Industry News
Revelstoke, BC (November 21, 2023)―With many of the world’s best riders gathered in Revelstoke for the 2023 Natural Selection Tour and dream conditions on tap, there were two otherworldly venues to choose from, but only one live event day. Still buzzing from the mind-blowing, and at moments terrifying day of live competition at Boulder Park, a crew of NST icons and surprise guests decide to leave no fresh landing untouched. They went back into the mountains to throw down a surprise session, the YETI Natural Selection “Revelstoke Super Session” presented by YETI is now streaming for free, on-demand on Outside Watch.
“Watching and MCing the live action at the super session was straight up mind-blowing,” said Jody Wachniak, pro rider, NST judge and Super Session co-emcee. “While the Natural Selection main event focuses on the crème de la crème, the super session had a much more laid-back vibe. It serves as a cool reminder of Travis and his crew’s unique approach to this event as a whole.”
A perfect storm of riders in the region, mind-bending terrain, and safe, deep conditions came together for this day in Interior British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains. “At the beginning of winter, we scoped the entire Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing (STHS) tenure for potential venues that could hold a Natural Selection live event from the backcountry. NST and our guides chose two: Boulder Park and Huckleberry. We then managed both zones to be safe and accessible, while preserving the snow for when the day came,” said Sean Cochrane, STHS Lead Guide.
When Mother Nature called, Natural Selection Tour riders Mikey Ciccarelli, Jared Elston, Kimmy Fasani, Ben Ferguson, Elena Hight, Hailey Langland, Blake Paul and Travis Rice answered with creative and highly-skilled lines. Joining the NST riders were a globally curated group of snowboarders: Victor Daviet, Raibu Katayama, Mateo Massitti and Sam Taxwood.
The irresistible lure of the Boulder Park pillow factory won the battle of the venues and became the main 2023 Natural Selection Revelstoke event location. But, Travis knew that Huckleberry was still in great shape and ready to go. That is when the one-hour film, “Revelstoke Super Session” was conceived.
Two days after Natural Selection ran a live-to-the-world competition at Boulder Park, Selkirk Tangiers guided the riders back into the mountains to drop into the magnificent Huckleberry Bowl. This time, the cameras were rolling and the riders fully sent it, but the world had no idea it was going down. Captured in complete secrecy with never before seen footage; YETI Natural Selection “Revelstoke Super Session” captures the biggest riders in the game, all together with optimal terrain for progression, on one very lucky bluebird day.
“The Super Session was a really fun experience,” said Kimmy Fasani, pro snowboarder. “Watching so many incredible riders navigate this epic bowl with a variety of terrain features was highly motivating. Each time someone dropped in, the next rider stepped up their line. The highlights for me were watching Travis pick out a super technical gap, and watching Elena smoothly navigate the mountains with so much confidence.”
2024 Natural Selection Tour Dates:
YETI Natural Selection DUELS
Premiering starting late February 2024, with winners revealed in show
YETI Natural Selection Selkirk Tangiers
March 10-17, 2024**Live for one-day in competition windowYETI Natural Selection Revelstoke
March 10-17, 2024**Live for one-day in competition window
Like-minded partners are coming together to help develop and support the NaturalSelection Tour. YETI is back as the Title Partner of the DUELS, Revelstoke, and Selkirk Tangiers events and is the Tour’s Official Sustainability Partner. Arc’teryx is Natural Selections official outerwear partner. A New Earth Project, Backcountry Access (BCA), Dakine, GoPro, Oakley, SENDY, Ski-Doo, TAE, and Visit Durango have signed on as Tour partners, with more 2024 partners being announced throughout the fall and winter.
To get involved please contact the Natural Selection Tour’s Partnership Team.
