NEW ORLEANS — Entering the final day of high-stakes competition at the inaugural MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026, the landscape of global action sports shifted dramatically inside the Caesars Superdome. Following a blistering second day of athletic performances spanning skateboarding, BMX, and Moto X, XC New York surged to the top of the team standings in the MoonPay X Games League (XGL). The catalyst for this monumental shift was none other than Chloe Covell, the league’s number one overall draft pick, whose gold-medal performance in Women’s Skateboard Street propelled her franchise past XC Tokyo. Covell’s victory also marked a historic milestone, elevating her career medal count to surpass action sports icon Leticia Bufoni for the most medals won by a female competitor in summer disciplines.
The inaugural season of the XGL represents a fundamental structural evolution for the X Games brand. Launched under the stewardship of MSP Sports Capital—the global private equity firm founded by veteran sports investors Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi—the league brings a year-round, team-based, coed format to action sports. By fusing geographic identities with elite international talent across eight distinct clubs, the XGL has successfully introduced multi-event storylines, deep fan engagement, and enhanced financial compensation models for athletes. As the 2026 championship weekend reaches its climax in Louisiana, the inaugural team-title race remains fiercely contested, setting a new benchmark for professional action sports.
Saturday’s Chronology of Events and Standout Performances
Saturday’s action-packed schedule featured eight distinct disciplines, pushing the boundaries of progression and testing the physical limits of the world’s top action sports athletes. The day’s slate included the MoonPay Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, Stake Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick, MoonPay Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street, Moto X Best Trick, Stake Men’s BMX Dirt, Stake Men’s Skateboard Park, and Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street.
The afternoon opened with youth taking center stage in the MoonPay Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick. Featuring an exceptionally young roster with an average age of just 16—ranging from 11-year-old tween phenoms to 19-year-olds—the competition delivered unprecedented technical achievements. Eleven-year-old Mia Kretzer of XC Los Angeles added to her historic legacy by securing her fourth X Games gold and seventh overall medal, five of which have come during the 2026 calendar year. Clinching the victory with a never-before-seen (NBD) fakie body varial 720, Kretzer proved to be the ultimate value selection of the 2026 XGL draft, having been selected 39th out of 40 total picks while accounting for a staggering 26% of XC Los Angeles’s total points. Free agent Asahi Kaihara claimed silver with a switch front foot impossible tailgrab, while XC Tokyo’s Mizuho Hasegawa took bronze with an alley-oop body varial 540, tying Leticia Bufoni’s all-time women’s summer discipline record of 12 career medals.
In the Stake Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick, veteran Australian star Ryan Williams (XC São Paulo) captured his 14th X Games gold medal and the 17th of his career. Performing "The Oliver Twist"—an alley-oop frontflip 540 flair executed in a vibrant pink and purple jacket—Williams paid emotional tribute to his late friend, musician Oliver Tree. Boasting over 6.5 million social media followers, Williams leveraged his massive platform and technical prowess to stay alive in the individual XGL Most Valuable Player (MVP) race. Free agents Justin Dowell and Kieran Reilly rounded out the podium with silver and bronze, respectively.
Vertical Dominance and Historic Streaks
Vertical skateboarding continued to showcase unmatched international dominance, anchored by Brazil’s Gui Khury and veteran American Tom Schaar. Competing for XC São Paulo, Khury extended his astonishing winning streak in the MoonPay Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick to eight consecutive victories, utilizing his signature kickflip body varial 900. With 13 career gold medals and 20 overall, Khury holds the record for the most decorated teenager in X Games history and sits just one win shy of tying the all-time record for most consecutive golds in a single discipline, a mark co-shared by BMX legend Jamie Bestwick and snowmobile icon Tucker Hibbert. Khury’s victory solidified his maximum point potential of 710 in the individual MVP standings heading into Sunday.
