Alaska marked the historic completion of the 2022 Natural Selection Tour where Hana Beaman won the third stop of the season.
10 years ago, women weren’t in the mix in backcountry snowboarding.
Now, they are.
The Natural Selection Tour, which just wrapped its second year, is Rice’s most ambitious, and most successful, attempt yet to bring the world’s best all-mountain freeriders together in a contest setting. It consists of three stops; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at Teton Village, Wyoming, in January; moved to Baldface Lodge outside Nelson, British Columbia, in February; and wrapped up in March in Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains.
When the dust (powder, rather) settled, Travis Rice and Hana Beaman emerged as the final event winners in Alaska.
Action Sports Today sat down with Hana after the event finished and is the subject of this weeks’ “Behind the Action.”
AST: After the growth from the inaugural season, throughout this second season, it is clear that the riders love this contest and in our opinion, Natural Selection might be the BEST snowboarding contest out there.
HB: I think so too. You have so many different elements that come together to make this tour and event so unique and special. You have riders from every discipline of snowboarding coming together to just ride. You take backcountry and freestyle together and it works! It is a massive undertaking and it really comes together and works.
AST: You experienced three different venues that offered different challenges in each plus the diverse style of riding from each of the riders with their own different riding backgrounds. How do you prepare yourself for a contest like this where there are so many differing elements?
HB: The biggest factor is Mother Nature. Always. You can prepare your best but, the weather can always throw a curveball. There is nothing you can do to practice for something like that. It is not like riding a slopestyle contest where the rails and jumps are the same each and every time you hit them. The unknown element or the knowledge that there will be constant change can be the biggest mental hurdle you have to master.
You have to be ok with the uncomfortable.
When you hit a jump, it may be your first time hitting it under new elements so you will not know how far you will go or how the snow conditions are in the landing. It is really hard. You have to be flexible and willing to adapt. You have to have the skill level to ride features and terrain like we saw throughout the tour, but most importantly, you have the confidence in your abilities to work off of those skills and wing it in a sense.
You have to be ok with the uncomfortable.
AST: Your snowboarding career has seen you compete in a wide variety of contests, but as your career led you to the backcountry, did you ever think a contest would come your way that would allow you bring back the competition element of your career?
HB: Not really no. I feel like there was an opportunity to join the Freeride World Tour, but what they offered in terms of the contest didn’t really fit what I was looking for. I just figured once I had left competitive snowboarding, that was it. I was happy being in the backcountry and filming. It never occurred to me that this big of an event would ever come along. You always suspect a one off style event would come along but nothing like what Travis (Rice) has created. This is a top level event. And honestly, for me, to even still be around snowboarding at this stage of my life is pretty incredible to me. I feel very fortunate and was so excited to be able to test my abilities in an event like this.
AST: There is such a wide variety in age in this contest. What does that say about the sport?
HB: If you look at the ladies alone, Zoe (Sadowski-Synnott) just turned 21. I am older than her by 18 years. We have a really broad spectrum of ages which brings a mixture of talent and energy that is unmatched. It makes for an insanely fun and creative event. It also brings about a healthy respect for one another.
AST: When you look back at the accolades of your career, where does winning an event like this stack up?
HB: It is up at the top for sure. Last time I have one something contest wise, was over a decade ago so this is a really big win for me. Yes, I have won some film awards and rider of the year, but this is different. I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. It just feels really really good and extremely satisfying for me.
AST: Do you think anyone besides Travis (Rice) could have created an event like this?
HB: I do not think so. Travis not only has the abilities to ride this himself and the connections to create this, he has the drive and vision to create. He does not say no. He just goes until he accomplishes whatever it is in his mind. He is one of a kind. I have always looked up to and respected him.
AST: You are a part of Stoked Mentoring. You auctioned off one of your snowboards that you rode during this season from Natural Selection. What does Stoked mean to you?
HB: It is so rad to be able to share something that I love so much with the next generation and all walks of life. I am very fortunate to have the life I have from snowboarding and to have the sport enrich someone else’s life, I am so for it. It really is an honor to help bring about their mission.