Industry News
The Natural Selection Tour, a manifestation of snowboarders’ wildest dreams, with an innovative format designed to reveal riders’ full creative expression and deep knowledge of all-mountain conditions, returns in 2024 with two live head-to-head competition days and YETI Natural Selection DUELS. The Tour also ups the ante this season with two all-new Canadian venues: one, a sport-progressing, naturally enhanced venue at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and a second in glorious, natural backcountry terrain within Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing’s tenure; and six new, global DUELS locations.
“Natural Selection is thrilled to return to Revelstoke. Last season the mountains, epic conditions and vibrant community delivered beyond our wildest imagination. Our goal is to double-down on Revelstoke with two new venues, two live event days and more ways to bring the global and local community together. Natural Selection’s goal has always been to connect people with Mother Nature by providing a platform where the most inspiring riders of our time can push the limits of the natural world.”
– Carter Westfall, CEO Natural Selection Tour
The season kicks off with YETI Natural Selection DUELS showcasing inspiring natural terrain and diverse rider styles. This year’s DUELS will stage in iconic mountain venues worldwide including:
- Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis in Switzerland;
- Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO;
- Eleven’s terrain on Scarp Ridge in Irwin, CO;
- RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, BC;
- Purgatory Snowcat Adventures in Durango, CO;
- and an undisclosed location in Japan.
YETI Natural Selection DUELS are designed to bring out riders’ creativity, skill, and fortitude, while highlighting new zones and ever-changing conditions to show snowboarding’s diverse styles. In DUELS, 12 challengers from across the global snowboarding spectrum will compete for the six remaining rider spots available in Revelstoke; two for women and four for men. Full edits from each DUELS competition will stream globally in late February 2024.
Of the 24 riders convening in Revelstoke, 18 riders are returning with tickets punched straight to the window opening on March 10, 2024. These invited riders include the 12 who are pre-qualified through their performances at the 2023 YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke:
- Mikkel Bang
- Mikey Ciccarelli
- Dustin Craven
- Jared Elston
- Kimmy Fasani
- Ben Ferguson
- Hailey Langland
- Elena Hight
- Torstein Horgmo
- Blake Paul
- Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
- Travis Rice
An additional six invited riders will be announced on Natural Selection social media throughout the winter. The six DUELS winning riders will be announced as Natural Selection each DUEL premieres starting in late February 2024.
Live-streamed globally within the competition window, March 10-17, 2024 with Mother Nature selecting the optimal two days and the optimal zone for the day. Twenty-four riders drop first in either a magnificent backcountry zone in the Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing tenure or on the all-new, naturally enhanced, and feature-laden Revelstoke Mountain Resort sidecountry venue.
The final 12 riders, who make it through the first day of competition, will earn their spot to drop into the second venue for another day of live snowboarding. The finals day will culminate in the crowning of the men’s and women’s 2024 Natural Selection champions.
Known by riders as the heart of interior BC for its diverse terrain and legendary snowfall, the Revelstoke area is a natural fit for Natural Selection. 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 and hosted by Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing.
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 window
YETI 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 Natural Selection Tour. YETI is back as the Title Partner of the DUELS, Revelstoke, and Selkirk Tangiers events and is the Tour’s Official Sustainability Partner. 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.
The Industry Alliance marketing program engages endemic brands that support the events and their team riders competing on the Natural Selection Tour. Current Industry Alliance members include Mervin Manufacturing (Lib-Tech, GNU, Bent Metal Binding Works), Union Binding Company, Nitro Snowboards, Dragon Alliance, Rip Curl, and Spy Optics. Members receive access to a suite of rights and media integration within the tour and are a fundamental group in supporting the future of snowboarding’s health and progression.
The Natural Selection Tour is the brainchild of Travis Rice and showcases the world’s top riders from Olympians to big mountain film icons all competing on the planet’s most exciting natural and naturally enhanced terrain. The 2024 Tour features three stages, as riders move through YETI Natural Selection DUELS, the YETI Natural Selection Selkirk Tangiers, and YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke events. The best all-mountain freestyle riders in the world will come together for the crowning of a men’s and women’s champion after the final day of live competition in Revelstoke. The Natural Selection Tour’s mission is to inspire people to forge a deeper relationship with Mother Nature.
