Industry News
Jackson, WY (November 3, 2022)—The Natural Selection Tour, where 24 of the world’s top snowboarders from throughout the sport compete in dynamic, natural venues, returns with three stages and two live events in 2023. The Tour ups the ante in its third years with head-to-head live competition in all-new Canadian and Alaskan venues and with a brand new first stage format, DUELS. Natural Selection DUELS are designed to bring out riders’ creativity and highlight new zones and snowboarding’s diverse styles.
“The Tour’s mission is to inspire people to forge a deeper relationship with the outdoors. The Tour continues to evolve in ways that put snowboarding and the natural wonder of being in the mountains front and center,” said Travis Rice, the 2022 Natural Selection Tour men’s overall champion. “We are grateful to the riders, venues and partners that are coming together to ensure that snowboarding has a platform for progression fitting to the incredible talent and boundaries being stretched. Help us to envision prime conditions and this winter. The Tour is going to another level, great to have you with us!”
The 2023 Natural Selection Tour pre-qualified riders include eight of the men and three of the women who competed at the TAE Natural Selection Baldface in 2022: Mikkel Bang, Dustin Craven, Jared Elston, Ben Ferguson, Marion Haerty, Elena Hight, Torstein Horgmo, Mark McMorris, Blake Paul, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Travis Rice. Hana Beaman, winner of the 2022 YETI Natural Selection Alaska, is out for injury. Thirteen invited riders hand-picked by the Natural Selection Nomination Committee will be announced starting in late November. Follow Natural Selection on social media to be in the know as invited rider names drop.
“Natural Selection has been pushing the envelope of what is possible for snowboard events, highlighting backcountry snowboarding in a super unique way,” said Elena Hight, 2022 Natural Selection Tour women’s overall champion. “It’s exciting to be a part of and I am looking forward to seeing what this season brings.”
The action kicks off in rider-selected freeriding venues worldwide for Natural Selection DUELS that will showcase varied terrain, as the dozen riders who have pre-qualified from the 2022 season including Olympians, big mountain icons and rising stars go head-to-head with 12 challenging riders from across the global snowboarding spectrum. The full edited and scored runs from each DUEL will be broadcast globally with select media partners starting in February 2023.
The eight men and four women to come out on top of Natural Selection DUELS will converge for the YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke based out of Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Live-streamed globally within the contest window, March 4 through 11, Mother Nature picks the day when riders will compete in brackets ending in a crowning of a winner in a dynamic venue within the Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing tenure. Known for diverse, big mountain terrain, Revelstoke is a natural fit for the event with high quality, light snow and consistent, reliable snowfall. The Tour will also highlight and celebrate the authentic spirit of the Revelstoke mountain community with events supported by Tourism Revelstoke and the Province of British Columbia.
“Revelstoke Mountain Resort hosting the Natural Selection Tour is going to be mind-blowing,” said Dustin Craven, Revelstoke-local and 2022 TAE Natural Selection Baldface winner. “Revelstoke has some of the most desirable terrain in the world and every year film crews travel to Revelstoke to capture our steep tree-covered spines, pillows and some of the deepest snow ever. The Natural Selection is special because it challenges the top riders in the world to put down the best run possible on technical terrain and with Revelstoke’s diversity of terrain, I think it will be the event of the year.”
All 12 riders, who compete at the YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke will move on to Natural Selection Alaska in an all-new Natural Selection Tour super final venue outside of Valdez. During the window from March 25 through April 1, riders go head-to-head on the iconic steeps and spines of Alaska’s Chugach Mountain Range. Look for riders from every aspect of snowboarding to put together film part worthy runs in one take in an effort to make the final and claim the crown in Alaska.
A manifestation of snowboarders’ wildest dreams, the Tour’s innovative format reveals riders’ full creative expression and requires a deep knowledge of all-mountain conditions to reign supreme. The second and third Tour stops will run within seven-day weather windows to ensure that the snow is in prime condition.
2023 Natural Selection Tour Dates:
February 2023
YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke:
March 4 – 11, 2023
Natural Selection Alaska:
March 25 – April 1, 2023
Like-minded partners are coming together to help develop and support the Natural Selection Tour. YETI is back as the title sponsor of the Revelstoke event and the Tour’s sustainability partner. Backcountry returns as the Tour’s outerwear partner with NST Freeride 3L outerwear kits available now. Pacifico, TAE, Burton, Fuel Off-Road wheels, Dakine and Ski-Doo will also return as Tour partners, with more 2023 partners being announced throughout the fall. To get involved please contact the Natural Selection Tour’s Partnership Team.
The Industry Alliance marketing platform, where endemic brands are able to directly support the events and their team riders competing on the Natural Selection Tour, will return in 2023. Alliance members will receive brand presence on live-stream, social media and at the events, along with access to content and social assets from the Tour for marketing their team riders.
About the Natural Selection Tour
