NEW ORLEANS — Entering the final day of high-stakes competition at the inaugural MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026, the landscape of professional action sports shifted dramatically. XC New York captured the overall team lead in the MoonPay X Games League (XGL) standings following a thrilling Saturday session inside the Superdome. Spearheaded by top overall draft pick Chloe Covell, who secured a clutch gold medal in the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street competition, XC New York surged to the top of the leaderboard with 2,280 points.
The victory edged XC New York narrowly ahead of XC Tokyo, which sits closely behind with 2,260 points. Meanwhile, XC São Paulo maintained a strong presence in third place with 2,120 points, and XC Los Angeles rounds out the foundational club hierarchy heading into Sunday’s championship-crowning events with 2,050 points. Saturday’s slate featured eight high-octane events spanning skateboarding, BMX, and Moto X, showcasing the convergence of veteran excellence and prodigious teenage talent that defines the newly minted, year-round, team-based XGL format.
The Evolution of Action Sports: Understanding the XGL Framework
Launched in 2026 by portfolio company MSP Sports Capital, the MoonPay X Games League represents a fundamental evolution in how action sports are organized, consumed, and monetized. Historically operating as an individualized invitational showcase, the X Games transitioned into a structured, season-long franchise model featuring eight distinct clubs—four dedicated to winter disciplines and four to summer disciplines.
This team-based, coed ecosystem merges geographic identity with global athletic talent, offering athletes stable club contracts, enhanced compensation structures beyond standard event prize purses, and deeply integrated fan engagement opportunities. The championship in New Orleans marks the culmination of the league’s inaugural season, transforming traditional single-event victories into collective championship points that elevate entire metropolitan clubs. Under the general management of figures like Steve Rodriguez for XC New York, club strategies have heavily relied on precision drafting, valuation efficiency, and strategic roster deployment across diverse disciplines.
Saturday’s Chronological Showcase: Triumph and Tenacity in the Superdome
The second day of competition unfolded across a grueling eight-event schedule, testing the physical limits and mental fortitude of the world’s elite action sports athletes.
Morning Session: Vert and BMX Best Tricks Set the Tone
The day opened with the MoonPay Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, an exceptionally youthful final featuring competitors ranging from ages 11 to 19, resulting in an average field age of just 16. Eleven-year-old Mia Kretzer of XC Los Angeles cemented her status as the ultimate value selection in the 2026 XGL draft. Picked 39th out of 40 total selections, Kretzer captured her fourth career X Games gold and seventh overall medal by executing a never-before-seen (NBD) fakie body varial 720. Kretzer’s performance single-handedly accounted for 420 points, representing roughly 26 percent of XC Los Angeles’ total team score. Free agent Asahi Kaihara claimed silver with a switch front foot impossible tailgrab, while XC Tokyo’s Mizuho Hasegawa secured bronze with an alley-oop body varial 540. Hasegawa’s podium finish brought her career medal tally to 12, tying skateboarding icon Leticia Bufoni for the most medals won by any female athlete in summer X Games history.
In the Stake Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick, Ryan Williams of XC São Paulo delivered a historic performance, capturing his 14th career X Games gold medal and the 17th medal of his decorated career. Performing in a vibrant pink and purple jacket honoring his late friend Oliver Tree, Williams executed "The Oliver Twist"—an alley-oop frontflip 540 flair that electrified the New Orleans crowd. Free agent Justin Dowell took silver with a clean 360 Twix to tailwhip, while fellow free agent Kieran Reilly claimed bronze behind a technical flair double tailwhip to barspin.
The morning momentum continued with the MoonPay Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, where Brazilian prodigy Gui Khury extended his unprecedented winning streak in the discipline to eight consecutive gold medals. Competing for XC São Paulo, Khury relied on his signature kickflip body varial 900 to secure his 13th gold and 20th overall X Games medal, setting the benchmark as the most decorated teenager in X Games history. Tom Schaar of XC Los Angeles took silver with an alley-oop kickflip lipslide backside revert, marking his 21st overall medal and positioning himself near the all-time record for career competition starts. Free agent JD Sanchez rounded out the podium with bronze, executing a difficult varial double kickflip Indy 540 following a brief injury layoff.
