The first stop of Travis Rice’s all-mountain, freestyle snowboard tour will be aired live on NaturalSelectionTour.com featuring the world’s top snowboarders competing head-to-head.
The vast and varied field of competitors represents the best competition, film and style riders in the world chosen by the Natural Selection panel for their capacity to push the boundaries of big mountain freestyle riding. The final rider list includes, in the men’s category: Arthur Longo (FRA), Danny Davis (USA), Kevin Backstrom (SWE), Jared Elston (USA), Torgeir Bergrem (NOR), and Torstein Horgmo (NOR), Mikkel Bang (NOR), Ben Ferguson (USA), Blake Paul (USA) and Travis Rice (USA), Sage Kotsenburg (USA), Austen Sweetin (USA), Chris Rasman (CAN), Gabe Ferguson (USA), Sebbe De Buck (BEL) and Dustin Craven (CAN). In the women’s field, it’s Spencer O’Brien (CAN), Cheryl Maas (NED), Marion Haerty (FRA), Hana Beaman (USA), Elena Hight (USA), Robin Van Gyn (CAN) and Marie-France Roy (CAN).
The competition will begin at 9:30am MST and will follow a two-run, head-to-head format allowing for a third tie-breaker run if needed. Of the 24 riders competing on opening day qualifiers, only eight men and four women will advance to the second day of competition.The twelve riders advancing from qualifiers will once again go head-to-head on the to-be-announced final day of competition between Wednesday, January 26 and Monday, January 31.
Riders will be judged utilizing the Overall Impression Judging System to take advantage of the spontaneous flow of the riders and to allow the judges to take the whole run into consideration. The judges, including Sandy MacDonald, Chad Otterstrom and Connor Manning, have been chosen for their level of expertise and professionalism. Judging will focus on the rider’s chosen line and risk, flow and amplitude, creativity and tricks, and finally, control.
The YETI Natural Selection at Jackson Hole marks the first stop of the three stop tour. The tour will venture north to the Natural Selection at Baldface Lodge in B.C, Canada; and culminate at the Natural Selection in the Tordrillo Mountains, where the tour champions—the best all-mountain male and female freestyle riders on the planet—will ultimately be crowned.
Viewers will be in for the ride of their life as they follow along with the riders unleashing on this big mountain playground complete with natural jumps, ramps and enhanced natural features. The livestream on NaturalSelectionTour.com will feature extras including interactive course maps, raffles, exclusive gear and chats with the crew both in the studio and on the course. The live show will also syndicate to select domestic and international media and marketing partners including Red Bull TV (outside of the U.S. only). Uncle Toad’s Media Group is returning to produce the show with live racing drone follow cams piloted by racing drone champion Gabriel Kocher “Gab707” on the sticks. Selema Masekela, Mary Walsh, Jeff Moran and Tom Monterosso will be back in the host chairs this year joined by Pat Bridges and Matt Barr. Justin “Stan” Leveille and Jack Mitrani will be reporting live from the mountain.