Twelve of the best all-mountain snowboarders in the world vie for a win at the Tour’s third stage and the overall Tour champion crown in the spackled peaks above Valdez.
The world’s top snowboarders compete in the third stage of the 2023 Natural Selection Tour, the Natural Selection Alaska presented by Backcountry. For the Tour’s final stage, twelve riders fly from Valdez into Alaska’s Chugach Mountains for head-to-head competition that will decide the winners of the third stage and through points, the overall 2023 Natural Selection Tour champions. The approximately four-hour broadcast, featuring Natural Selection’s signature follow-drone angles, will run “as live” on NaturalSelectionTour.com and YouTube on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 starting at noon PT/3PM ET/9PM CET.
Eight men and four women qualified out of the Natural Selection DUELS to compete first in Revelstoke, and now in Alaska, representing all disciplines of elite snowboarding – halfpipe, slopestyle, big mountain freeride, and backcountry freestyle. On the women’s side Kimmy Fasani (USA), Elena Hight (USA), Hailey Langland (USA), and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZL) start with semi-finals in Alaska. Jared Elston (USA), Dustin Craven (CAN), Mikey Ciccarelli (CAN), Ben Ferguson (USA), Mikkel Bang (NOR), Blake Paul (USA), Travis Rice (USA) and Chris Rasman* (CAN) meet first in the quarterfinals, before dropping into a two-heat semi-final and final.
“Having run two years in the Tordrillos, we decided to hold the Alaska stage of the Tour outside of Valdez this season. We found some incredible terrain that wraps around from Northeast to Northwest, which allows us to run quarterfinals, semi finals and finals across three different zones in a single day, each providing unique challenges and riding styles.” said Liam Griffin, COO of Natural Selection Tour. “Natural Selection aims to provide riders with a platform to progress all-around snowboarding. So that means finding venues where freeriding and freestyle skills can shine in one event. This year, we found ideal venues to support all styles of riding, often in one run, in both Revelstoke and Alaska. Can’t wait for the world to see what goes down in Alaska this year!”
This marks year three of pro snowboarder Travis Rice’s manifestation of a next generation, all-mountain freestyle Tour. During the Natural Selection Alaska contest window, riders and crew station out of Valdez, AK at the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound. In order to be crowned a Natural Selection champion, riders will compete in some of the most storied match-ups in snowboarding history, on some of the most iconic big mountain lines in the world.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as iconic peaks from legendary snow films take on the weight of crowning not only the 2023 Natural Selection Alaska winners, but also the crowning of the 2023 Natural Selection Men’s and Women’s Tour Champions.
A three stage format determines the overall 2023 Natural Selection Tour Champion. This year Natural Selection DUELS served as the first stage and cut the field in half with only winners of the 12 individual head-to-head competitions going forward to Revelstoke and Alaska. In this format, the last two stages of the Tour have equal weighting and a stand-alone winner. The points will be tallied by finish in the last two stages: first place = 1 point; second place = 2 points; third place = 3 points; fourth place = 4 points, etc. The rider with the lowest score at the conclusion of the three stops will be the overall Natural Selection Tour Champion. If there is a tie following the Alaska stage, the championship tie-breaker is based on which rider has the best finish at the Alaska finale
Going into Alaska, the 2022 women’s Natural Selection Tour Champion Elena Hight has two points and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott on a 23 podium in a row hot streak has one, following her win at Revelstoke. But it is truly anyone’s game on the women’s side. Travis Rice, the men’s 2022 Natural Selection Tour Champion and winner of both the 2021 and 2022 Natural Selection Alaska events, leads for the men with one point. Right behind Rice, it is anyone’s game with Blake Paul and Dustin Craven with the next lowest point totals coming into AK. Both the Natural Selection Alaska winners and 2023 Natural Selection Tour champions will be revealed at the end of the broadcast.
Torstein Horgmo, who tied in points for first with Rice and Bang in 2022, made the tough, but wise call to pull out from Alaska during the window, “Unfortunately,I caught an illness and was feeling too run down to safely go through with the event. The health of my body and mind had to take priority in this one, and I wish everyone up there the best of luck. I can’t wait to see what goes down this year!” Horgmo will re-qualify for Natural Selection Tour 2024 starting with the first stage based on making it out of the first stage this season. Chris Rasman, who won the 2021 Bronco Natural Selection Baldface-Valhalla, was in Alaska working with the Tour this week and will compete in Horgmo’s place in Alaska.
Like-minded partners have come together to help develop and support the Natural Selection Tour. Backcountry is the presenting partner of Natural Selection Alaska as well as the Tour’s outerwear partner with NST Freeride 3L outerwear kits available now. YETI, Pacifico, TAE, Burton, Red Bull, Black Rhino, SENDY, Kodiak Cakes, Oakley, Wheel Pros, GoPro, BCA, Ski-Doo and Dakine are also Tour partners this season. To get involved please contact the Natural Selection Tour’s Partnership Team.