BOULDER, Colo. — The landscape of competitive action sports is undergoing a profound structural evolution as the MoonPay X Games League (XGL) cements the final components of its upcoming inaugural winter campaign. On August 13, 2026, X Games leadership officially revealed the four general managers tasked with assembling the premier rosters for the league’s debut winter season, which is scheduled to kick off in January 2027. Alongside these high-profile appointments, executives confirmed X Games Club Whistler (XC Whistler) as the fourth and final founding Winter Club, completing a geographic footprint designed to merge regional sports culture with global athletic talent.
The announcement arrives on the heels of a highly successful inaugural summer season for the XGL, a year-round, team-based, co-ed circuit developed under the stewardship of private equity firm MSP Sports Capital. With the summer competition demonstrating significant commercial traction and audience growth, the transition to snow and ice represents the next phase in a broader strategy to institutionalize action sports through structured leagues, season-long narratives, and expanded financial opportunities for elite skiers and snowboarders.
Setting the Stage for the 2027 Winter Season
The formation of the XGL Winter Clubs marks a departure from the traditional, standalone event model that has defined the X Games brand since its inception. For decades, athletes competed purely for single-event podium finishes and individual prize purses. Under the XGL framework, participants are integrated into formalized club operations, introducing multi-event league standings, tactical roster management, and strategic team depth.
The four founding Winter Clubs are anchored in regions with deep historical ties to the progression of skiing and snowboarding. XC Golden State will be managed by Olympic champion Jonny Moseley, tapping into the heritage of Northern California and Lake Tahoe. XC New York will be led by action sports executive Dave Sypniewski, supported by winter sports pioneer Barrett Christy Cummins acting as special advisor. XC Park City falls under the direction of athlete marketing strategist Sharalee “Haze” Hazen, who previously managed XC Los Angeles during the summer season. Finally, XC Whistler will be spearheaded by Canadian media executive Ryan Stutt, anchoring the league firmly within the historic Canadian action sports hub.
These four general managers will hold absolute authority over roster construction, athlete strategy, and club development. Their tenure begins in earnest on September 16, 2026, when they convene at Cosm in Los Angeles for the inaugural XGL Winter Draft. During the draft, each general manager will select a 10-athlete roster from a pool consisting of the world’s foremost skiing and snowboarding competitors.
A Chronological Leap: From Summer Triumph to Winter Expansion
The rollout of the XGL winter division follows a carefully orchestrated timeline by league executives and MSP Sports Capital, which acquired the X Games franchise to modernize and scale its global business operations.
The blueprint for the league was put into motion with the conceptualization of a year-round team framework, dividing competition evenly across summer and winter disciplines. The inaugural Summer Season served as the proving ground for the model, yielding impressive broadcast and digital metrics. According to official league data, the summer competitions reached 18.3 million U.S. television viewers across ABC and ESPN, marking a substantial 78.5 percent increase compared to the previous year’s traditional broadcast figures in 2025.
The climax of the summer campaign took place in New Orleans, where XC Newure York captured the inaugural XGL summer championship in dramatic fashion. In a contest that highlighted the competitive viability of the team format, XC New York narrowly defeated XC Tokyo by a razor-thin margin of just 10 points on the final run of the season, finishing with a winning score of 2,640 points to Tokyo’s 2,630. This down-to-the-wire finish validated the league’s hypothesis that team-based points accumulation could generate heightened viewer engagement and intense sporting rivalries.
Capitalizing on that momentum, league organizers turned their attention to the cold-weather disciplines. The confirmation of XC Whistler on August 13 finalized the winter club ecosystem, balancing U.S. and international representation ahead of the September draft and the official January 2027 puck-drop—or, more accurately, the first descent—in Aspen, Colorado.
General Manager Profiles and Strategic Intent
The selection of the four general managers reflects an intentional blending of athletic pedigree, commercial acumen, and deep cultural roots within the winter sports community. X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom emphasized that the unique demands of running a club require leadership capable of evaluating more than just raw athletic output.
“For the first time in X Games history, someone has to build a championship roster, not just produce a championship run,” Bloom stated. “That makes the GM role incredibly important. Jonny, Dave, Haze and Ryan each bring deep credibility with athletes, real roots in these sports and a different point of view on how to build a winning club. They now get to make the first roster decisions in X Games history that will impact an entire winter season.”
Jonny Moseley brings instant credibility and cultural resonance to XC Golden State. As an Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion, Moseley fundamentally altered the trajectory of modern freeskiing with his innovative performances at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. He holds the distinction of being the first skier to medal at both the Olympic Games and the X Games. In the decades following his competitive retirement, Moseley transitioned seamlessly into media, becoming one of the most recognizable and trusted commentary voices in the industry.
