The Natural Selection Tour: Selective Memory

Staging global snow events entirely reliant on natural snow and weather conditions requires flexibility. As the Natural Selection Tour evolves in year three, the first stage that will winnow the field from 24 to 12 is introduced: DUELS. In 2023, DUELS riders spread out across some of North America's most exciting, film-part-worthy terrain in a head-to-head competition held one day and filmed for the judges and fans worldwide. Out-of-this-world match-ups pit best friends Mark McMorris and Mikey Ciccarelli and Norwegians Mikkel Bang and Ulrik Badertscher against each other, with only one able to move forward. And icons of the backcountry, Leanne Pelosi, Travis Rice, and Kimmy Fasani, come up against younger guns Hailey Langland, Red Gerard, and Darrah Reid-McLean. See how DUELS was pulled together and discover who moves on to Revelstoke in this episode of The Natural Selection Tour’s “Selective Memory.”

21min

It was fear at first glance for the riders landing on Boulder Park, about 20k outside of Revelstoke, for scope day. With two venues to choose from, Mother Nature delivered and made the burlier, pillow, and cliff-laden Boulder Park the call-over mellower, yet still rowdy Huckleberry. Now, the Natural Selection team, camera crews, and 12 of the world’s best snowboarders are set to pull off the first, fully live, successful broadcast of a significant snowboard contest from the backcountry. As the riders cram the night before, will they have time to memorize massive lines and find them the following day? Will veteran backcountry riders like Rice, Hight, Bang, and Fasani have the edge over riders who more recently crossed into backcountry riding? Watch it play out now with full behind-the-curtain access on “Selective Memory: Revelstoke.

20min

When Mother Nature takes the wheel, as she does at all Natural Selection events, anything can happen. And nowhere can she make sharper zigs and zags than in the ultimate big mountains: Alaska. Twelve of the world’s top snowboarders arrive in Valdez to compete on snowboarding’s biggest stage. They fly into the venue with blue skies to compete, only to find edge-grabbing wind crust coating the massive venue. Go or no go? It goes to a vote, and the crew decides to give it a few days to reset, hoping the crust loosens and they can put on the best show possible. The event must run from start to finish in just one day. To maximize light, the crew picks a venue with three aspects, following the sunlight from face to face across three venues throughout a monster day of competitive snowboarding. Which riders will fly out of the mountains just before sunset wearing the 2024 Natural Selection Tour champion crowns? Find out in this episode, “Selective Memory: Alaska.

19min