This is what we have come to. A prediction site that is wrong a good percentage of the time for a sport that it is hard to find betting on the internet. Just kidding. This is just what we talk about non-stop from our remote offices (kitchens) and we decided to start doing articles about them. So here you go. Will Travis and Zoi reign supreme? Will Red Gerard come all the way from the loser bracket, redeemed by fan vote, and take the overall victory? It is one of the last major contests of the winter. Riders will ride off into the sunset after this one and film until the last snow has melted somewhere on the globe. The YETI Natural Selection window officially opens on Monday, March 10th in Revelstoke, BC, and while all eyes are on the Dew Tour this weekend, they will most certainly shift north to Revy when 24 of the world’s best backcountry riders battle it out in the straight-up savage format of head-to-head matchups until a male and female winner are crowned when the window closes on March 17th. We’ll be tuning in, but like any good analysts, we put our heads together to compile a comprehensive list of all the riders that will be in Revy as well as favorites, underdogs and dream matchups that we would love to see (coming in a bit). Hell, we might even throw a little money on some of them.
Riders:
Austen Sweetin (Qualified via DUELS)
Ben Ferguson
Blake Paul
Chris Rasman (last minute alternate last year that did so well he secured a spot for this year!)
Dustin Craven
Jared Elston
Kevin Backstrom (Qualified via DUELS)
Mark McMorris
Mikey Ciccarelli
Mikkel Bang
Nils Mindnich (Qualified via DUELS)
Red Gerard (Qualified via Fan Vote after “losing” Duel in CO)
Sage Kotsenburg
Torgeir Bergrem (Qualified via DUELS)
Torstein Horgmo
Travis Rice
WOMEN:
Elena Hight
Hailey Langland
Hana Beaman
Jamie Anderson (Qualified via DUELS)
Marion Haerty
Mary Rand (Qualified via DUELS)
Robin Van Gyn
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
Favorites: MEN
Travis Rice: We all saw what happened last year in Revelstoke when Travis Rice sent it down a vertical football field-sized pillow stack, but a wise man once said, “Father Time waits for no one.” At 41, does Travis still have what it takes? History has very recently told us that he does, but we will find out once again in Revelstoke.
Dustin Craven: Three words: Home field advantage. No other rider in the field has logged as much time as Craven in the greater Revelstoke area. Shit, if he ran for Mayor of the town, he would have a fighting chance at taking office. We all saw that he held his own against Rice in semi-finals last year. To some, he even “got robbed.” Craven is one of the top three contenders heading into the Revy event, and with a win at Baldface two years ago and two 3rd place finishes last winter, he’s one of the most consistent riders on the Tour.
Blake Paul: Last year’s finals matchup between the King of Jackson and the heir to the throne in Blake Paul was one for the ages. While nobody could’ve beat Trav on that day, Blake’s got a ton of hype heading into the event with his recent board sponsor switch-up. With some new wood under his feet and the world looking on, could this be the year that Blake takes the top spot?
Jared Elston: Elston is hungry after two fourth-place finishes last year in British Columbia and Alaska, narrowly missing the box thanks to none other than Dustin Craven. Has a new rivalry been born in the backcountry? All kidding aside, Elston is the perfect blend of light, bouncy and powerful. Could Revy be the next podium he stands on…or atop?
Ben Ferguson: Ferg can never be counted out, and though he has yet to stand on the box at a Natural Selection Tour stop, he’s got the competitive drive that can take him to new heights if he can put a few to his feet the way he wants to. It’s anyone’s game out there, and it seems like this winter, Ben Ferguson came to play.
Favorites: WOMEN
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott: There is not a world in which Zoi Sadowski-Synnott cannot be one of the top favorites on the Natural Selection Tour. It seems like every time she straps in, when she unstraps, she walks right to the top of the podium to spray some champagne and collect her oversized check, and so this event is no different. It’s Zoi’s to lose going into Revy, in our opinion.
Jamie Anderson: The greatest competitive snowboarder who has ever lived is back, and she’s already got one event win under her belt, when she beat Emma Crosby in DUELS in Crested Butte, Colorado just a few weeks back. Jamie is looking as dominant as ever and we can’t wait to see what she does on that course in Revy.
Elena Hight: Elena put down the highest run score of the entire day in last year’s Valdez, Alaska event and since she first signed onto the Tour, she’s on the podium more than she isn’t. Elena’s technical eye for terrain gives her a slight edge in complex terrain, so it depends on what the course looks like and how she chooses to ride it that will dictate her standing in the end. But it’s safe to say, Elena is one of the favorites.
Robin Van Gyn: Robin’s experience in BC Interior’s terrain is paramount to her being a favorite. She’s been riding complex pillows for nearly a decade and her navigational awareness is uncanny. She rides with power and stomps commandingly, two things that NST judges always like to see, so we are listing her as a rider to keep your eye on for sure.
Underdogs: MEN
Red Gerard: After losing to Austen Sweetin in DUELS, it seemed that Red was not going to make the trip to Revelstoke. However, the people have spoken and with one spot on the men’s side up for a Fan Vote, it is in fact Red Gerard that has landed a spot in the Revelstoke event. His DUEL with Sweetin was too close to call for many, but now we get to see what he can do in the big show, and Red’s ability to land in both deep and subpar snow gives him a pretty good edge against anyone in the field.
Austen Sweetin: Sweetin rides fast, hard and with pure power in his legs, and something tells us that will be the recipe for success in Revy. He’s bouncy and light and flies around the mountain like a man on a mission. Not to mention, this is the terrain he seeks out on his own to film his Boardslide Worldwide edits, so he’s gonna be in his element come game day and we can’t wait to watch it.
Kevin Backstrom: KB beat out his good buddy Sebbe Debuck in their DUEL, but the snow looked lackluster at best. Rumor has it, it’s been dumping in Revy, and deep snow is where Backstrom thrives. He nearly took out Travis in round one during the Jackson event two years ago, which would’ve been the biggest upset in NST history and this year, he is officially a rider to keep your eye on, cause when he’s riding at his best, he could be a major threat to the rest of the field.
Nils Mindnich: Another rider who excels in deep snow, Nils Mindnich is a landing machine, as proven by his DUEL against fellow Salomon team rider Victor Daviet at Purgatory, Colorado. Nils is spry and puts everything to his feet consistently, and honestly, we had a hard time not putting him in the “Favorite” category.
Sage Kotsenburg: We haven’t seen Sage Kotsenburg on a Natural Selection course in over a year, but that doesn’t mean he skipped a beat. Sage is one of the best backcountry snowboarders alive, and coupled with his mental mindset in the competitive world, he’s a force to be reckoned with at any event he drops into.
Underdogs: WOMEN
Hana Beaman: Beaman had to sit out last winter due to injury, and although she absolutely crushed it in the broadcast booth, we’re stoked to see her back on the Natural Selection Tour. Hana is a strong rider with incredible style, and the only reason we’re listing her as an Underdog is the fact that she had to sit out last winter after winning the Alaska stop of the Tour in 2023.
Marion Haerty: Another rider who was sidelined due to injury last year, Marion Haerty is back on the Tour. Marion’s situational awareness in big mountain environments is uncanny and her ability to navigate complex terrain gives her an edge in any head-to-head situation.
Hailey Langland: As a rookie on Tour last winter, Hailey beat the legendary Leanne Pelosi on her home turf in DUELS and earned a spot to Revelstoke where she landed in third place. Hailey is still relatively new to backcountry riding, but her experience in snowboard competitions is a big plus and coming off a 3rd place in Revy last winter is a huge boost of confidence heading into next week.
