NEW ORLEANS — The inaugural MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 Championship reached a dramatic crescendo on Saturday at the Caesars Superdome, setting the stage for the crowning of the first-ever MoonPay X Games League (XGL) champions. In a day defined by high-stakes progression and historic athletic achievements, XC New York surged to the top of the league standings, propelled by the clutch performance of top overall draft pick Chloe Covell in the final event of the evening.
With only one day of competition remaining in the 2026 calendar, the newly formed XGL format has successfully transformed traditionally individual action sports disciplines into a collaborative, team-based race for supremacy. XC New York holds the narrowest of margins at the summit of the standings with 2,280 points, closely trailed by XC Tokyo with 2,260 points. Meanwhile, XC São Paulo sits in third with 2,120 points, and XC Los Angeles rounds out the top four with 2,050 points heading into Sunday’s grand finale.
The Evolution of Action Sports: Inside the XGL Championship Format
Launched in 2026 under the stewardship of MSP Sports Capital, the MoonPay X Games League represents a fundamental structural shift for the global action sports ecosystem. By establishing eight permanent, coed clubs—split evenly between winter and summer disciplines—the league bridges the gap between regional fan loyalty and individual athletic brilliance.
This team-oriented architecture introduces a sophisticated points-accumulation matrix across all participating athletes, creating season-long narratives that transcend standalone weekend competitions. Beyond traditional event prize purses, the league model expands long-term compensation opportunities for skateboarders, BMX riders, and Moto X competitors alike. As the inaugural season reaches its climax in New Orleans, the commercial and competitive viability of the league’s franchise model has been underscored by massive global viewership via broadcast partners ABC and ESPN, alongside digital streaming platforms including Disney+, the Roku Sports Channel, YouTube, Kick, and Amazon FAST.
Saturday Showdowns: Milestone Victories Across Skate, BMX, and Moto X
Saturday’s slate featured eight high-intensity disciplines: 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. Each event contributed vital points to the overarching club standings, creating a dynamic scoreboard that fluctuated with every landing.
Women’s Vert Best Trick: Mia Kretzer Makes History
The day commenced with the MoonPay Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, a contest characterized by its remarkably youthful demographic, featuring an average competitor age of just 16. Eleven-year-old Mia Kretzer of XC Los Angeles added another milestone to her burgeoning career by securing her fourth X Games gold and seventh overall medal.
Kretzer, selected 39th out of 40 total picks in the 2026 XGL draft, has proven to be the ultimate value selection for her club, contributing 420 points—roughly 26% of XC Los Angeles’ cumulative total. Her victory was sealed via a never-before-seen fakie body varial 720.
Reflecting on her progression, Kretzer noted the intentional preparation that preceded the championship weekend. "I went back home for a week after Chiba and I was trying to find a big trick to throw down for the championship," Kretzer said. "I was training to get the Fakie 540, but I just kept spinning, and eventually, I got the 720, and I was super stoked to get that and I thought it’d be really cool to throw down today."
Free agent Asahi Kaihara claimed the silver medal with a switch front foot impossible tailgrab, while XC Tokyo’s Mizuho Hasegawa earned bronze with an alley-oop body varial 540. Hasegawa’s podium finish brought her career total to 12 X Games medals, tying the legendary Leticia Bufoni for the most medals won by any female athlete in summer disciplines.
BMX Park Best Trick: Ryan Williams Extends His Legacy
In the Stake Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick competition, Australian veteran Ryan Williams (XC São Paulo) captured his 14th X Games gold medal and the 17th of his career. Riding in a bright pink and purple jacket, Williams dedicated his performance to his late friend Oliver Tree, landing "The Oliver Twist"—an innovative alley-oop frontflip 540 flair.
Boasting a social media following of 6.5 million users, Williams remains one of the most recognizable ambassadors in action sports. Justin Dowell secured the silver medal with a 360 Twix to tailwhip, while Kieran Reilly claimed bronze following a cleanly executed flair double tailwhip to barspin.
