Featured Image: Courtesy of NST Ski
Ever since Natural Selection announced its upcoming freeskiing debut back in October, we’ve been patiently awaiting the athlete lineup. Today, NST Ski gave us the juicy details, releasing men’s and women’s rosters that are absolutely stacked… along with a mystery rider that’s yet to be confirmed.
Founded by Travis Rice, Natural Selection has been one of the premier events in snowboarding for several years. Skiers have stood idly by as boarders rode untracked faces, scoring points for Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty and Overall Impression. The event is different from others like the Freeride World Tour or the Nendaz Backcountry Invitational, in that a very limited number of riders compete on fresh snow with no manmade features.
The NST Ski Advisory Board includes Chris Benchetler, Kristi Leskinen, Markus Eder, Mike Douglas, Candide Thovex and Michelle Parker. “Simply put, NST Ski brings together the world’s best skiers on the world’s best terrain. Alaska is the equivalent of the North Shore of Oahu in surfing; it’s the ultimate, all-natural proving grounds,” said legendary professional skier and Event Director Mike Douglas.
“It’s going to be spectacular. From the moment the first NST Snowboard event was announced, skiers have wanted to be involved.” Douglas continued. “After four years of waiting, we’re finally ready to take our shot. In all my years, I’ve never felt more anticipation for a ski event.”
With the breadth of talent in the freeski scene today, choosing four women and eight men to compete is a next-to-impossible task. But this list is as good as anyone could hope for. While there are several other skiers we would love to see in Alaska this April, the list below includes some of the most creative and talented freeskiers in the world.
The women’s field features an exceptional group of athletes that include Olympic medalists, X Games champions, Freeride World Tour champions, and some of the most respected names in the sport. Michelle Parker, a dominant force in big mountain skiing out of Lake Tahoe, CA. Maggie Voisin, an Olympic bronze medalist in slopestyle for the US and seven-time X Games medalist. Norway’s Hedvig Wessel, Olympic athlete in moguls and the 2024 Freeride World Tour champion. Manon Loschi, a rising freeride star from France, is the youngest woman in the field and looking to make a mark.
The men’s lineup is equally impressive, featuring a mix of Olympians, Freeride World Tour champions, X Games champions, and rising stars. Italy’s Markus Eder, star of the Ultimate Run, Olympian, and Freeride World Tour podium climber is one of the sport’s most versatile and stylish athletes. Colby Stevenson, a standout at the Beijing 2022 Olympics and perennial on slopestyle and big air podiums. Canada’s Kye Petersen, an iconic figure in big mountain skiing and a Freeride World Tour winner. Craig Murray from New Zealand, who blends technical skills and backcountry expertise. Sam Kuch with standout film parts, and backcountry skills refined out of Nelson, BC. Parker White who started on the east “ice” coast and has evolved to a standout western powder hound and film star.
The Natural Selection Ski event will feature some of the most technically challenging and visually stunning terrain, chosen to allow athletes to fully display both their skills and creativity in a single run. This marks the first ski-specific event in the Natural Selection series, which has gained significant acclaim since its inception in snowboarding, thanks to the visionary work of founder Travis Rice.
NST Ski 2025 Women’s Ski Roster
NST Ski 2025 Men’s Ski Roster
One more men’s mystery rider to be announced in the coming months
The whole idea of Natural Selection is to judge freeriding; an incredibly difficult thing to do for reasons that range from viewing logistics to opinions on scoring. But through thoughtful thinking, the team has created a way to rank competitors’ runs.
Using precise drone footage to livestream the event, judges are able to watch the riders and score them. NST uses a head-to-head bracket system that pits one rider against another, thus making it easier to compare and contrast matchups.
The riders are scored on:
- Creativity – Focusing on the uniqueness of a skier’s line choice and maneuvers.
- Risk – How consequential the tricks are and what section of the course they are executed in.
- Execution – A skier’s style, including grabs and turns, and how cleanly they ride out of maneuvers.
- Difficulty – Depends on challenges in the run and complexity of tricks and rotations, including taking off or landing switch.
- Overall – This is determined by looking at elements of their flow, speed and body control throughout the run.
The event will be live-streamed on Red Bull TV starting April 16, 2025. With the pieces now in place, stay tuned to FREESKIER for updates regarding the freeride madness in Alaska!
