Palisades Tahoe will stage the first-ever Natural Selection Ski Super Session this winter, bringing eight of the world’s leading freeride and freestyle skiers to the resort for a new progression-driven stop on the Tour. The event will serve as the opening stage of the 2026 YETI Natural Selection Ski journey, using a session-style format that emphasizes creativity and freestyle expression on natural terrain. Four men and four women will be invited by the Natural Selection Ski selection committee to take part.
Their week at Palisades Tahoe will conclude with one man and one woman advancing to the YETI Natural Selection Ski finals in Alaska, where the season’s champions will be crowned and later featured on Red Bull TV in April. Additional finalists will include prequalified riders and wildcards, with more details to be released throughout the winter.
The Super Session at Palisades Tahoe will stream exclusively on Red Bull TV, with winners revealed in the lead-up to the Alaska finals. Organizers said the session format is designed to give athletes the freedom to approach the mountain creatively as they ride steep, technical and feature-rich terrain shaped by deep Sierra snow.
“The launch of Natural Selection Ski Super Sessions allows the Tour to open a wider funnel of opportunities to riders on the front lines of freeskiing progression,” Mike Douglas said, head of Natural Selection Ski. “I’m stoked to see what these skiers can do as they feed off each other’s energy at one of the most hallowed grounds for our sport. Palisades Tahoe was made for an event like this.”
Palisades Tahoe shared that the resort’s mix of steeps, cliffs, spines and classic big-mountain features makes it a fitting stage for the Tour’s skiing debut.
“We’re thrilled to host the first-ever Natural Selection Ski Super Session here at Palisades Tahoe,” Amy Ohran said, the resort’s president and COO. “Our mountain has a long history of fostering progression and some of the most dynamic natural terrain. That combo aligns perfectly with the ethos behind Natural Selection. We can’t wait to see how these eight athletes interpret the landscape and write a new chapter in freeride skiing history.”
Dates for the Palisades Tahoe broadcast are still to be announced. The Alaska finals will air in April 2026 on Red Bull TV.
As the Tour prepares for the Super Session, organizers launched a giveaway offering lodging at Palisades Tahoe and two Ikon Passes. Details are available at the Natural Selection Tour website.
