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The inaugural Yeti Natural Selection snowboarding event elevated competitive snowboarding to a new level making use of the pure essence of the sport. Olympic slopestyle competitors, halfpipe specialists and big mountain freeriders competed head-to-head over 16 acres of big-mountain terrain at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, USA.
Travis Rice
The final day saw eight men 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.
Highlights Video…
Mens Division
Ben Ferguson won against Sage Kotsenburg initially before a semi-final success against 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 Mikkel Bang.
Ben Ferguson
In the final showdown, McMorris took the lead in the first round and was never bettered by Ferguson. McMorris’ produced a Double Wildcat, Cab 900, enviable power turns and his trademark salute to secure the win.
Mark McMorris
Womens Division
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott proved a class apart, the 19-year-old beating Hana Beaman set up a final head-to-head against Marion Haerty, who had previously advanced past Elena Hight.
Marion Haerty
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 included a huge Wildcat and a stomped Backside 360.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
The next round is the Bronco Sport Natural Selection at Baldface Lodge from 28 February to 7 March with the finale being the HempFusion Natural Selection at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska, from 20-27 March.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
Mark McMorris
Travis Rice has this to say about 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.”
Photos by Red Bull Content Pool.
