Shaun White's Snow League to Replace Sundance in Park City

Shaun White announced that his snowboarding and freeskiing tournament, The Snow League, will be held in Park City, Utah, from January 22-24, 2027, taking over the space of the Sundance Film Festival. The event will take place at Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in the U.S., which will host the 2034 Winter Olympics. The strategic decision to bring the event to Park City was made to capitalize on the growing attention towards winter sports, especially with the 2034 Olympics on the horizon.

White expressed his excitement about bringing The Snow League to Park City, highlighting the city's historical importance to snowboarding and freeskiing. The league aims to be part of the momentum towards the Olympics, attracting the best athletes and building an event that grows with the sport. The announcement was made from the top of an 18-foot halfpipe at Park City Mountain, with White emphasizing the special atmosphere being built in the community around winter sports.

The first season of The Snow League, launched in June 2024, featured a four-event global format with world-class athletes competing for points and a $2.2 million purse. The inaugural tournament was held at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass, followed by Yunding Snow Park in China, and then returned to Aspen and concluded in LAAX, Switzerland. The inaugural world champions were Sena Tomita and Yuto Totsuka in snowboarding, and Eileen Gu and Luke Harrold in freeskiing.

The event seeks to connect competition, culture, and community, inspiring the next generation of skiers and snowboarders. The presence of The Snow League in Park City aims to attract a wide audience, both current and future, in an accessible location.

Ian Warda, the Snow League's chief operating officer, emphasized that bringing the event to Park City was a strategic decision to showcase the high level of performance in these sports. The league aims to establish a lasting presence in a key market, leveraging the momentum towards the 2034 Olympics. The second season will also see the debut of an upgraded 22-foot halfpipe at Park City Mountain, setting a new standard for the competition.

Deirdra Walsh, the resort's VP and chief operating officer, stated that investments like The Snow League help define the future of Park City. The event seeks to reinforce Park City's position on the global stage and celebrate the spirit of the community.

The choice of Park City as the venue for the second season of The Snow League is based on the unique accessibility of the location and the large concentration of winter sports fans. The league seeks to capitalize on the momentum towards the 2034 Winter Olympics, establishing a lasting presence in a key market. The combination of high-level competition, festive atmosphere and the presence of figures like Odell Beckham Jr. and Sara Sampaio in the first season, bodes well for the event's success in Park City.

The full schedule for The Snow League's second season, including details on ticket sales, will be announced in the coming months on the league's website.