NEW ORLEANS (July 25, 2026) — The inaugural MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 Championship has reached a fever pitch. With only one day remaining before the crowning of the first-ever MoonPay X Games League (XGL) champions, the narrative of the competition shifted dramatically on Saturday. In a display of sheer technical precision and high-stakes performance, XC New York’s top draft pick, Chloe Covell, delivered a gold-medal performance in the final event of the day, vaulting her club into the pole position for the overall team championship.
As the dust settles on a grueling second day of competition at the Superdome, the standings have tightened into a razor-thin margin. XC New York leads the pack with 2,280 points, narrowly edging out XC Tokyo, which sits just 20 points behind at 2,260. The battle for the league title is a four-horse race, with XC São Paulo (2,120) and XC Los Angeles (2,050) remaining well within striking distance heading into Sunday’s grand finale.
A Landscape of Elite Action Sports
Saturday’s itinerary was a tour-de-force of the world’s premier action sports talent, featuring eight distinct high-octane events: 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 the climactic Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street.
The day was defined by "never-been-done" (NBD) maneuvers and historic milestones. From young phenoms redefining the technical limits of vert skating to seasoned veterans cementing their legacies in BMX and Moto X, the New Orleans atmosphere proved to be the ultimate stage for the XGL’s inaugural season.
The MVP Race: A High-Stakes Calculation
The individual MVP race has become as compelling as the team championship. Mizuho Hasegawa (XC Tokyo) currently holds the lead with 600 points, followed closely by Gui Khury (XC São Paulo) at 550.
The mathematical permutations for Sunday are intense. If Khury secures gold in the Men’s Skateboard Vert, he will finish with a total of 650 points, placing the burden of proof squarely on Hasegawa. To clinch the MVP title in that scenario, Hasegawa would need to secure a bronze medal or better in the Women’s Skateboard Park. Should Khury take silver, the requirements for Hasegawa soften, as she would then only need a fourth-place finish or better to secure the league’s most prestigious individual honor.
Event Recaps: The Triumph of Technique
MoonPay Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick
The competition featured a remarkably youthful field, with an average age of just 16. Eleven-year-old Mia Kretzer (XC Los Angeles) continued her record-breaking run, securing her fourth career X Games gold with an NBD fakie body varial 720. Kretzer’s performance has been a revelation for XC Los Angeles, as the league’s 39th draft pick now accounts for 26% of her team’s total points.
Asahi Kaihara (Free Agent) secured silver with a technical switch front foot impossible tailgrab, while Mizuho Hasegawa took bronze. With this result, Hasegawa matched the legendary Leticia Bufoni’s record for the most medals by a woman in summer X Games disciplines, a testament to her consistency and longevity at the highest level.
Stake Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick
Ryan Williams (XC São Paulo) reaffirmed his status as the most dominant figure in BMX by capturing his 14th X Games gold. Performing "The Oliver Twist"—an alley-oop frontflip 540 flair dedicated to his late friend, Oliver Tree—Williams thrilled the New Orleans crowd. With 17 total medals in just 26 starts, Williams remains the most influential athlete in the sport, boasting a social media following of 6.5 million. Justin Dowell (Free Agent) and Kieran Reilly (Free Agent) rounded out the podium.
MoonPay Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick
Gui Khury’s dominance in Vert Best Trick remains absolute. With his eighth consecutive gold in the discipline, he extended his total X Games medal count to 20. Khury’s victory was not merely a matter of prestige; it was a strategic masterstroke that kept his MVP hopes alive. He now enters the final day with a maximum point potential of 710, the highest of any remaining athlete in the field. Tom Schaar (XC Los Angeles) and JD Sanchez (Free Agent) provided stiff competition, taking silver and bronze, respectively.
Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street
Ginwoo Onodera (XC New York) made history by becoming the first skater in years to win three consecutive golds in the street discipline. His performance, capped by a flawless kickflip front blunt on a non-round rail, was the catalyst for XC New York’s surge in the standings. Toa Sasaki (XC Tokyo) and Juni Kang (Free Agent) earned silver and bronze, the latter proving his mettle by competing through a significant wrist injury.
Moto X Best Trick
In a display of pure aerial mastery, Spain’s Jose Canosa secured gold with a 97.00 score on a frontflip double seatgrab Indian air. As the youngest rider in the field, Canosa’s rapid progression from motocross to freestyle has been the story of the season. Rob Adelberg and Patrick Evans took the remaining podium spots, with Evans’s performance on an electric bike signaling a potential technological shift for the future of Moto X.
Stake Men’s BMX Dirt
Brady Baker (XC Los Angeles) etched his name into the history books as the first-ever four-time gold medalist in BMX Dirt. His technical repertoire, including a 360 kickless rewind superman tailwhip, proved insurmountable for the field. Mike Varga and Ryan Williams finished in second and third.
Stake Men’s Skateboard Park
Tom Schaar joined elite company, becoming only the fourth skater in X Games history to win three gold medals in the Park discipline. His triumph was a emotional victory, coming after a fall in his first run, and it served as a morale booster for the entire XC Los Angeles club. Keegan Palmer and rookie sensation Egoitz Bijueska followed.
Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street
The day concluded with a high-pressure finale as Chloe Covell (XC New York) secured the gold medal. The victory was double-edged: it pushed XC New York into first place in the league standings and tied Covell with Leticia Bufoni for the most medals in women’s summer X Games history. Momiji Nishiya (XC New York) secured silver, ensuring a massive points haul for the New York club.
Official Responses and Athlete Reflections
The mood among the athletes was a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. Chloe Covell, speaking after her gold-medal win, emphasized the importance of the team structure. "I’m so stoked, so happy to do it for my team," Covell stated. "We were so close to getting into the number one spot, and Momiji and I did so good. It’s so crazy I don’t even think about records like [tying Bufoni] until I’m told. I have the best team ever."
Gui Khury shared similar sentiments regarding the supportive environment of the XGL. "It’s been a great opportunity," Khury remarked. "The crowd here is the best, and the competition has pushed me to perform at my absolute peak."
Implications for the Future of Action Sports
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League is proving to be more than just a series of events; it is a fundamental shift in how action sports are consumed and organized. By introducing team-based standings, the XGL has fostered a level of rivalry and strategic cooperation previously unseen in the sport.
As the X Games New Orleans 2026 Championship heads into its final day, the implications are clear: the league model is working. Fans are engaged with the team narratives, and athletes are finding new avenues for performance, recognition, and compensation. With only 20 points separating the top two clubs, the tension in the Superdome on Sunday is expected to be unprecedented.
The stage is set for a historic conclusion to the first XGL season. Whether it is the tactical brilliance of the XC New York squad or the individual heroics of the MVP frontrunners, the final day in New Orleans promises to define the next era of global action sports.
