Research & Development 2026
RnD 2026 Elevates Women’s Backcountry Freestyle. Nelson, BC — March 2026 —
Final Riders Announced, Drop Order Locked for YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke; Day 1 Live on Tuesday, March 10 (TODAY!)
REVELSTOKE, BC (March 9, 2026) — The YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke field is officially set. After electrifying stage one events across the globe, 24 of the world’s best all‑mountain snowboarders are ready to take on the rugged backcountry of Revelstoke, British Columbia.
The event anchors the Natural Selection Tour, founded by Travis Rice, blending freeride, freestyle, and backcountry progression on some of the most challenging terrain in the world. Tonight’s Super Sessions and Research & Development (RND) premiere on Red Bull TV finalized the remaining spots in the lineup.
Super Sessions — the evolution of NST’s DUELS — and RND serve as the first stage of the tour in 2026, giving riders a platform to push creativity, technical skill, and style while earning their tickets to Revelstoke. The first stage of the Tour premiered live to the crowd at the Opening Ceremonies in Revelstoke AND to the world live on Red Bull TV. They are now available on demand on Red Bull TV.
Mother Nature has officially called Day One of competition for the YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke for tomorrow. Riding the high from tonight’s first stage premiere, we drop straight into it! With a storm lined up for mid-late week, NST has made the call to run the venue wall-to-wall including both day’s venues, with eyes on a full reset of fresh snow by finals day.
Tuesday, March 10 | Live broadcast times: 1:00 PM PT, 4:00 PM ET, 10:00 PM CET, and 6:00 AM JST (March 11)
The event will stream exclusively on Red Bull TV. Watch Day 1 live at https://win.gs/revelstoke1
All 24 riders compete on Day One with men in two brackets with three stages of cut downs and women in one bracket. The bracket seeding with drop order was picked tonight. The top 12 riders advance to Day Two’s finals that will be held later this week, where one man and one woman will be crowned 2026 Natural Selection Tour Champions.
SUPER SESSIONS + RND RECAP
You can now watch the full NST Super Sessions and RND episodes again and again on demand here: https://win.gs/snowsupersessions
Fresh snow and feature-rich terrain provided the perfect stage for riders to showcase creative freestyle lines using natural powder features. The session took place in Powder Mountain’s “Don’t Mention It” (DMI) zone, a full season before the terrain opens to the public.
Riders took four runs, building momentum with each pass as they explored pillows, jumps, and natural hits across the zone.
Brin Alexander opened the Intimidator jump with a massive backflip and later topped the session with a double backflip. Blake Paul stomped clean backside rodeo flips and backflips, showing veteran precision. Yuki Kadono executed technical 360s off multiple features including the Intimidator, proving his freestyle pedigree. Garrett Warnick went huge in the alpine, finishing his final run with a big 720 while exclaiming, “we’re competing but still frothing!” Brock Crouch delivered massive airs and strong freestyle lines.
After a stacked session, judges had a hard time narrowing the field. Yuki Kadono, Garrett Warnick, and Brin Alexander earned their tickets to Revelstoke.
Riders explored Myōkō’s rolling volcanic terrain and deep forested pillows, focusing on flow, creativity, and linking freestyle tricks with natural freeride lines.
Day one was dedicated to scoping the zone and finding rhythm through the terrain. Miles Fallon impressed with huge airs, Mateo Massitti dialed technical spins through the trees, Takeru Otsuka blended precision with home-field confidence, Mason Lemery stitched fluid lines together, and Terje Håkonsen brought veteran style and inspiration to the crew.
On day two, the pace picked up as riders began stacking bigger tricks, combining flips and 180s off pillows and side hits.
Day three featured a 1,500-foot hike into the Buna Forest, opening up high-alpine terrain filled with pillows and natural features. Fallon and Massitti stood out by combining freestyle tricks with smooth freeride flow, earning their tickets to Revelstoke.
RND brought 15 riders together at Whitewater Resort for one contest day and two additional days of filming in the Trash Chutes. The venue was perfectly filled in with jumps, spines, and hand-built features, creating a high-energy jam session designed for progression.
Riders pushed each other throughout the day, sending flips, double backflips, and massive spins while feeding off the energy of the crew in the steep, technical terrain.
Billy Pelchat won the session with a line that blended big-mountain riding and freestyle tricks, highlighted by a perfectly executed 360. Yuka Fujimori finished second, also earning her NST vest for Revelstoke. Katie Kennedy placed third and joined the field as the women’s first alternate.
Beyond the results, the session was defined by stoke, camaraderie, mentorship, and riders collectively pushing the level of riding.
Watch NOW On Demand
Super Sessions (Powder Mountain + Myōkō) + RND Premiere
Official Opening of the Revelstoke Competition Window
Watch here live and VOD: https://win.gs/snowsupersessions
March 10–15 — Two Days Selected by Conditions
YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke — LIVE starting at 1:00 PM PT
Watch Day One here: https://win.gs/revelstoke1
Watch the Finals here: https://win.gs/revelstoke2
All NST Snowboard competition next week streams exclusively on Red Bull TV.
RnD 2026 Elevates Women’s Backcountry Freestyle. Nelson, BC — March 2026 —
Live Super Sessions and RND Premiere Leads Into Mother Nature’s Choice of
High spirits at snowboard cult event in Laax, Switzerland. It’s Sunday morning,
