Natural Selection Tour Adds Elite Skiing Talent To Alaska Event

Natural Selection Tour.

The Natural Selection Tour Just Leveled Up: Skiers Are In, and It’s Gonna Be Insane

For years, the Natural Selection Tour has been an absolute spectacle—a perfect blend of raw backcountry terrain, progressive riding, and some of the best snowboarders in the world sending it in the wild. But there was always one big question: why no skiers?

Well, that changes now. 2025 marks the year skiers finally get their shot at Natural Selection glory, and the roster is downright stacked.

Danny Zapalac.

The Roster: No Weak Links, Just Weapons

Look, you don’t just casually show up to a Natural Selection event. You need big mountain chops, freestyle creativity, and the ability to make chaos look effortless. And this lineup? It delivers.

Men’s Ski Athletes

• Markus Eder (ITA) – FWT champ. Straight-up freeride beast. Enough said.

• Kai Jones (USA) – 18 years old and already taking on lines that make grown men reconsider their life choices.

• Sam Kuch (CAN) – If style points counted in skiing (and they should), Kuch would be undefeated.

• Craig Murray (NZL) – Kiwi assassin. Smooth, technical, and fearless.

• Kye Petersen (CAN) – Comes from skiing royalty. Skis like he’s allergic to groomers.

• Colby Stevenson (USA) – Park skier turned backcountry powerhouse. Watch out for this guy.

• Parker White (USA) – Absolute enigma. More of a film guy than a comp guy, but expect something special.

Markus Eder. Ski Pass.

Women’s Ski Athletes

• Maggie Voisin (USA) – Wild card pick. X Games slopestyle legend, but how will she handle full-on freeride? We’re about to find out.

• Michelle Parker (USA) – Veteran backcountry slayer. Tons of experience in gnarly terrain.

• Manon Loschi (FRA) – Former Freeride World Tour competitor. Knows how to send.

• Hedvig Wessel (NOR) – NST Skiing’s most fearless competitor? Maybe. Huge airs, no hesitation.

Hedvig Wessel. FreeRideWorldTour.

Who Should You Keep an Eye On?

This is one of those comps where you really can’t go wrong watching any of them—but there are definitely a few names that stand out here.

On the women’s side, Maggie Voisin is the biggest question mark. She’s got a trophy case full of X Games medals in slopestyle and big air, but freeride is a different animal. Still, with her technical rail game and massive trick selection, she could bring something we’ve never seen before in a backcountry contest.

Then there’s Hedvig Wessel, a Freeride World Tour podium regular who goes full throttle on every run. And let’s not forget Michelle Parker, whose years of experience in the backcountry should give her an edge when things get sketchy.

For the men, Markus Eder is the one to beat. His 2019 Freeride World Tour title says enough, but if you’ve seen his viral edit The Ultimate Run, you know he’s a once-in-a-generation talent. If anyone can make a Natural Selection course look like a video game level, it’s him.

And then there’s Colby Stevenson, whose transition from park skiing to backcountry has been absurdly smooth. Sam Kuch will likely be throwing the most stylish tricks of the contest, and Kai Jones? Well, he’s 18 years old, absolutely fearless, and ready to prove he belongs. His dad owns Teton Gravity Research.

Colby Stevenson. Yahoo Sports.

Why This Event is a Game-Changer

For the longest time, if you wanted to see skiers throw down in big mountain terrain, you basically had two options: The Freeride World Tour or waiting for a film segment to drop. The Natural Selection Tour is stepping in to change that.

Created by Travis Rice, the NST was always about blending freestyle and freeride in a way that hadn’t been done before. It wasn’t just about who could survive the line—it was about who could make it look sick while doing it.

Now, skiers get their turn, and it’s happening in Alaska, the mecca of big-mountain riding. Massive cliffs, deep snow, and terrain that will punish even the slightest mistake.

This is a must-watch event, and the good news? You can stream it for free on Red Bull TV and Red Bull Snow YouTube starting April 16, 2025.

Mark your calendars. This one’s gonna be special folks!