Men’s Vert Best Trick: Gui Khury Continues Unprecedented Run
Gui Khury of XC São Paulo further cemented his status as a generational talent by extending his winning streak in Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick to eight consecutive gold medals. Executing his signature kickflip body varial 900, the Brazilian teenager secured his 13th gold and 20th overall X Games medal—the most of any teen in the history of the franchise.
Khury’s victory leaves him just one win shy of the all-time record for most consecutive golds in a single discipline, a benchmark co-owned by BMX Vert icon Jamie Bestwick and Snowmobile SnoCross legend Tucker Hibbert. With 510 points to his name heading into Sunday, Khury holds the highest maximum point potential of any remaining athlete in the individual MVP race.
Tom Schaar (XC Los Angeles) claimed silver with an alley-oop kickflip lipslide backside revert, marking his 21st career X Games medal, while free agent JD Sanchez took home the bronze after executing a varial double kickflip Indy 540.
Skateboard Street and Moto X Highlights
In the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street final, 16-year-old Ginwoo Onodera (XC New York) captured his third consecutive gold medal in the event, mirroring a feat last achieved by skateboarding icon Nyjah Huston. Onodera’s flawless execution on the rails, capped off with a kickflip front blunt fakie, provided vital momentum for XC New York’s team campaign. Toa Sasaki (XC Tokyo) earned silver, with Juni Kang taking bronze despite competing through a wrist injury.
Meanwhile, in Moto X Best Trick, Spain’s Jose Canosa delivered a stunning upset on his final run. The 23-year-old scored a 97.00 by landing a never-before-seen frontflip double seatgrab Indian air. Rob Adelberg took silver by a razor-thin margin of 0.33 points, making him the most decorated Australian in X Games history with 23 career medals. Patrick Evans rounded out the podium with a bronze, distinguishing himself as the sole competitor riding an electric motorcycle.
BMX Dirt and Skateboard Park Mastery
Brady Baker (XC Los Angeles) made history in Stake Men’s BMX Dirt by becoming the first four-time gold medalist in the discipline. Relying on a technical combination that included a Twister tailwhip and a cash roll to tail windshield wiper, Baker outpaced silver medalist Mike Varga and bronze medalist Ryan Williams.
In Stake Men’s Skateboard Park, Tom Schaar secured his sixth career X Games gold and the 22nd overall medal of his career, joining an elite club of three-time winners in the discipline alongside Chris Senn, Rodil de Araujo, and Pedro Barros. Keegan Palmer claimed silver, while 15-year-old Spanish rookie Egoitz Bijueska took bronze, continuing Spain’s rising prominence in international park skateboarding.
Chloe Covell’s Historic Grand Finale
The dramatic conclusion of Saturday’s events arrived with the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street competition. Chloe Covell, the premier draft selection for XC New York, delivered a flawless performance under immense competitive pressure. Her gold-medal finish not only secured the individual victory but also propelled XC New York past XC Tokyo into first place in the overarching XGL standings.
With this triumph, Covell matched Leticia Bufoni’s historic record of 12 medals—the most by any female competitor in summer disciplines—positioning herself to potentially surpass the record during Sunday’s remaining events.
"I’m so stoked, so happy to do it for my team, especially," Covell said following her victory. "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. We’re all a big team together! It’s so crazy I don’t even think about things like that [tying Bufoni] until I’m told. Leticia means so much to the sport and I’ve been hanging out with her all weekend. I have the best team ever."
Outlook for Sunday’s Championship Conclusion
As the MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 Championship enters its final day, the individual MVP race remains intensely contested. Mizuho Hasegawa leads the individual standings with 600 points, closely followed by Gui Khury with 550 points. Should Khury capture gold in Men’s Skateboard Vert on Sunday, he will finish with 650 points, requiring Hasegawa to secure a bronze finish or better in Women’s Skateboard Park to claim the inaugural MVP crown.
With club pride, historic records, and the first-ever XGL Championship trophy on the line, Sunday’s final sessions inside the Caesars Superdome promise an unforgettable conclusion to a watershed weekend for global action sports.
