Snowboarders and freeskiers might be associated with relaxed style, but The Snow League has lined up some top-shelf brand name support.
The just-launched professional winter sports league has a brand-savvy founder in the former Olympian Shaun White. Attendees at the first event held Friday and Saturday at Buttermilk at Aspen Snowmass watched the competitors race down the mountain, while being clocked by the official timekeeper Hublot. And the leading athletes took home trophies from Tiffany & Co., which has signed up as the Snow League’s official trophy provider.
Tiffany has a long track record of designing trophies including those for the FIFA Club World Cup winners, the Vince Lombardi trophy for the NFL’s Super Bowl winner and the NBA’s Larry O’Brien trophy, among others. The LVMH-owned luxury jeweler even has a book, “Crafting Victory,” that details its 200-year history in prized trophies and features a foreword by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.
Fittingly, the three-time Olympian White’s snowboard and clothing brand Whitespace is the league’s apparel sponsor. Started in 2022, the lifestyle brand offers performance-oriented outerwear, pants, goggles and base layers, as well as hoodies, T-shirts and other statement pieces. Having been a key collaborator with major brands through the years, the 38-year-old was sponsored by Burton for years. Having finessed his signature “Double McTwist” on a Burton board, he is enjoying watching others pull off their own tricks mid-air. White told WWD last year, “You get this fun feeling that you’re kind of shaping the future of the sport with our products.” Some 36 of the leading athletes had been scheduled to compete in Snow League.
The Snow League’s founding partners also carry some weight: Marriott Bonvoy, INEOS Automotive and Pacifico. The league’s corporate backing isn’t the only aspect that will help to raise its profile. White and NBC Sports inked a multiyear media rights deal for NBC and Peacock to showcase The Snow League. In addition, viewers from 90-plus countries tuned into the inaugural event’s halfpipe competition live through deals with CBC Sports in Canada, Kayo Sports in Australia and Fuel TV in Latin America.
NBC Sports’ Todd Harris and Tina Dixon called the event, with insights from snowboard editor Tom Monterosso, professional snowboarder Chris Grenier and Olympic snowboarding judge Connor Manning. Jac Collinsworth hosted the event.
Additional Snow League competitions will be held in December at Yunding Secret Garden, China; in February 2026 at Buttermilk at Aspen Snowmass, and in March 2026 at LAAX Mountains in Laax, Switzerland. White has other key occasions coming up, namely his upcoming wedding to model Nina Dobrev. There are no set plans just yet, according to a spokesperson for White.
