Canadian freestyle skier Brendan Mackay emerged victorious in the first men’s halfpipe event of Shaun White’s Snow League held in Secret Garden, China. Hailing from Calgary, the 28-year-old secured the gold medal by triumphing in three face-offs, ultimately defeating 17-year-old Luke Harrold of New Zealand in the final round.
The Snow League features a distinctive competition format where skiers engage in one-on-one battles in a series of best-of-three matches spanning three rounds. Mackay conquered Hunter Hess of the United States in the quarterfinals and then bested American Nick Goepper in the semifinals to claim the top spot.
As the 2023 halfpipe world champion, Mackay seized the first-place prize of $50,000 US out of the total freeski prize purse amounting to $250,000.
In the women’s event, Eileen Gu from China clinched the title, returning to the mountain where she excelled during the Beijing Olympics. Gu, a 22-year-old athlete who achieved two gold medals and a silver at the 2022 Games, emerged victorious over compatriot Zhang Kexin in the final showdown. Gu and Mackay currently lead the Snow League standings with 100 points each, with the next gathering scheduled in LAAX, Switzerland in March 2026.
Although Gu grew up in San Francisco, she competes for China, her mother’s homeland. Anticipation surrounds Gu’s performance at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy, where she is poised as a favorite in all three freeski disciplines – halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air, following her success in China three years ago. In the recent snowboard competitions on Friday, Ayumu Hirano of Japan claimed victory in the men’s event, while 14-year-old Patti Zhou of China emerged triumphant in the women’s category.