Afternoon Dynamics: Street and Moto X Intensity Escalate
As the afternoon session commenced, the focus shifted to the technical precision of street skating and the sheer audacity of motorized aerials.
In the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street, 16-year-old Ginwoo Onodera of XC New York completed a rare historical hat trick. By capturing his third consecutive gold medal in the event, Onodera mirrored a feat last achieved by skate legend Nyjah Huston more than a decade prior in 2013. Onodera’s flawless execution, punctuated by a kickflip front blunt fakie down a non-rounded rail, earned vital points for XC New York. Toa Sasaki of XC Tokyo captured silver for his championship-contending club, while free agent Juni Kang secured bronze despite nursing an ongoing right wrist injury, maintaining a podium streak across all five of his career X Games Street appearances.
Simultaneously, the Moto X Best Trick arena witnessed a breathtaking display of motorized innovation. Spain’s Jose Canosa, competing in just his second career X Games appearance following a strong debut in Chiba, captured gold with a score of 97.00. The 23-year-old executed a never-before-seen frontflip double seatgrab Indian air on his final jump, capping a rapid transition from professional motocross racing to freestyle dominance. Veteran Rob Adelberg claimed silver with a frontflip seatgrab dead body, securing his 14th podium in his last 15 appearances and extending his record as the most decorated Australian rider in X Games history. Patrick Evans took bronze aboard a pioneering electric bike, utilizing its predictable power delivery to land a clean frontflip Superman seatgrab Indy.
Evening Finale: Dirt, Park, and Title-Clinching Runs
The evening session delivered the emotional and competitive climax of the weekend, setting up the final standings for Sunday’s championship bouts.
In the Stake Men’s Skateboard Park, Tom Schaar added to XC Los Angeles’ tally by becoming just the fourth man in X Games history to win three gold medals in the discipline, joining elite company alongside Chris Senn, Rodil de Araujo, and Pedro Barros. Despite falling on his opening run, Schaar rebounded decisively to secure his sixth career gold and 22nd overall medal. Keegan Palmer claimed silver for the free agent pool, while 15-year-old rookie Egoitz Bijueska secured bronze, marking a historic milestone for Spanish skateboarding.
The Stake Men’s BMX Dirt competition saw Brady Baker of XC Los Angeles etch his name into the record books. With a complex 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. Mike Varga claimed silver, while Ryan Williams added a bronze medal to his earlier Best Trick victory, bringing his career total to 18 medals.
The day concluded with the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street, where Chloe Covell delivered the decisive performance of the day. As the top overall draft pick for XC New York, Covell executed under immense pressure to capture the gold medal. The victory not only propelled XC New York into the number one position in the XGL team standings with a combined team effort alongside silver-medalist Momiji Nishiya, but it also carried profound historical significance. With her seventh career gold and 12th overall medal, Covell officially tied Leticia Bufoni’s historic record for the most medals won by any female athlete in summer X Games disciplines, setting up a potential record-breaking performance on Sunday. Yumeka Oda of XC Tokyo rounded out the podium with a bronze medal.
Implications and the Road to Sunday’s Finale
The competitive density of the inaugural XGL season has validated the league’s strategic thesis: combining individual athletic excellence with franchise-based stakes elevates fan engagement and athlete performance alike. With XC New York holding a razor-thin 20-point advantage over XC Tokyo, and individual MVP races remaining mathematically fluid—specifically between Mizuho Hasegawa and Gui Khury—Sunday’s final events will determine the first-ever recipients of the XGL Championship trophy. As global audiences tune in via ABC, ESPN, Disney+, YouTube, and international streaming partners, the 2026 New Orleans championship stands as a watershed moment for the commercial and competitive maturation of action sports.
