as a leader in creative trick selection, took full advantage of the format, throwing a McTwist and Switch McTwist in his winning semifinal run. He also laid down a crowd-pleasing backside air to fakie, easily keeping his rotations well under the 720-degree limit while scoring points with the judges.<\/p>\n Season One standout Sara Shimizu adapted her run to meet the semifinal criteria, with a stalefish crippler among her favorite tricks of the day.<\/p>\n Cardrona local Mischa Thomas also pushed progression within the format, landing a progressive switch alley-oop flat 540 and a stylish carve back to alley-oop 360. \u201cIt was a really cool thing to compete on a team, having that kind of atmosphere and support for each other.\u201d She added, \u201cI was more nervous for my teammates, and I just wanted them to do well. And then I was also quite scared because I didn\u2019t want to let them down.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to the head-to-head battles, three semifinal matchups went to one-hit showdowns, adding another layer of drama to the competition. One highlight saw Jake Pates<\/a> (USA) throw a huge frontside crippler stalefish over his Team North America teammates on the halfpipe wall.<\/p>\n The Snow League World Challenge New Zealand featured a $100,000 USD purse, including $20,000 USD winning team prize, split equally among team members and $5,000 USD appearance fee for each of the 16 competing athletes ($80,000).<\/p>\n The event, proudly supported by the New Zealand Government\u2019s Events Attraction Package.<\/p>\n As part of the World Challenge, The Snow League has made a NZD$5,000 donation to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust<\/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and growing yellow-eyed penguin colonies in New Zealand. As part of the initiative, Team Challengers will have the chance to name the GPS trackers placed on the beneficiary penguins, giving the team a unique connection to their conservation efforts.<\/p>\n Live music by Sweet Mix Kids<\/a> capped the awards ceremony, as fans celebrated in the Cardrona base area.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/RyuseiYamada_PipePractice_S2E0_Neil_5001-1-scaled.jpg\")
Ryusei Yamada. Photo: Neil \/ The Snow League<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/091826_Day5_Awards_S2E0_Neil__-1437-small-scaled.jpg\")
Shaun White. presenting the ward to team challenges,, L_R, Sara Shimizu<\/a> (JPN), Mischa Thomas \u00a0(NZ), Fin Melville Ives (NZL), Ryusei Yamada (JPN.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Enviro_PipePractice_S2E0_Blotto_02490-scaled.jpeg\")
The pipe setup in Cardrona was the perfect venue for the World Challenge.<\/p>\n