The Natural Selection Tour, created by snowboarding legend Travis Rice, has completely changed the game in competitive snowboarding since its launch in February 2021. Now heading into its fifth year in 2025, the event draws a mix of riders from all over the scene—everyone from freeride filmers to Olympic medalists—sending it down a course in a gnarly natural terrain.
It’s technically a competition where riders face off head-to-head through different stages to crown the top male and female champion. But it feels more like filming epic big-mountain lines—the kind of dream setup most pro snowboarders are chasing these days.
What’s rad about Natural Selection is how it’s pushing progression, especially for female freeriders. The Tour’s sponsors, along with other brands in the industry, have stepped up in ways we haven’t seen before to support women in snowboarding, helping level the playing field in a discipline that hasn’t always gotten the same attention.
It’s also brought some heavy-hitters from the filming side of things back into the contest scene. These riders usually stay out of competition, but NST gives them a chance to dip back in, and the prizes are no joke—just look at the 2024 edition where the winners each drove off with a brand-new Rivian, one of the biggest prizes in snowboarding history.
There’s no doubt Rice and his crew have made a huge impact with NST, but why stop at snowboarding?
On Tuesday, the Natural Selection Tour announced it’s branching out into ski, bike, and surf competitions in 2025, all of which will be available to stream on Red Bull TV.
“After years of inbound inquiry and conversations, it has become apparent that we have a lot to share with these incredible subcultures and communities,” Rice said. “New events are desired and, frankly, needed. Our roots are nature, athletes and culture first. We believe Natural Selection is in a position to help define what the future holds for these sports.”
NST’s first dive outside snowboarding was actually in mountain biking, when in 2022, they linked up with Proving Grounds, a freeride mountain bike comp founded by Todd Barber. That partnership helped Rice and the team realize the shared vision between the two events, and now Barber is stepping in as COO to help shape Natural Selection Bike, which will debut at a new venue in New Zealand
However, it's the final new event on the horizon for NST is the launch of Natural Selection Ski, debuting in Alaska in mid-April 2025. Skiers from all different backgrounds—slopestyle to freeride—will take on Alaska’s iconic zones, with the whole event being captured using next-level tech like high-speed drones. Names like Michelle Parker, Chris Benchetler, Kristi Leskinen, Markus Eder, Candide Thovex, and Sammy Carlson are on board to help shape this new ski comp.
“Skiing in these incredible landscapes and finding new ways to approach the mountains is what it’s all about for me,” said Parker. “This Tour’s blend of showcasing the natural beauty and challenge of skiing, but on a competition platform will be completely fresh. Looking forward to seeing what everyone brings to Alaska.”
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