COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado (Kyodo) -- Japan's Olympic snowboarding champion Ayumu Hirano has joined the new professional halfpipe league founded by three-time Winter Games gold medalist Shaun White, the start-up competition announced Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Hirano, who won men's halfpipe gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, is so far the biggest name attached to White's Snow League, which is set to kick off next March in Aspen, Colorado, with a prize purse of $1.5 million.

The full field will consist of 36 athletes, 20 men and 16 women, with two-time overall World Cup winner Ruka Hirano and Yuto Totsuka also among the Japanese contingent.

On the women's side, Japan's Mitsuki Ono, back-to-back winner of the overall World Cup title, and Beijing bronze medalist Sena Tomita have been announced as participants.

"This is a dream roster of athletes at the absolute pinnacle of halfpipe snowboarding," White said in a statement. "The Snow League is more than just a competition, it's a stage to celebrate the very best in snowboarding."

The 38-year-old U.S. great retired from competition after finishing fourth in Beijing, ending a career that spanned five Olympics and also saw him reach superstardom via his skateboarding exploits.