As the FIS Ski World Cup season continues to gather momentum, winter sports fans are looking forward to thrilling action to satiate their needs. And yet, the issues that continue to trouble winter sports remain a lingering thought in the back of the head. With that in mind, 3x Olympic champ Shaun White has started the ball rolling to make at least snowboarding a sport that athletes can rely on as a viable career.

Now, it looks like the FIS is also upping its efforts to follow suit. Earlier this year, the snowboarding icon announced his intentions to start a new winter sports tournament to bring more exposure and popularity to his beloved sport. Taking notes from White, the apex winter sports body is also looking to make mountains move with all focus on the 2026 Winter Games.

The FIS takes a page out of Shaun White’s book

An article by FIS from November 19 has revealed that it will be joining hands with VISA. The digital payments global leader has also been announced as the title partner for the FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup. The joint venture will kick off at the season opener in China later this month and will continue all the way to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. “It is a perfect match. We are thrilled and honored to welcome Visa to the FIS family,” said FIS General Secretary, Michel Vion.

With announcing VISA as the title partner for the Snowboarding World Cup, FIS hopes that it will give a “fresh edge to one of snow sports’ most electrifying disciplines.” Moreover, it’s also expected that it will make the fan experience a more seamless one, with payment methods coming under one umbrella service. “With this partnership, FIS and Visa aim to drive the growth of the sport and celebrate the athletes who define its excellence, focusing on inspiring the next generation of snowboarders,” read the article, further elaborating on how the collaboration can take the sport to newer heights in the coming days.

Interestingly, this is similar to what Shaun White said about his Snow League experience. “We train just as hard as any athlete. We put in the hours, put in the time, deal with the injuries, the ups and downs of it all,” said the Winter X Games legend, claiming he’s determined to bring a new era to snowboarding. With so many efforts being made to make winter sports more rewarding, the troubles that some of the athletes have pointed out over the years should also be addressed soon.

The troubles run rampant

Missouri-based snowboarder Lexi Bullis stunned the snowboarding community earlier this year with her plight. Despite being a decorated star of the sport, Bullis admitted that accumulating funds to help her pursue her dreams can become difficult. “You work odd jobs throughout the summer and basically live poor,” confessed the St. Louis resident, revealing the business venture she’s embarked on helped her reach the 2026 Winter Games.

Bullis also said that she’s started helping in her mom’s soap business and named the company Alpine Soap Company to get the money she needs to keep practicing for the big rumble ahead. But the woes don’t end there for the winter sports athletes; after the US Ski & Snowboard Team announced following a decentralized broadcasting system going forward, several fans clamored that it would create problems for them to follow the sport. Chiming in, 98-times World Cup winner alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin wrote on social media, “May not be the most ideal situation.”

But do you think Shaun White and the FIS could become the saviors and bring a serious change? Share your predictions in the comments below.