Meanwhile, Tom Schaar (XC Los Angeles), the elder statesman of the vert discipline at 26 years old, secured his 21st career medal with an alley-oop kickflip lipslide backside revert, moving closer to Andy Macdonald’s all-time record for competition starts. Schaar later returned to capture gold in the Stake Men’s Skateboard Park competition, joining elite company as only the fourth skater in the 31-year history of the discipline to win three or more gold medals in Park, bringing his total career X Games gold tally to six.
Street and Dirt Progressions Define the Evening Session
In the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street final, 16-year-old Ginwoo Onodera (XC New York) completed a three-peat in the discipline. Notching his third consecutive Street gold, Onodera emulated skateboarding legend Nyjah Huston’s historic 2013 run by securing three Street titles within a single calendar year. His decisive final-run trick—a technical kickflip front blunt fakie down a non-rounded rail—scored heavily with the judges, adding crucial points to XC New York’s team campaign. Toa Sasaki (XC Tokyo) earned silver, while free agent Juni Kang claimed bronze despite nursing a wrist injury.
The Moto X Best Trick venue witnessed a breathtaking international breakthrough as Spain’s Jose Canosa delivered a stunning 97.00-score run on his final jump. Competing in only his second X Games appearance following a silver medal in Chiba, the 23-year-old executed a never-before-seen frontflip double seatgrab Indian air. Canosa edged out Australian veteran Rob Adelberg—who claimed silver to secure his 23rd career medal as the most decorated Australian in X Games history—and bronze medalist Patrick Evans, who made history competing on an electric bike.
In the Stake Men’s BMX Dirt competition, Brady Baker (XC Los Angeles) cemented his legacy as the most dominant dirt rider in X Games history. By executing a flawless run featuring a Twister tailwhip, cash roll to tail windshield wiper, and a 360 kickless rewind superman tailwhip, Baker became the first four-time gold medalist in the 27-year history of the event. Baker dedicated his victory to his growing family, noting that impending fatherhood has served as a primary motivator to perform at the absolute highest echelon of the sport.
The Decisive Climax: Covell Seals the Lead for XC New York
The defining moment of the championship’s second day unfolded under the bright lights of the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street final. With the team standings razor-thin, Chloe Covell delivered a clutch performance under intense pressure. Her gold-medal routine, coupled with a silver-medal finish from teammate Momiji Nishiya, yielded a combined 180 points for XC New York, vaulting the club past XC Tokyo into first place overall with 2,280 points.
Reflecting on her performance and team dynamic, Covell expressed her enthusiasm for the collective effort. "I’m so stoked, so happy to do it for my team, especially," Covell said. "We were so close to getting into the number one spot, and Momiji and I did so good. I’m so happy to be in first place! All us girls are such good friends and are trying to have a good time and push each other."
With this victory, Covell not only secured a vital victory for XC New York but also notched her seventh career gold and twelfth total X Games medal, officially tying Leticia Bufoni’s historic benchmark for the most medals won by a female athlete across all summer disciplines. Covell will have the opportunity to outright claim the record during Sunday’s final events.
XGL Championship Implications and Outlook for Sunday
As the MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 heads into its final day, the battle for both the inaugural XGL Club Championship and the individual MVP titles remains wide open. In the team standings, XC New York leads with 2,280 points, narrowly ahead of XC Tokyo at 2,260 points. XC São Paulo sits in third with 2,120 points, while XC Los Angeles rounds out the table with 2,050 points.
In the individual MVP race, Mizuho Hasegawa (XC Tokyo) leads the points table with 600 points, closely pursued by Gui Khury (XC São Paulo) with 550 points. The mathematical permutations for Sunday dictate that if Khury secures gold in Men’s Skateboard Vert, he will finish with 650 points, requiring Hasegawa to finish no lower than third in Women’s Skateboard Park to clinch the MVP crown. Should Khury take silver, Hasegawa can secure the title with a fourth-place finish or better.
Broadcasting and global distribution partners—including ABC, ESPN, the ESPN App, Disney+, Roku Sports Channel, X Games YouTube, Kick, and Amazon FAST—will continue to deliver live global coverage as New Orleans prepares to crown the first-ever champions of the modern X Games League era.
