Natural Selection Ski 2025, the Future of Freeride? Watch the Full Replay of This Raw, Rugged Showdown
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Natural Selection Ski: A Raw, Wild New Era for Freeride
Photos: Chad Chomlack & Leslie Hittmeier
Max Palm on a massive transition. Photo: Chad Chomlak
Freeride Skiing just leveled up. The 2025 YETI Natural Selection Ski comp officially dropped on April 18, marking a historic moment in the evolution of freeride. Spearheaded by Travis Rice and his Natural Selection Tour legacy, this wasn’t just a ski contest—it was a raw, rugged, next-gen proving ground that brought big-mountain soul into the spotlight.
Born from snowboarding’s freeride revolution, Natural Selection’s expansion into skiing, mountain biking, and surfing turned heads last year. But with skiing finally having its moment under the NST banner, the wait was worth it—and then some. Equal parts elite and underground, this event didn’t just meet expectations—it rewrote the playbook.
Format: Brackets, Risk, and No Room for Fluff
Unlike the polished comp circuits we’re used to, NST Ski came in raw, unfiltered, and athlete-driven. Riders faced off in head-to-head bracket battles, throwing down in one of Alaska’s most technical playgrounds. Judges scored based on Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty, and Overall Impression—all subjective, all electric.
The competition face, Priority 1, was a wild zone stacked with features: natural hits, massive pillows, and sheer terrain demanding instinct and improvisation. Weather played its role, too—warm temps and fresh snowfall turned conditions into a mixed bag of pow pockets, sun crust, and choppy landings. The field adapted fast.
Women’s and Men’s Fields
Women’s Field:
Michelle Parker
Manon Loschi
Hedvig Wessel
Maggie Voisin
Men’s Bracket – Heat 1:
Sam Kuch
Colby Stevenson
Parker White
Kai Jones
Heat 2:
Craig Murray
Max Palm
Markus Eder
Kye Peterson
Parker White had the honors of first drop, cutting a path across multiple aspects and setting the tone. Every rider had to read the face in real time, feel the snow underfoot, and send it with no margin for error. This wasn’t comp skiing with start gates and set courses—this was raw backcountry warfare.
The Finals: Peak Freeride Energy
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The day peaked with finals matchups that felt almost scripted: Michelle Parker vs. Manon Loschi and Craig Murray vs. Sam Kuch.
Parker, calm and collected, linked a stylish and technical line capped by a big air that screamed experience. But Loschi answered with a masterclass in flow—fast, fluid, and surfy turns that embodied NST’s freeride ethos. Judges scored it 65.0 to 60.0, giving the win to Loschi.
On the men’s side, it was a heavyweight duel. Kuch stomped an all-time opener but lost a ski in his second run thanks to a freak binding malfunction. Not to be denied, he came back swinging, sending a huge gap that nearly covered the whole face. But Craig Murray’s second run sealed it: a butter-smooth 360 and towering backflip with surgical control. Final score: 85.0 to 70.0.
NST Ski 2025: Top Moments to Watch (Again and Again)
Parker White cracked the comp wide open with a front flip that looked like a movie opener.
Colby Stevenson launched multiple hand-drag 3s from another planet.
Maggie Voisin brought comp-level precision to the biggest lines in Alaska.
Max Palm dropped into Round 2 with his vest wide open, throwing 40-foot airs and multiple 360s with zero hesitation.
Markus Eder floated a 7 that defied logic—and hinted he might bring a dub 10 next year.
Michelle Parker’s final run was a technical gem—nearly a winner in any other setting.
Craig Murray vs. Sam Kuch. This wasn’t just a comp. It was two freeride titans going blow for blow in the backcountry.
Final Podium Results
Women:
Manon Loschi (FRA)
Michelle Parker (USA)
Hedvig Wessel (NOR)
Men:
Craig Murray (NZL)
Sam Kuch (CAN)
Markus Eder (ITA)
In a ski world hungry for authenticity, NST Ski proved that core freeride can live on a global stage without selling its soul. It was big. It was loud. But it was still the realest comp skiing’s seen in years—unfiltered, gnarly, and athlete-first.
Props to Travis Rice and the entire Natural Selection crew for building a platform where skiing could breathe, push boundaries, and reclaim its freeride roots.
Missed the action? Watch the full replay here. Then hit replay. This is the new frontier of freeride.
