Historic event at Cosm Los Angeles brought together more than 50 athletes and 500 industry leaders, partners and fans to witness teenage phenom skater Chloe Covell take the first draft pick at the inaugural MoonPay X Games League Draft
Los Angeles, CA (March 12, 2026) – History was made tonight at Cosm Los Angeles as the inaugural 2026 MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Draft brought together the world’s best skateboard and BMX athletes and more than 500 guests to witness the first X Games draft, marking a new era in action sports.
With a limited number of ticketed guests inside the immersive venue, the excitement kicked off as XC New York General Manager Steve Rodriguez selected sixteen-year-old Australian skateboard phenom Chloe Covell as the number one draft pick, XC Los Angeles General manager Sharalee “Haze” Hazen followed by choosing 17-time X Games skateboard medalist and Southern California native Tom Schaar. XC Tokyo General Manager Harumi Suzuki then selected record-setting, eight-time X Games gold medalist skateboarder Arisa Trew of Australia. Rounding out the first round, XC São Paulo General Manager Bob Burnquist chose Brazilian skater Gui Khury, the most medaled teenager in X Games history, with 15, and counting–officially forming the foundation of the four inaugural X Games Clubs.
When asked about what it was like to be the first athlete drafted to the MoonPay X Games League, Covell responded, “I’m like…loss of words. I’m so excited. I was really nervous, but I’m super grateful. I definitely didn’t think this was going to happen, but it’s amazing. It definitely shows all of the hard work I put in. I’m looking forward to having fun with my team and doing my best.”
The draft streamed live worldwide across the ESPN App in the United States and globally on The Roku Sports Channel, YouTube, Kick, and the X Games TV FAST Channel on Amazon, giving fans around the world a front-row seat as teams were built in real time.
Held inside state-of-the-art Cosm Los Angeles, the event blended sports, entertainment and culture in a setting designed to bring fans closer to the action than ever before. The venue’s massive wraparound LED dome and cinematic production created a one-of-a-kind stage as the league’s four clubs assembled their rosters live in front of the crowd.
“This is a defining moment for action sports,” said Jeremy Bloom. “For three decades, X Games has celebrated the world’s best athletes through iconic competitions. Tonight, we’ve taken the next step—creating teams, building rivalries, and launching a league that will connect fans with these athletes year-round. Seeing the energy inside Cosm tonight showed exactly why the MoonPay X Games League is going to change the game.”
The MoonPay X Games League introduces a new chapter for the iconic brand with a year-round, global, team-based format that expands beyond traditional standalone X Games events. Each X Games Club will feature 10 athletes — five men and five women — selected through the draft to compete together across the inaugural season.
The four clubs representing global cities that will anchor the league’s debut season are:
• XC Los Angeles
• XC New York
• XC São Paulo
• XC Tokyo
During the draft, the four club general managers — Sharalee “Haze” Hazen (XC Los Angeles), Steve Rodriguez (XC New York), Bob Burnquist (XC São Paulo), and Harumi Suzuki (XC Tokyo) — selected 40 athletes representing eight different countries, ages 11-35, from a pool of more than 180 who opted into the draft, completing five rounds of selections and forming the inaugural team rosters. Athletes across skateboarding and BMX disciplines participated in the historic moment, including global stars such as Tom Schaar, Hannah Roberts, Arisa Trew, Kevin Peraza, and Nyjah Huston.
The draft was presented by league title partner MoonPay, with additional support from league founding partner Monster Energy and league partners Stake, Exodus, 805 Beer, High Noon, and Kraken Rum.
As part of the draft-night experience, league partner Exodus introduced a first-of-its-kind activation bringing crypto signing bonuses to action sports. Drafted athletes received signing bonuses delivered through Exodus’ self-custody crypto wallet platform, marking one of the first integrations of digital asset compensation into a professional sports league draft. The activation highlighted how the MoonPay X Games League is blending sport, technology, and culture while expanding earning opportunities for athletes in the new team-based format.
Following the draft, athletes, partners, and guests celebrated on the rooftop of Cosm overlooking Hollywood Park, where Grammy-winning producer BNYX delivered a surprise performance that capped off the monumental evening.
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League Summer Season begins June 26 in Sacramento, followed by X Games Japan on July 4–5, before culminating with the league championship July 24–26 inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The team with the highest cumulative score across the season will be crowned the first MoonPay X Games League champion.
MoonPay X Games League Draft Results
For more details about the MoonPay X Games League, head to xgames.com.
ABOUT MOONPAY X GAMES LEAGUE
MoonPay X Games League (XGL) brings an exciting new extension to the iconic X Games brand as the world’s first year-round, team-based, co-ed league in action sports. The League features eight Clubs (four winter X Games Clubs and four summer X Games Clubs) that fuse geographical identity with global athletic talent as they compete. These Clubs will be comprised of the top athletes in the world competing for what will become the most coveted trophy in action sports.
For the first time in X Games history, athletes compete in a structured season and team-based format, allowing for season-long storylines and deeper athlete-fan engagement across broadcast, streaming, live events, and digital platforms. This represents a fundamental shift in the world of action sports as XGL aims to build stronger global presence and regional connections for athletes, teams, fans, and sponsors. The formation of XGL greatly expands compensation opportunities for athletes far beyond existing prize purses, with additional earning potential as part of the league’s team model. To learn more, visit xgames.com/xgl/ or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
About MoonPay
Founded in 2019, MoonPay is a global financial technology company that helps businesses and consumers move value across fiat and digital assets. MoonPay has more than 30 million customers across 180 countries and supports more than 500 enterprise customers spanning crypto and fintech.
Through a single integration, MoonPay powers on- and off-ramps, trading, crypto payments, and stablecoin infrastructure, connecting traditional payment rails with blockchains. MoonPay maintains a broad regulatory footprint, including a New York BitLicense, a New York Trust Charter, and money transmitter licenses across the United States, as well as MiCA authorization in the EU.
MoonPay is how the world moves value.