There are plenty of things in snowboarding that are up for debate. Here’s one that’s not:
Dean Blotto Gray has one of the best eyes of any photographer in the game.
Blotto was in Cardrona, New Zealand for the first stop of The Snow League’s season. The World Challenge featured four teams made up of both skiers and snowboarders, and a $100,000 prize purse.
Of course, you can’t have an event in New Zealand without the hometown pride and joy. Fin Melville Ives, a skier, was a part of the winning Challenger team. His brother Cam was there throwing down as well.
The event featured something new: a spin cap. For the opening round, riders couldn’t spin higher than a 720. Ryusei Yamadan, whose double McTwist is consistently one of my favorite things to watch during his halfpipe runs, showed off with a McTwist and switch McTwist in his head-to-head matchup with American Jake Pates.
Dean Blotto Gray/The Snow League
Spain’s Queralt Castellet put on a for España and won the women’s side of the competition.
Dean Blotto Gray/The Snow League
Sara Shimizu finished in second place. A stalefish crippler helped get her there.
Dean Blotto Gray/The Snow League
The Snow League weekends are usually about more than just the contest itself. Shaun White and company rode the mini pipe with the community the day before the contest went down.
Dean Blotto Gray/The Snow League
Each winning team member got an equal split of the $20,000 team prize money. Plus riders took home a $5,000 appearance fee.
Dean Blotto Gray/The Snow League
Why not try to set the Guinness World Record for most riders in a halfpipe at the same time?
The next stop for The Snow League will be Aspen from January 7–9, 2027.