Next level freestyle snowboarding at Natural Selection Tour

McMorris and Sadowski-Synnott land wins in Travis Rice’s all-new event.

The new-for-2021 format brought together Olympic slopestyle competitors, halfpipe specialists and big mountain freeriders in a head-to-head format over 16 acres of big-mountain terrain in Jackson Hole. The event was broadcast live on Red Bull TV. Here is all you need to know:

– The day kicked off at the Yeti Natural Selection with eight men in action and four women, competing over a total of 50 natural jumps and enhanced natural features in a format which rewarded risk, flow, creativity, tricks and control from a set of judges.

– Ben Ferguson won out against fellow American Sage Kotsenburg initially before a semi-final success against a third American, Blake Paul, booked his place in the final. Meanwhile, Mark McMorris booked the other spot in the final after seeing off event host Travis Rice and then Norwegian Mikkel Bang.

– In the final showdown, McMorris took the lead in the first round and was never bettered by Ferguson, the Canadian producing a Double Wildcat, Cab 900, enviable power turns and his trademark salute.

– Afterwards, McMorris said of his opener against Rice: “I was so glad to be able to ride the way I wanted to, I’m glad it was a good fight and a match-up I never thought I would win. I just started to build and have more fun as the day progressed. This win is the biggest that I’ve had in years. This is the true essence of snowboarding.”

– New Zealand’s Sadowski-Synnott proved a class apart in the women’s competition, the 19-year-old beating Hana Beaman, of the United States, to set up a final head-to-head against France’s Marion Haerty, who had previously advanced past American Elena Hight.

– The final proved a clash of styles and backgrounds between three-time Freeride World Tour champion Haerty and X Games/Olympic specialist Sadowski-Synnott, and the latter dominated the two runs, saving the day’s biggest score for her final run which include a huge Wildcat and a stomped backside 360.

– She said: “Three weeks ago, I didn’t even know I was going to be here. I never expected to be competing in Natural Selection and then to come away with the win definitely means so much to me. I was just honoured to ride with my favourite snowboarders. This is how snowboarding really is and there’s finally an event that shows that.

– The inaugural event was played out exclusively live on Red Bull TV with never-before-seen drone technology.

– The next round is the Bronco Sport Natural Selection at Baldface Lodge from February 28 to March 7 with the finale being the HempFusion Natural Selection at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska, from March 20-27.

– Rice said of the new series: “Today’s event was everything that we envisioned. There was definitely just an extra level of joy in being able to have the conditions that we did, the rider field that we did and honestly pulling this event off in the current climate, that alone was a feat.”