Cover Image: Scotty James competes during Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe at 2024 X Games Aspen at Buttermilk in Aspen, CO. ©Mpu Dinani/X Games.
Snowboarding’s reputation as serious competitive sport continues to owe a sizeable debt to boxing. The sweet science is, after all, the only discipline to make more of a hash of its competitive setup.
A cohesive competitive structure has been an uncrackable nut since the battle for ‘control’ of competitive events between FIS and ISF defined the pre-Olympic era – and things haven’t improved a great deal since. Atop the pile of three-letter initialisms that followed in the wake of the ISF’s demise (including TTR, WSF and WST) was a persistent, creamy dollop of WTF.
Still, even as the Dew Tour joins the Air+Style, Arctic Challenge and Burton Open series on the scrapheap of pro snowboarding, there are still plenty of ways to get your high-end contest fix – provided you don’t ever need to know who tops the world rankings.
With that in mind, we’ve mapped out the big moments to look out for in the 2024/25 season. All make sense on their own terms, are pretty much guaranteed to entertain, and (unless Shaun has a particularly audacious surprise up his sleeve) are highly unlikely to be held in Riyadh.
Events are in chronological order – check back for updates
What is it?
Originally spawned from the ashes of the Burton European Open, the Laax Open turns ten years old in 2025. It’s your classic mix of slopestyle and halfpipe, following a qualis-then-finals format. Much like a fine Swiss watch, it’s a beauty to look at and ticks along nicely – plus if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Why should I care?
It remains the jewel in the continent’s competitive calendar. The slopestyle is all well and good, and occasionally makes efforts to mix up the traditional course format, but it’s the pipe for us every time. A stacked rider list in arguably the world’s best U-ditch – what’s not to like?
Can I watch the Laax Open live?
Yes, on Red Bull TV. Bizarrely, last year Chris Grenier of the Bomb Hole podcast was drafted in to host, despite being several thousands of miles away at the time.
What is it?
Despite its opaque invitation system, ill-judged experiments with public voting formats and hideously OTT sponsorship, for many the X Games remains coated in a thin yet persistent veneer of ‘core’. That might be down to the fact that, as one of the only events to still be chugging along after almost three decades, it’s the most effective barometer for gauging where competitive snowboarding is, and where it’s been.
Why should I care?
Come for the pipe, slopestyle and Big Air, where the standard is always huge – but stay for the Knuckle Huck – an event that even your granny could follow, and in which the stakes are lower than a Lib Dem leadership contest.
Can I watch the X Games live?
The whole thing tends to be streamed on the X Games website and the X Games YouTube channel, as well as a couple of major TV networks in the USA.
What is it?
Travis Rice spent years trying to drag competitive snowboarding up by the scruff of its neck, with events like Supernatural and Ultranatural. Natural Selection, now in its fifth year (not counting its first iteration at Jackson Hole way back in 2008), is the logical conclusion; a true backcountry freestyle battle, where you can watch some of the biggest names in snowboarding stomp video-part-worthy bangers on some of Mother Nature’s most formidable courses.
Why should I care?
You do need stamina for this, with live streams clocking in at over four hours, but the rewards are rich. The standard is truly superhuman, all captured by a fleet of expertly-piloted drones. Plus it’s a chance to see longer-in-the-tooth riders thoroughly spank X-Games-medallist upstarts. That, unlike a large chunk of the invitees, never gets old.
Can I watch the Natural Selection Tour live?
In past years it’s been live streamed in a few different places, but you can bet that one of them will still be the Natural Selection website.
What is it?
“Shaun White reboots competitive snowboarding” is the elevator pitch – one that’s likely to divide the room. For some who remember his non-involvement during the FIS/WST wars, this may feel like too little, too late. His plans to bring “elevated professionalism”, and “reimagined competitive formats for edge-of-your-seat experiences” will likely cause others to drop off. Still, there remains an appetite for a cohesive competitive tour, and this may be how it starts.
Why should I care?
Even in retirement, Shaun’s name carries huge weight, which is why the League’s announcement got proper coverage in the likes of Forbes Magazine, as opposed to whatever this is. Only one event, at Aspen (so far, so X Games) is confirmed so far, but as we get closer and Shaun starts to do the media rounds, expect a well-oiled – and well-resourced – hype machine to kick in. The name suggests an ambition to do for competitive snowboarding what Street League did for skateboarding – and where ambition is concerned, never write off White.
Can I watch the Snow League live?
Probably, but we’re still awaiting the official word.
What is it?
The Swatch Nines calls itself “a friendly antagonist to the world of competitive sports”. Indeed, the vibe is much more end-of-season-blowout than elite competition. Having said that, everything from the rider list to the standard of the course screams ‘top tier’.
Why should I care?
History is made at the Nines, most notably on its ‘Perfect Hip’ (a shameless brag that also happens to be true). Christian ‘Hitsch’ Haller went into space back in 2016 with a send that was only toppled just this year by Valentino Guseli. Over on the kickers, the 2022 edition saw two NBDs: Reira Iwabuchi became the first woman to land a frontside triple cork 1260, while Hiroto Ogiwara put down a mind-boggling backside 2160.
It’s also where you’ll see park shapers outdo themselves year after year in pursuit of hitherto-unseen levels of innovation, designed in tandem with some of the most creative riders on the planet. You could hang the drone shots of past events in the Louvre.
Can I watch the Swatch Nines live?
Not as yet, but that’s to be expected given the unorthodox format. The Swatch Nines YouTube channel is packed with highlights, interviews and more.