Reflecting on his new role, Moseley noted the personal significance of returning to his geographic roots. “Growing up in Northern California, I saw firsthand how the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe helped shape skiing and snowboarding,” Moseley said. “It’s where I learned to ski, where I competed, and where my passion for the sport began. To come back and lead XC Golden State is incredibly meaningful. We have an opportunity to create something that reflects the innovation, creativity and competitive spirit of this region while chasing the first X Games League Winter Championship.”
At XC New York, Dave Sypniewski steps into the general manager role after spending decades driving the commercial and marketing foundations of snowboarding. Sypniewski has worked extensively with foundational industry entities such as Thrasher, Burton, and Boost Mobile, focusing on athlete development and strategic brand partnerships.
To navigate the intricacies of winter sports competition, Sypniewski will be aided by Special Advisor Barrett Christy Cummins. Cummins is an 11-time X Games medalist, U.S. Olympian, and inductee into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, providing an elite competitive compass for the New York franchise as it attempts to replicate the championship success achieved by its summer counterpart.
“The X Games League creates a whole new way to think about team building in action sports,” Sypniewski observed. “Success won’t come from one superstar. It’ll come from putting together a club with the right mix of talent, versatility and competitive mindset. I’m excited to build a team that can contend from the draft through the final event of the season and hopefully continue XC New York’s championship success.”
Sharalee “Haze” Hazen brings extensive operational experience to XC Park City, having previously served as the general manager of XC Los Angeles during the XGL’s inaugural summer campaign. Hazen is well-regarded for her work in athlete marketing and experiential strategy, having co-created The Uninvited Invitational to expand competitive platforms for female snowboarders. Her familiarity with league operations and athlete advocacy is expected to provide XC Park City with immediate stability and a strong organizational culture.
“Action sports have always been about pushing boundaries, building community and creating opportunities for athletes to thrive,” Hazen stated. “The X Games League takes that to another level by giving athletes, fans and clubs a shared journey throughout the season. Our goal is to create an environment where athletes feel supported, authentic stories emerge naturally and XC Park City becomes a team people connect with on and off the snow.”
Rounding out the leadership group is Ryan Stutt at XC Whistler. Stutt is a prominent Canadian media executive and entrepreneur who has spent over twenty years chronicling and shaping winter sports culture. As the founder of leading Canadian ski and snowboard publications Forecast Ski and King Snow, and the producer and co-director of the acclaimed documentary “Our Kind of Chaos”—which explored the influential Whistler-based “Whiskey” snowboard film series—Stutt possesses an intimate understanding of the region’s athletic pedigree.
“Whistler represents the pinnacle of ski and snowboard culture,” Stutt said. “The expectation here is excellence, and that’s exactly how we’ll approach the X Games League. We’re committed to creating a culture that attracts elite athletes, embraces progression and competes for championships while honoring the legacy that makes Whistler special.”
The XGL Winter Draft and Immersive Fan Experience
The next major milestone for the league is the XGL Winter Draft, scheduled for September 16, 2026. Hosted at Cosm in Los Angeles, the event will serve as the public unveiling of the initial club rosters. In alignment with the league’s emphasis on immersive fan engagement, the draft will not be a closed-door proceeding.
Organizers have opened the event to the public, offering a limited allocation of “Superfan” tickets available for purchase via the official X Games web portal. By utilizing Cosm’s venue technology, the league intends to blend physical attendance with high-definition digital immersion, setting a precedent for how off-season league events are consumed by the public.
Following the draft, the four general managers will have several months to work with their newly selected athletes, establishing team chemistry, training protocols, and tactical strategies ahead of the opening bell in January 2027. While the season opener is officially slated for Aspen, Colorado, league officials have indicated that additional stops, venues, and dates for the remainder of the inaugural winter calendar will be announced in the coming months.
Broader Economic and Industry Implications
The institutionalization of the X Games brand under MSP Sports Capital and the rollout of the XGL reflect a broader financial maturation within the action sports sector. Historically, action sports athletes relied heavily on sporadic prize winnings and corporate sponsorships tied to individual performance, leaving many vulnerable to economic volatility outside of major quadrennial events like the Winter Olympics.
The XGL team model introduces structural economic shifts designed to benefit competitors. By integrating athletes into formalized clubs, the league expands compensation pathways beyond standard event purses, offering stable structures and potential revenue-sharing tied to club performance and commercial growth. This team-based infrastructure mirrors the economic models found in traditional major sports leagues, making action sports properties more attractive to institutional investors, media rights buyers, and global corporate sponsors.
Furthermore, the integration of geographic identities—such as Golden State, New York, Park City, and Whistler—allows fans to form localized allegiances that persist across the entire calendar year. This continuous storytelling arc addresses a historic challenge in action sports: maintaining audience retention during inter-event lulls. By transforming episodic competitions into a continuous league narrative, the MoonPay X Games League aims to secure long-term media value and solidify action sports as a permanent fixture in the modern sports entertainment landscape.
