The evolution of action sports has officially entered a new era of franchise competition. On August 13, 2026, the MoonPay X Games League (XGL) announced the four elite general managers tasked with assembling the inaugural Winter Club rosters, while simultaneously confirming X Games Club Whistler (XC Whistler) as the fourth and final founding franchise for the league’s upcoming winter campaign. Scheduled to officially drop-in starting January 2027, the winter expansion builds directly upon the foundational momentum of the XGL’s historic summer season, which successfully captured massive broadcast audiences and redefined team-based action sports formats.
With the general manager appointments finalized, the league shifts its immediate focus toward the inaugural XGL Winter Draft. Set for September 16, 2026, at Cosm in Los Angeles, the draft will serve as the foundational bedrock for winter competition, bringing together ski and snowboard disciplines under a unified team management structure for the very first time.
The Architects of Winter: General Manager Appointments
Constructing a championship-caliber roster in a team-oriented action sports league requires a nuanced blend of athletic pedigree, commercial acumen, and deep cultural understanding. To spearhead this unprecedented undertaking, the X Games organization tapped four distinct leaders across freeskiing, snowboarding, and sports business.
Olympic champion and action sports icon Jonny Moseley has been named General Manager of XC Golden State. Moseley, whose innovative performance at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics fundamentally reshaped modern freeskiing, brings deep regional roots in Northern California and Lake Tahoe. As the first skier to medal at both the Olympic Games and the X Games, Moseley transitions from legendary competitor and mainstream commentator to franchise architect. His appointment links the heritage of West Coast winter sports progression directly to the competitive strategy of XC Golden State.
In the Northeast, seasoned action sports executive Dave Sypniewski will lead XC New York. Sypniewski brings decades of commercial and operational experience gained through executive roles with prominent industry entities such as Thrasher, Burton, and Boost Mobile. To bolster the franchise’s technical and competitive direction, Sypniewski will be supported by Special Advisor Barrett Christy Cummins. Cummins, an 11-time X Games medalist, U.S. Olympian, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee, provides invaluable championship perspective to a club looking to mirror the historic summer success of its New York counterpart.
For XC Park City, the league appointed athlete marketing leader and experiential strategist Sharalee “Haze” Hazen. Hazen arrives with robust operational experience, having previously served as General Manager of XC Los Angeles during the XGL’s inaugural summer season. Furthermore, her background includes co-creating The Uninvited Invitational, highlighting her commitment to athlete advocacy, equity, and the development of culturally resonant sports platforms.
Rounding out the four founding winter franchises is XC Whistler, spearheaded by veteran Canadian action sports media executive and entrepreneur Ryan Stutt. With over two decades dedicated to documenting and elevating winter culture—including founding leading Canadian ski and snowboard publications Forecast Ski and King Snow, and co-directing the acclaimed documentary "Our Kind of Chaos"—Stutt offers profound insight into the heritage of Whistler. His leadership ensures that XC Whistler will authentically reflect the high standards and rugged progression synonymous with the region.
The Summer Foundation and the Road to the Winter Draft
The launch of the XGL Winter Clubs does not occur in a vacuum; it directly capitalizes on the structural blueprint established during the league’s inaugural summer season. Launched in 2026 under the ownership and guidance of MSP Sports Capital—a global private equity firm founded by veteran investor-operators Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi—the XGL was engineered to transform action sports from individual showcase events into a year-round, team-based, co-ed league.
The model proved immediately resonant with audiences. The inaugural Summer Season reached 18.3 million U.S. television viewers across ABC and ESPN, marking a staggering 78.5 percent increase compared to traditional broadcast metrics from 2025. The summer campaign culminated in a thrilling championship event in New Orleans, where XC New York secured the inaugural league title in dramatic fashion, edging out XC Tokyo by a razor-thin margin of 10 points (2,640 to 2,630) on the final run of the season.
This dramatic finish set a high benchmark for the league’s competitive integrity and entertainment value, proving that the team-based format successfully creates season-long narratives. Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games, emphasized the structural shift during the August announcement, noting that general managers now bear the responsibility of constructing an entire championship ecosystem rather than simply producing isolated championship runs.
Chronology and Key Operational Milestones
The rollout of the XGL winter division follows a carefully calibrated timeline designed to maximize engagement, athlete acquisition, and logistical preparation:
- 2026 (Early): Debut of the MoonPay X Games League (XGL) summer season, introducing eight total clubs (four summer, four winter placeholders) and transitioning action sports into a structured team format.
- August 13, 2026: Official confirmation of XC Whistler as the fourth winter club, alongside the announcement of general managers Jonny Moseley (XC Golden State), Dave Sypniewski (XC New York), Sharalee “Haze” Hazen (XC Park City), and Ryan Stutt (XC Whistler).
- September 16, 2026: The inaugural XGL Winter Draft at Cosm in Los Angeles, where GMs will select 10-athlete rosters from the world’s elite skiing and snowboarding pools. Limited Superfan tickets are made available to the public via xgames.com/draft26.
- January 2027: The official commencement of the inaugural MoonPay X Games League Winter Season, opening in Aspen, Colorado, with subsequent stops and dates to be rolled out subsequently.
Strategic Implications and Athlete Impact
The expansion into a winter league format carries significant structural implications for professional skiers and snowboarders. Historically, action sports athletes relied primarily on singular event prize purses, brand sponsorship deals, and independent video parts to secure their livelihoods. The XGL team-model fundamentally alters this financial and operational landscape by introducing guaranteed baseline compensation, revenue-sharing potential, and structured club support systems.
By embedding athletes into regional franchises—Golden State, New York, Park City, and Whistler—the league fosters localized fan bases and geographic rivalries traditionally absent from action sports. Fans no longer simply root for a discipline or an individual; they follow a club’s trajectory across a multi-event calendar, creating deeper emotional investments similar to traditional stick-and-ball sports leagues.
Furthermore, the involvement of seasoned industry leaders like Moseley, Sypniewski, Hazen, and Stutt bridges the gap between corporate sports management and authentic athlete culture. This leadership dynamic is designed to safeguard the counter-cultural roots of skiing and snowboarding while operating within a professionalized, media-optimized framework.
Event Details for the Upcoming Winter Draft
Anticipation for the September 16 Winter Draft continues to build within the action sports community. Held at Cosm Los Angeles, the event will utilize an immersive technological venue to showcase the draft picks in real-time. Fans wishing to experience the historical selection process in person can secure limited Superfan tickets by visiting the official league portal at xgames.com/draft26.
As the action sports industry turns its gaze toward January 2027 in Aspen, the pressure shifts squarely onto the shoulders of Moseley, Sypniewski, Hazen, and Stutt. With 10-athlete rosters up for grabs and the legacy of New York’s summer championship setting the standard, the foundational stones of winter team competition are officially locked in place.
