Eileen Gu (CHN) and Brendan Mackay (CAN) Claim Inaugural Snow League Freeski Halfpipe Victories in China, Gus Kenworthy (GBR) at his comeback in third
CHONGLI, China (December 6, 2025) – Eileen Gu (CHN) and Brendan Mackay (CAN) made history by claiming The Snow League’s inaugural freeski victory at China’s Yunding Snow Park, the iconic venue of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games where Gu won Olympic halfpipe gold. Each earned a first-place prize of $50,000, part of the $250,000 total freeski prize purse. Gu and Mackay each take the lead in The Snow League World Championship Standings, claiming 100 points each, with the field set to reconvene in LAAX, Switzerland in March 2026.
Freeski Finals Day opened with 16 competitors advancing through head-to-head matchups in the quarterfinals, followed by semifinals and then the final, where they battled for a spot on the inaugural Snow League freeski podium.
Gu kicked off the competition in dominant form, earning her top score of the day, a 90.00, in her opening run against Cassie Sharpe (CAN). Gu then advanced past teammate Fanghui Li (CHN) before meeting another teammate Kexin Zhang (CHN) in the final. Gu never once triggered a tiebreaker, winning each matchup decisively.
Gu’s top scoring run of the day featured a left 900 tail, into a right 720 reverse tail, a switch left 720 Japan, a right 900 Buick, a right alley oop flat spin 540 critical, finishing with a left alley oop mute.
Zhang claimed second, with Li taking third, marking a historic first-ever all-Chinese halfpipe podium.
Reflecting on the milestone moment, Gu said: „It’s so much fun competing here in China and sharing the podium with two friends and teammates. Growing up, one of my biggest goals has always been to introduce freestyle to more young people, particularly girls. To see the first Snow League event happening here in China, where in just six years, over 346 million people have been introduced to snow sports is absolutely incredible. Seeing all the excited spectators cheering the three of us on today was really special.“
The men’s finals turned into a showdown of 1620s between 17-year-old Luke Harrold (NZL) and Brendan Mackay (CAN). Harrold struck first, winning run one. With the pressure on, Harrold opened run two and stepped things up, bettering his first run score to earn an 88.50 leading with a switch left alley oop double 1260 mute and increasing difficulty with a left double 1620 safety into a right double 1260 mute to finish.
Mackay needed a huge second run to force a tiebreak, and delivered exactly that. He fired back with a switch left alley-oop double 900 critical, a massive switch left double 1080 double Japan, a left alley-oop flat spin 540 mute, and then matched Harrold’s firepower with a left double 1620 safety into a right double 1260 safety. His 89.00 edged Harrold’s 88.50, pushing the final into a third run.
In the tiebreaker, Harrold washed out, leaving Mackay needing only a clean run to secure the title. Instead, he opted for a crowd-pleaser to close out the first Snow League freeski competition.
The third-place matchup saw Gus Kenworthy (GBR) claim third in his first competition since Beijing 2022, as Nick Goepper (USA) was unfortunately unable to continue after a semifinal crash and finished fourth.
Mackay said, „To walk away on top is incredible, and I’m so stoked.“ He added, „It was really cool competing in this format. There’s a lot of strategy, and also a lot of luck with who you’re up against-whether you can conserve energy or if you have to put it all out there in quarters. I feel super grateful to have put down my runs. I’m so stoked.“
When asked how he managed a day of eight competition runs, he said: „It helps when the pipe is perfect and the day is perfect. It’s easier to push yourself when everything is just amazing.“
The freeski field will reconvene at LAAX, Switzerland, March 19-21, for the final showdown where The Snow League’s Season One champions will be crowned.
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Eileen Gu also spoke about her role within The Snow League: „I have the great honor of being the global ambassador for The Snow League, and in that role it’s been exciting for me to help introduce the sport to more people. One big advantage The Snow League has is its accessibility. For a lot of people watching freeskiing for the first time, judging can feel convoluted-what the grabs are, what makes something technical. But with the head-to-head format, there’s a familiarity that makes it easier to understand. Being part of that, working behind the scenes as a sounding board with Shaun [White] and the team, has been really exciting.“
She added, „Participating as an athlete takes the cake. There’s nothing I love more in this world than skiing and competing. Today I had the added challenge of doing two runs I’d never done in a contest before. I hadn’t competed in halfpipe in about a year, so everything felt new again. It was a great time.“
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The freeski purse for Season One of the Snow League is $580,000 across both events, with equal prize money for men and women. Each gender competes for an $85,000 purse, broken down as follows: $50,000 for first, $20,000 for second, $10,000 for third and $5,000 for fourth. This payout structure applies to both events in Season One. The overall Snow League freeski champions will receive $80,000 in Championship awards, split between the top three men’s and women’s finishers.
The Snow League prides itself on being athlete-first, with all 52 freeski and snowboard competitors receiving a $5,000 appearance fee, totaling $260,000 per event. This unprecedented level of support reflects a long-overdue commitment to athletes in winter sports and is an initiative The Snow League is proud to enact and champion.
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How To Watch The Snow League
Viewers across Europe can watch recap shows on Eurosport 1. The Finals Show will be split across two hours on Monday, December 22 with the snowboard competition featured at 8 pm CET and the freeski competition at 9:00 pm CET.
The complete global listings are available at www.thesnowleague.com
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About The Snow League
Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist and entrepreneur Shaun White, Season One features a four-event global format boasting a $2.2 million season purse, with athletes competing to earn points to determine the overall champions. The season kicked off at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass (March 7 – 8, 2025), and headed next to Yunding Snow Park, China (Dec. 4 – 6, 2025), where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers joined the roster at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games venue. The League returns to Aspen (Feb. 27 – 28, 2026) and concludes at LAAX, Switzerland (March 19 – 21, 2026), where the first-ever Snow League World Champions will be crowned.
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