Shaun White and Park City Mountain made the announcement Tuesday at Scott’s Bowl, high on the resort's terrain, where operations teams used avalanche snow to create a halfpipe for the occasion. Snow League athletes joined local youth from the resort’s ski and snowboard teams for an early morning freestyle session.
White created Snow League in 2024 as the first professional sports league dedicated to freestyle ski and snowboard competition. The league’s first season ended in March after hosting competitions in Aspen, China and Switzerland. In 2027, it will arrive in Park City Jan. 22-24.
Speaking from the slopes Tuesday, White said he was motivated to bring an event to Park City from the start, given his years of training at the resort.
“[Planning conversations] felt more like a homecoming, " he said. “The resort was asking, ‘How can we help? How can we work together?’ But it was pretty much, you know, my first pick, if not second pick for the league. We really, really wanted it here, because I just remember these legendary events happening here and competing in Park City. And Utah fans pull up for sporting events!”
Leaders from the resort said the event presents an opportunity to revive that tradition.
Vice President of Mountain Operations at Park City, Chris Ingham, said he and his team are excited to build another Olympic-sized halfpipe.
“Sean and quite a few others spoke to the long-term legacy that we have at the resort with freestyle, hosting events, particularly really high level halfpipe events,” he said. “So, we want to make sure that we deliver a really high quality event both from a rider's point of view and from a viewer and fan point of view. We're really excited for it.”
The event lands on a weekend traditionally held by the Sundance Film Festival. After 40 years, Sundance relocated to Boulder, Colorado, ahead of its 2027 festival. Community leaders have since discussed the economic impacts of its departure.
Tuesday, some said Snow League offers an opportunity for reinvention.
The announcement comes as Utah ends its warmest winter on record. A reminder, Councilmember Tana Tolley said, that snow sports are just one piece of the Park City puzzle.
“I do believe that we still will have that missing element of the arts and culture from Sundance and so I don't ever want to forget about that,” she said. “I think that we need to also focus on ensuring that there's more to our economy than just the ski season. We learned that this year. We do need to diversify.”
As Snow League enters its second season, it has committed to one year of competition in Park City. Local leaders say they hope the relationship will continue for future events.