Tom Key 
Discover the Excitement of the Natural Selection Tour
The wilderness has no preference. Its spines, cliffs, and waves are impartial, daring adventurers to measure themselves against its grandeur. In 2008, snowboarder Travis Rice took this challenge and turned it into a bold experiment: a competition where the venue wasn’t sculpted by hand but shaped by millennia of wind, water, and shifting snowpack. Today, the Natural Selection Tour (NST) has evolved into a cultural cornerstone of outdoor sports, now reaching across disciplines to include skiing, mountain biking, and surfing. For 2025, Rice’s vision isn’t just a competition—it’s a statement about creativity, connection, and the untamable power of nature.
A Genesis Carved in Snow
Travis Rice’s journey from Jackson Hole’s backcountry to the global stage of action sports was always underpinned by a sense of wonder for the natural world. While his early career was marked by dominance in freestyle snowboarding competitions and a string of blockbuster films like The Art of Flight, Rice felt that much of the competitive scene missed the point. Terrain parks and halfpipes, with their geometric precision, were static. The mountains he called home were alive, their challenges shifting with every snowfall or thaw.
The first iteration of Natural Selection, held in Jackson Hole in 2008, was a raw and experimental one-off. Riders dropped into untracked lines and let their creativity dictate their runs. While the event made waves, it didn’t become an annual fixture—yet. Over the next decade, Rice refined his vision, and in 2021, the NST returned, this time as a multi-stop snowboarding tour spanning Jackson Hole, Baldface Lodge in British Columbia, and Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains.
The NST’s Formula: Let the Earth Decide
At the core of the NST lies a simple but profound premise: nature is the course designer. There are no groomers, no dig crews, no pre-built ramps—just raw terrain, unpredictable snow conditions, and the riders’ ability to adapt. Competitors are judged on the CREDO criteria: Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty, and Overall Impression.
Each stop presents a new canvas. Jackson Hole, the birthplace of the tour, offers steep ridges and deep powder fields, demanding precision and flow. Baldface Lodge adds a layer of complexity with its dense trees and endless pillow lines, while Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains serve as the final boss—towering spines that reward fearlessness but punish hesitation.
This unpredictability makes NST unique. It’s not a place to execute rehearsed routines. Instead, it’s a showcase of improvisation, where riders respond to the terrain in real time. As Travis Rice often says, “You don’t ride the mountain—you ride with it.”
2025: Skiers, Surfers, and Cyclists Enter the Arena
This year, the Natural Selection Tour expands beyond snowboarding, a move that has sent ripples through the outdoor sports world. For the first time, skiers will compete, joining snowboarders in the wild arenas of Alaska and beyond. And it doesn’t stop there. Mountain biking and surfing events are in development, with details expected in the coming months.
The inclusion of skiing has been met with enthusiasm—and speculation. The 2025 roster features an enviable mix of freeride legends and freestyle innovators. Markus Eder, a former Freeride World Tour champion, brings technical mastery to his runs, while Michelle Parker, known for her cinematic exploits and Red Bull Cold Rush appearances, is a backcountry force to be reckoned with. Rising stars like Kai Jones, who seems to have an innate ability to flow through chaotic terrain, add youthful energy to the lineup.
For surfers and mountain bikers, NST’s promise lies in its ability to translate its ethos—nature as the ultimate challenge—across disciplines. Imagine mountain bikers carving through loose ridgelines and cliff-laden singletrack, or surfers riding untouched waves in remote breaks. While the logistics for these events are complex, the vision is clear: a unified platform that celebrates creativity across all outdoor sports.
How Does the NST Compare to the Freeride World Championships?
For those familiar with the FIS Freeride World Championships (FWT), the Natural Selection Tour offers a refreshing counterpoint. While both events celebrate big-mountain riding, their philosophies and formats couldn’t be more different.
The FWT focuses on precision and execution, with riders navigating predetermined lines and earning points for hitting specific features with clean, technical runs. It’s an exercise in control and strategy, set against the backdrop of stunning yet highly regulated terrain.
The NST, on the other hand, thrives on spontaneity and creativity. There are no fixed lines or pre-set expectations; riders must interpret the terrain as they see it, weaving natural features into their runs like freeform poetry. Nature, in all its unpredictability, dictates the course, making every run unique.
Both events push the boundaries of what’s possible in freeride sports, but where the FWT tests precision, the NST challenges artistry—a reminder that no two paths through the backcountry are ever the same.
The Stakes: Riding for Legacy
While NST winners earn cash prizes (up to $50,000 per event), the real stakes lie in the tour’s cultural impact. For snowboarders and skiers, it’s a chance to cement their place in the evolving story of freeride sports. For mountain biking and surfing, the NST offers a new frontier—a space to innovate and inspire.
For the broader audience, the NST is an opportunity to reconnect with the raw, untamed essence of outdoor adventure. The events are broadcast on platforms like Red Bull TV, bringing the magic of these remote locations to fans worldwide.
Behind the Curtain: Building the NST Experience
Pulling off an NST event requires a blend of artistry, science, and logistics. Each venue is chosen not only for its aesthetic and technical challenges but also for its environmental significance. The NST team works closely with local guides, avalanche experts, and conservationists to minimize the ecological footprint of each event.
And while the competitions are thrilling, safety remains paramount. Every event involves months of preparation, from avalanche mitigation to emergency response planning. For Travis Rice and his team, these efforts are non-negotiable—they’re essential to preserving both the riders and the landscapes they inhabit.
The Long Game: A Global Playground
Looking ahead, the NST aims to expand its reach. Plans are underway to bring the tour to Europe, Japan, and South America, showcasing a diverse range of landscapes and cultures. The addition of surfing and mountain biking promises to elevate the NST from a snow-focused event to a global celebration of outdoor adventure.
Equally important is the tour’s commitment to environmental stewardship. By partnering with organizations like Protect Our Winters, the NST uses its platform to advocate for climate action, emphasizing the urgent need to preserve the wild places that make these competitions possible.
Explore More: Dive Into the NST Experience
For fans hungry for more, the Natural Selection Tour website is a treasure trove of media and details. From jaw-dropping highlight videos to behind-the-scenes looks at how these events come together, it’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the tour’s magic. Whether you’re looking to relive past competitions, learn more about the athletes, or get hyped for this year’s stops, the site has it all.
Why It Matters
For skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, and surfers alike, the NST represents more than a competition—it’s a philosophy. It’s about finding creativity in chaos, adapting to nature’s unpredictability, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. For RadNut readers, the NST offers both inspiration and a challenge: to embrace the wild, not just as a playground but as a partner in the pursuit of adventure.
So whether you’re watching from your couch or carving your own line through the backcountry, the message is the same: the mountains, trails, and waves aren’t ours to tame—they’re ours to honor.
