El Tony Crew Clash returns for Volume II
The crew-based snowboard video battle moves to Gran Masta Park in Adelboden-Lenk
RnD 2026 Elevates Women’s Backcountry Freestyle.
Nelson, BC — March 2026 — Fifteen women from around the world came together at Whitewater Mountain Resort for RnD 2026, bringing full-send energy and pushing the limits of backcountry freestyle snowboarding. Riders included Estelle Pensiero, Egan Wint, Katie Kennedy, Ellery Manning, Amelia “Billy” Pelchat, Enni Rukajärvi, Marissa Krawczak, Celia Petrig, Stefi Luxton, Ellie Weiler, Yuka Fujimori, Eva van Vugt, Maria Hidalgo, Audrey Doan, and Olympic wildcard Juliette Pelchat.
For the past two years, a single winner earned a spot on the Natural Selection Tour (NST), but in 2026 RnD and NST expanded the opportunity by sending the top two finishers and an alternate to compete at NST in Revelstoke, BC. With three filming days, a live contest, and full production support, RnD creates a platform for riders to gain real backcountry freestyle filming experience while elevating their riding.
Founded by Robin Van Gyn, RnD’s mission is simple but powerful: get more women deep in the mountains and give them the space to be seen, build their presence, and shine a spotlight on their backcountry riding.
RnD combines three filming days with one contest day, with riders scored 70% on their best contest run and 30% on their strongest filmed clip. Creativity, line choice, and technical execution sit at the core, but
adaptability is just as crucial.
Filming days demand patience and grit. Riders navigate Whitewater’s shaded morning terrain, whether sunny, fogged, or snowy, handling shifting light and variable conditions. They hike together, scope lines, build features, wait for windows, and make magic out of what the mountain offers.
In most snowboarding scenarios, riders would need to hike, splitboard, or sled into backcountry terrain, scout and build features themselves, and hire a filmer and photographer to capture the day. At RnD, they get that experience in one place—working with top photographers and filmers off the sidecountry of the resort, organized in five small groups to find the best lines and nail their strongest clips. Riders aren’t just chasing points—they’re stacking footage, building video parts, and walking away with photos and film that showcase their skills. RnD isn’t just a ticket to NST—it’s that golden opportunity to ride, film, and leave with backcountry reestyle footage captured by the best in the business.
Amalia “Billy” Pelchat — 1st Place ($10,000)
Billy dominated her mountain line on Comp Day with total conviction. Tackling the complex terrain of the
“Oreo,” she dropped an insane spine, linking gnarly features into a smooth frontside 180 straight into a cab 5 off the bottom jumps. She clearly raised the bar from the previous year, riding like a boss through every feature. Across filming days, Billy kept stacking footage, showcasing consistent style and execution—especially on the cab 5—which secured her first place and a direct path to NST.
Yuka Fujimori — 2nd Place ($6,000)
Yuka earned her spot through The Draft, an online video submission contest for Japanese riders held in
partnership with Arc’teryx and YETI. On Comp Day, she rode into a technical steep rocky cliff band, stomped the massive drop, linked a half cab off the first jump, and sent a back 7 off the final jump but couldn’t hold onto the landing. Both runs proved she can stomp big cliffs and send backcountry booters with style, and her precision and control across filming and contest days earned her second overall and a well-deserved NST invite.
Katie Kennedy — 3rd Place ($4,000)
Katie stomped the side of the “Pizza Slice” cliff and first jump with authority, but it was her filming days that set her apart. Over three days, she put down not just one clip but a full video part—riding spines, throwing front 3s, and linking it all together with relentless focus. That body of work secured her third overall and earned her the alternate spot for NST.
Best Tomahawk Award: Ellie Weiler – officially christening the venue with the first yard sale.
Mountain Monkey: Marissa Krawczak – channeling her inner Tarzan on massive lines
J.K. Approved Award (Jeff Keenan Approved): Stefi Luxton – controlled, proper riding with grabs and
landings on point
Seal Team Sender Award ($1,000): Eva Van Vugt – going full send on huge features
Clinic Award: Katie Kennedy – first chair to last, most dialled footage; basically ran a full-on backcountry
clinic for how to film a video part
RnD week doesn’t end when the last rider lands. Arc’teryx rolled into Nelson with their ReBird repair seacan, fixing blown zippers, shredded bibs, and well-loved kits—because progression is great, but gear that survives it is even better.
The YETI Movie Night packed the house with Facing Giants and Wayward, both by Mia Lambson, proving
women’s backcountry riding isn’t “up next.” It’s happening now.
On snow, Burton Snowboards teamed up with RnD and Natural Freedom for a Community Ride Day, bringing riders together to connect and share stoke. Natural Freedom also ran an Intro to Backcountry Clinic, helping riders step confidently beyond resort boundaries.
Brand new this year, the Vert Toss Seeding event turned seeding into a full send: verts flying, bragging rights on the line, and drop order decided by distance alone. It brought out the competitive fire in everyone.
The week closed with an awards celebration that went off—less formal ceremony, more full-volume celebration of what the women built together.
By bringing riders together from around the world, RnD creates a space where they feed off each other’s energy, collaborate to scout lines, film together, and grow their body of work, walking away with both photos and footage that showcase their skills. By feeding participants into the Natural Selection pipeline and giving them hands-on experience with film crews, RnD raises a bigger question: could this hybrid format of filmed performance and live competition be the future of backcountry freestyle snowboarding?
If 2026 proved anything, it’s this: when women are given time, terrain, production support, and community, they don’t just rise to the occasion—they redefine it.
Tune in for the RnD recap premiering March 9, 2026 — streaming exclusively on Red Bull TV.
The crew-based snowboard video battle moves to Gran Masta Park in Adelboden-Lenk
Live Super Sessions and RND Premiere Leads Into Mother Nature’s Choice of
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