Travis Rice at the Yeti Natural Selection at Jackson Hole

Dean Blotto Gray

Natural Selection returns to Jackson Hole, Wyoming next week and we’re sitting here not-so-patiently waiting as the NST Instagram account keeps dropping hammer after hammer of invited riders (Arthur Longo, Kevin Backstrom, Marie-France Roy, Spencer O’Brien, Torgeir Bergrem, Jared Elston, and Danny Davis are all new to Jackson this year and we’re once again pinching ourselves at the collection of individuals that will all be gathered in one place for this contest.)

The contest window for the YETI Natural Selection, the first stop of the 2022 tour begins on January 25th and runs through the 31st. Two days of livestream will be presented on Naturalselectiontour.com. The livestream starts on January 23rd before the window opens to let all of us in on the opening ceremony–which includes the rider draw and bracket selection to determine the head-to-head match-ups. This was one of the coolest things of the Jackson stop in 2021–seeing how the riders selected their drop order and who they wanted–or didn’t want–to go up against in the first round. We recommend tuning in to watch, for sure.

The rest of the week, in addition to the two contest days, there will be livestreams of evening events up through the closing ceremony featuring Kishi Bashi, so you can watch everything from the comfort of your living room.

Here’s all the info from the Natural Selection Tour:

Arthur Longo, Danny Davis, Jared Elston, Kevin Backstrom, Marie-France Roy, Torgeir Bergrem and Torstein Horgmo accept invitations; three men’s spots and one women’s spot remain.

JACKSON, WY (January 17, 2022)—The 2022 YETI Natural Selection Tour at Jackson Hole featuring the world’s top riders from contest medalists to big mountain slayers will livestream globally and for free on NaturalSelectionTour.com, January 23-31, with the seven-day contest window opening January 25.

NaturalSelectionTour.com will feature the most exciting moments from the opening ceremony including determining rider match-ups on January 23, right through the closing ceremony, with two days of intense head-to-head competition in the natural(ly) enhanced venue at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in between. 

A stacked crew of riders – new to the Tour, but hardly rookies – have accepted invites, including Arthur Longo (FRA), Danny Davis (USA), Kevin Backstrom (SWE), Jared Elston (USA), Marie-France Roy (CAN), Torgeir Bergrem (NOR), and Torstein Horgmo (NOR). They’ll be joining the eight men and six women who requalified from the 2021 Tour. Keep a close eye on Natural Selection’s Instagram to find out who will get the final three invites. 


Natural Selection will also syndicate the livestream to select domestic and international media and marketing partners including Red Bull TV (outside of the U.S. only.) The livestream on NaturalSelectionTour.com will feature extras including interactive course maps, raffles, exclusive gear and chats with the crew both in the studio and on the course. Uncle Toad’s Media Group is returning to produce the show with live racing drone follow cams piloted by racing drone champion Gabriel Kocher “Gab707” on the sticks. Selema Masekela, Mary T. Walsh, Jeff Moran and Tom Monterosso will be back in the host chairs this year, joined by Pat Bridges and Matt Barr. Justin “Stan” Leveille and Jack Mitrani will be reporting live from the mountain. 

Invitations are being offered based on time-tested backcountry riding, past event finishes, video parts and the entire breadth of each riders’ career weighed for current performance. The top half of the pack coming out of Jackson will head north to the legendary Baldface Lodge in British Columbia. There the riders will punch their ticket to Alaska for the final stop, where the champions will be crowned.


New for 2022, the Natural Selection ‘Stay Wild’ Festival, presented in partnership with Visit Jackson Hole, offers eight days and nights of music, inspiration and education during the YETI Natural Selection at Jackson Hole. The line-up includes Shakey Graves and Saint Sinner presented by Backcountry and Natural Selection, Kishi Bashi, who provided the score for The Fourth Phase, Perel, The Librarian, Dirtwire, Red Fang and more. Tickets are now on sale for the ‘Stay Wild’ Festival, January 23-30, 2022. Find the full event schedule and link for tickets at NaturalSelectionTour.com/events. All indoor Natural Selection events will require a mask to be worn at all times inside the venue, except when actively eating or drinking, and proof of full vaccination from COVID-19. Those unable to be vaccinated must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event. Refunds will be provided if events are canceled.


2022 Natural Selection Tour Contest Windows:

YETI Natural Selection at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort:Jan 25th – 31st (Stay Wild Festival January 24-30)

Natural Selection at Baldface Lodge:Feb 20th – 27th

Natural Selection in the Tordrillo Mountains:March 21st – 28th 

Like-minded partners are coming together to help develop and support the Natural Selection Tour. Backcountry returns as the Tour’s Official Outerwear and Retail partner, home to the Natural Selection Tour’s merchandise store online and from their customized 1974 Airstream Sovereign store will be in Teton Village during the Jackson contest window. Other tour partners include Red Bull, GoPro, Fuel Off-Road, Visit Jackson Hole, Thule, Burton, Fast, Conservation International, Pacifico, BetterHelp, DraftKings, Carnal, Ski-Doo, Oakley, Dakine, TAE and Rocky Mountain Yeti, along with host venues Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Baldface Lodge.


Through the Industry Alliance marketing platform, endemic brands are able to directly support the events and their team riders competing on the Natural Selection Tour. Alliance members including 20+ of the biggest names in snowboard, boot, binding, outerwear and eyewear will receive brand presence on streaming, broadcast and at the events, along with access to content and social assets from the Tour for marketing their team riders.


About the Natural Selection Tour
The brainchild of snowboarder Travis Rice and shared vision with the broader snowboarding community, the Natural Selection Tour showcases the world’s top riders from Olympians to big mountain film icons all competing on the planet’s most exciting natural(ly) enhanced terrain. Dream venues, a head-to-head format and no practice runs are part of the dynamic components that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. With a mission to inspire people to forge a deeper relationship with Mother Nature, the Tour features three stops in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming; Baldface Lodge, British Columbia; and the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska. The Natural Selection Tour culminates with the crowning of a men’s and women’s champion; the best all-mountain freestyle riders in the world.About Travis RiceTravis Rice has established himself over the last twenty years as one of the most influential snowboarders in the world.  Rice’s achievements have spanned from freestyle competitions such as the X Games and the Air & Style to monumental film productions such as The Art of Flight, The Fourth Phase, and most recently, Dark Matter. Rice has impacted the world of snowboarding by constantly exploring new frontiers in freeriding, content production, product design and social media.