Golden State, New York, Park City, Whistler Form First Winter X Games League Teams

On September 16, inside the immersive dome of Cosm Los Angeles, more than 180 of the world's elite skiers and snowboarders will wait to hear their names called for just 40 available roster spots. It is a scene familiar to the NFL or NBA, but entirely unprecedented for the peaks of winter action sports. The MoonPay X Games League (XGL) is officially bringing its team-based franchise model to the snow, announcing its four founding winter clubs: XC Golden State, XC New York, XC Park City, and XC Whistler.[1][2]

This marks a massive structural shift for a culture built on individual expression. For decades, athletes arrived at the X Games as lone competitors chasing a single medal. Now, they will be drafted to regional franchises, competing collectively for a team championship and a $500,000 purse over a multi-stop global season that kicks off in Aspen in January 2027.

The mechanism of the league mirrors Formula 1 or traditional stick-and-ball sports. Each club will draft a 10-athlete roster, split evenly between men and women, and divided between freeskiers and snowboarders. Throughout the three-stop winter circuit, these athletes will earn cumulative points for their clubs. The franchise with the highest total at the end of the season takes the crown.[1]

The responsibility of building these rosters falls to four newly appointed General Managers—a first-of-its-kind role in the snow sports industry. X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom noted the gravity of the shift, pointing out that for the first time in the event's history, someone has to construct a championship roster rather than just produce a championship run. These GMs will dictate athlete strategy, club operations, and the cultural identity of their respective regions.[2]

XC Golden State will be led by Jonny Moseley, the 1998 Olympic gold medalist whose iconic "dinner roll" trick revolutionized freeskiing. Moseley brings deep roots in Northern California and Lake Tahoe, regions that heavily influenced the modern freeskiing movement. His transition from a trailblazing competitor to a franchise architect provides the California club with immediate credibility among the athlete pool.[1][3]

On the East Coast, XC New York will be managed by Dave Sypniewski, a veteran action sports executive who helped build the commercial foundations of brands like Burton and Thrasher. Sypniewski is joined by 11-time X Games medalist and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee Barrett Christy Cummins, who will serve as a special advisor. The New York winter club faces high expectations, as its summer counterpart recently captured the inaugural XGL Summer Championship in New Orleans.[2]

XC Park City is helmed by Sharalee "Haze" Hazen, a marketing leader and co-creator of The Uninvited Invitational, an event dedicated to advancing opportunities for female snowboarders. Hazen already possesses crucial front-office experience within the new system, having served as the General Manager for XC Los Angeles during the league's inaugural summer season.[3]

The final club, XC Whistler, anchors the league in Canada. Ryan Stutt, the founder of leading Canadian media outlets Forecast Ski and King Snow, takes the reins. Stutt aims to reflect the rugged, big-mountain culture of British Columbia on the global stage, promising a roster that honors the legacy of Whistler's influential snowboard and freeski pioneers.[2]

The draft itself will utilize a snake-style selection process. With 180 athletes vying for 40 spots, the stakes are incredibly high. The draft pool includes heavyweights, Olympic champions, and rising stars alike, all waiting to see who becomes a franchise cornerstone and who is left to navigate the season as a free agent.[1][2]

The transition to a team format is explicitly designed to create deeper regional connections and season-long narratives. Fans will follow their local clubs through the winter, transforming individual moments of brilliance into sustained, tribal fandom. The summer season proved the model's viability, drawing 18.3 million U.S. television viewers—a massive 78.5 percent increase over the previous year.[2]

However, the winter transition brings unique variables. Snow sports are heavily dependent on weather, unpredictable mountain conditions, and the physical attrition of a grueling season. Constructing a roster that can survive the elements and consistently score points across multiple disciplines will require strategic depth from the new General Managers.[3]

Ultimately, the XGL Winter season represents a bold bet on the evolution of action sports. By anchoring elite skiers and snowboarders to regional identities and professional front offices, the league hopes to elevate its athletes into household names while redefining how winter sports are consumed worldwide.[1]