The action sports championships X Games, the winter version of which has mostly happened in Colorado over the past few decades, is taking the concept on the road this winter with the inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL).
It’s now been confirmed that Finland’s Ruka-Kuusamo will host the championship finale next April, the first time the X Games brand has brought a major winter event to the country.
Among the athletes hoping for a place on one of the four Winter Season club rosters (10 athletes, with five men and five women per club, to be selected from a pool of more than 180) are two of Britain’s leading winter sports stars: two-time X Games gold medallist snowboarder Mia Brookes, from Sandbach in Cheshire, and Freeski SuperPipe world champion Zoe Atkin (pictured top competing at X Games Aspen), who took home bronze in Freeski Halfpipe at Milan Cortina 2026.
Ruka Ski Resort, one of Finland’s top winter sports destinations, will stage the season-deciding event from 9th-11th April 2027, following season-opening stops at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colorado (29th-31st January 2027) and WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Canada (19th-21st February 2027).
The three-stop season introduces X Games’ new club-based, season-long format to winter sports for the first time. Rather than competing for individual medals, the world’s top skiers and snowboarders will also earn points throughout the season for four X Games Clubs (XC Golden State, XC New York, XC Park City and XC Whistler), building towards a season-long championship race that will be settled in Ruka-Kuusamo.
The Ruka finale will also carry the season’s festival-style atmosphere beyond the competition, with acclaimed electronic duo Adriatique headlining a live performance on the Saturday night of finals weekend.
“Ruka is a legendary winter destination with a proven track record of consistently delivering world-class events,” said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games. “The feedback we always hear from athletes and teams is that Ruka feels like home, which is the ultimate endorsement. Having competed there myself, I know firsthand how special the venue and the community are, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the X Games to Ruka.”
High in Finnish Lapland, Ruka-Kuusamo is slowly establishing itself as one of Europe’s most exciting winter destinations. With around 200 days of snow per year (thanks to a huge snowfarming effort, the 26-27 season starts there in just over a fortnight at the start of October) , Ruka-Kuusamo is home to one of Finland’s largest ski resorts, as well as three national parks and over 100 saunas. Here you can watch the northern lights beneath some of Europe’s darkest skies and sample a wide range of winter activities, from river floating and fat biking to husky safaris and reindeer yoga.
Mia Brookes
Although British charter flights and tour operator packages to the region mostly end in February, for UK fans looking to travel to the MoonPay X Games League Championship weekend in April, Finnair operates daily flights from Helsinki to Kuusamo, connecting from any UK – Helsinki service. It’s also possible to fly to Rovaniemi and take a bus or rental car to Ruka.
Antti Kärävä, Ruka Ski Resort’s CEO, said: “The X Games are a perfect match for Ruka-Kuusamo and Ruka Ski Resort. Our long winter ensures excellent conditions well into spring; our infrastructure is designed to host international competitions, and everything is conveniently located within easy reach. Hosting the MoonPay X Games League Championship event gives us an opportunity to introduce Ruka to a new generation of winter sports fans.”
Tickets will go on sale for the Ruka-Kuusamo competition on the 16th of September.