Local snowboarding legend and brains behind the Natural Selection Tour, Travis Rice, throws a backflip off of one of the features on Feb. 4, the first day of the competition. Photo: Keegan Rice

JACKSON, Wyo. — Eight men and four women have been announced to compete in the second round of the Natural Selection Tour after the tour kicked off its first day of competition at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) yesterday, Feb. 4.

Debuting in February 2021 with stops at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming; Baldface Lodge, British Columbia; and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska; the Natural Selection Tour showcases the world’s top riders from Olympians to big mountain film icons all competing on the planet’s most naturally enhanced terrain. The best all-mountain freestyle riders in the world will move through the tour culminating with the crowning of a men’s and women’s champion at the Alaskan final. The Natural Selection Tour says that its mission is to inspire people to forge a deeper relationship with Mother Nature.

The competition follows a two-run, head-to-head format allowing for a third tie-breaker run if needed. Of the 24 riders who competed on opening day qualifiers, 12 riders advanced to the second day of competition.

Riders are 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. Judging focuses on the rider’s chosen line and risk, flow and amplitude, creativity and tricks, and finally, control.

“That was something for the memory books, that’s for sure,” said event founder and competitor Travis Rice on social media. “I can’t believe how well that went.”

 

The twelve riders advancing from qualifiers will once again go head-to-head on the to-be-announced final day of competition between Friday, February 5, and Tuesday, February 9. These riders will be competing for the opportunity to advance to the HempFusion Natural Selection at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, where a men’s and women’s champion will be crowned.

The results from the first day of the competition are listed below:

Men’s
  • Heat one winner – Austin Sweetin
  • Heat two winner – Blake Paul
  • Heat three winner – Ben Ferguson
  • Heat four winner – Sage Kotsenburg
  • Heat five winner – Mark McMorris
  • Heat six winner – Travis Rice
  • Heat seven winner – Pat Moore
  • Heat eight winner – Mikkel Bang
Women’s
  • Heat one winner – Hana Beaman
  • Heat two winner – Zoi Sadowski-Synott
  • Heat three winner – Elena Hight
  • Heat four winner – Marion Haerty

 

Jacob Gore was born and raised in Cheyenne, the capital city of Wyoming. As a proud Wyomingite, he loves to share his home with visitors from around the world. Spending years in Jackson and Alaska as an interpretive nature guide, he remains a photographer, traveler, storyteller, and avid hobbyist of all-things outdoors. Jacob enjoys bridging the connection between Jackson and the rest of the state.