Freeskiing
Good vibes, great lines: NST Ski’s game-changing debut
YETI Natural Selection Ski premiere proves collaboration beats competition, with France’s Manon Loschi and New Zealand’s Craig 'Weazy' Murray taking the crown.
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The much-anticipated final stop of the Natural Selection Tour and debut of the YETI Natural Selection Ski event was everything fans could have hoped for, with the best all-mountain freeride and freestyle skiers putting down the most exciting and memorable film-part worthy contest runs of all time.
Watch the replay on Red Bull TV.
YETI Natural Selection Ski
Watch the world's best slopestyle and freeride skiers battle for the crown in Alaska’s legendary terrain.
The contest premiered worldwide during a live watch party hosted in-studio featuring real-time commentators and pro skiers Chris Benchetler, Tonje Kvivik and Mark Abma, with Tatum Monod reporting from the field.
The full-day contest was held in March, immediately following the NST Snowboard event featuring a hand-picked roster of 12 of the world’s best skiers – eight men and four women – spanning big mountain, slopestyle and freeride.
Creativity meets courage as skiers impress legendary judges in a unique format
Power, speed and precision
© Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection Tour
The venue for the inaugural NST Ski was one of the most intense venues in a contest series that has a reputation for standout venues. Accessed by helicopter from Eleven’s Winterlake Lodge outside Anchorage, Alaska, Priority 1 is a dramatic 1,800ft (548m) vertical face with sustained pitches averaging 40–45 degrees and topping out at 55. With adrenaline in the air and stakes higher than ever, the incredible location was the perfect venue for athletes to prove themselves at NST Ski’s explosive first run.
The full-day contest was divided into two formats. In qualifying, the skiers competed in heats, with the top half of each field advancing into a head-to-head semi-final format for the men and directly into finals for the women. The expert panel included longtime judge Dion Newport and two freeskiing trailblazers and icons: Sean Petit and Kristi Leskinen. The judging was done using CREDO – the Natural Selection judging criteria based on Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty and Overall Flow. A system that rewards risk-taking, which definitely came into play on the face of Priority 1.
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Session 1 results and highlights
The day's highlights were too many to list, with viewers in on the action thanks to the cutting-edge visuals from the racing drones, skier POVs and top-tier production.
Surprises in Session 1 as Sam Kuch dominates and fan favourites miss the cut
Parker White opened the NST Ski competition in men’s Session 1 of qualifiers on the south face of Priority 1, where riders faced a mix of conditions – from firm, sun-affected snow to deep blower powder and everything in between. Navigating the variable terrain with confidence, Nelson, BC’s Sam Kuch put down a standout run to secure the top qualifying spot, with American slopestyle Olympian Colby Stevenson close behind in second. That left fan favourite Kai Jones and White failing to advance.
Top scores from Murray and Eder in stacked qualifier
Markus Eder goes all-in
© Leslie Hittmeier/Natural Selection Tour
Session 2 of qualifying saw New Zealand’s Craig Murray absolutely dominate from the start, earning the highest score of the day – a 96 on his first run and securing his spot in the semi-finals. Close behind was Markus Eder, known worldwide for The Ultimate Run, who bounced back in his second run with a signature, Eder-worthy performance that saw him advance with a 91, just ahead of Canada’s Kye Peterson, who missed qualifying by one point and Sweden’s Max Palm.
Loschi and Parker advance to head-to-head finals
In the women’s qualifying session, France’s Manon Loschi – the youngest competitor and an Alaska rookie skiing her only contest of the season – topped the scoreboard, earning a 70 with aggressive, confident riding that powered through the variable conditions. USA’s Michelle Parker followed with a smooth, clean line that edged her into the head-to-head finals alongside Loschi. Norway’s Hedvig Wessel finished with a 57 and USA’s Maggie Voisin a 42.
USA’s Michelle Parker
© Leslie Hittmeier/Natural Selection Tour
After qualifiers wrapped, the field moved to the north side of Priority 1, where riders hoped for blower snow and more consistent conditions – and the terrain delivered.
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The semi-finals
The men’s semi-finals featured a two-run head-to-head format, with what was possibly the match-up of the day: Sam Kuch vs Markus Eder. The two went blow for blow, trading legendary runs right from the start. Kuch met the moment flowing at top speed from top to bottom, capped off with a massive 360 gap transfer that earned him a 95 – the second-highest score of the day. Eder answered back with a huge double cork 1080 mid-Alaskan face, but couldn’t quite stick the landing, giving Kuch the edge to advance to finals.
After years watching the snowboard comp, freeskiers now get own their NST
© Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection
Colby Stevenson and Craig Murray showcased a freeskier versus big mountain battle. Stevenson set the tone in Run 1, stacking his run with technical tricks, including a huge stalled-out flatspin and a lofty no-grab 360 that put him in the lead. Murray went all-in on a massive gap attempt, estimated at over 100ft, but couldn’t quite find a clean landing. That changed in Run 2, when Murray stuck to his plan of going “bigger and faster.” He blazed through a line with minimal turns and maximum impact, launching off multiple features, including a perfectly executed flatspin off a spine. Benchetler called it the “fastest line of the day,” and the judges agreed, awarding Murray a 92 and sending him to the first-ever NST Ski final against his best friend and team-mate Sam Kuch, in a showdown Murray said he literally “fantasised about”.
The first ever NST Ski final – showdown in Alaska
The women’s field kicked off the first-ever NST Ski finals with a showdown between Michelle Parker and Manon Loschi that saw both riders take nearly mirrored lines. In Run 1, Parker laid down beautiful turns up top but was caught by her slough, while Loschi came in fast and aggressive, only to be overtaken by her own speed. Run 2 saw both skiers embrace a true big mountain approach – Parker laced together technical turns and a clean cliff drop, while Loschi found some of the best snow on the face and charged top to bottom. In the end, it was Loschi who edged out the win with a score of 70 to Parker’s 68, becoming the first-ever NST Ski women’s champion.
Sweden’s Max Palm was one of the qualified athletes at NST Ski's debut
© Leslie Hittmeier/Natural Selection
Luschi, who hails from La Clusaz, a renowned freeskiing paradise in the heart of the French Alps, was initially intimidated by the idea of skiing Alaskan peaks, but once on site, she was unfazed: "It was really a dream for me to go to Alaska." She says, "It definitely looked bigger in real life, but it's such a fun venue that you can see everything from the top. It was a crazy experience. So, to win is the cherry on top." The NST Championship title marks the first professional win of her career, adding to her two second-place finishes on the FWT.
It definitely looked bigger in real life, but it's such a fun venue that you can see everything from the top. It was a crazy experience
Injured but unstoppable: Murray takes the title with heart
The men’s finals brought the contest to an exciting close, with Craig Murray dropping first and charging full throttle. He opened with a massive 360 over a gap but went down on a flat spin attempt. Sam Kuch answered with his huge 360 transfer but couldn’t stick the landing. In his second run, Murray went all-in, sending the same massive 360 clean, stomping a textbook straight backflip and linking it all together with blistering speed. The pace was so fast, one commentator exclaimed, “He’s already at the bottom!”
Kuch knew he had to go big in his final run – and he delivered. Opting for a fresh line, he opened with a 360 off the top, then charged full throttle into what was undoubtedly the biggest air of the day, thrilling the crowd below. But he went down on the landing. With that, Murray’s fast and fluid second run held strong, earning him an 85 to Kuch’s 70 and crowning him the first-ever men's NST Ski Champion.
Craig Murray claimed the NST Ski crown after an epic final showdown
© Leslie Hittmeier/Natural Selection Tour
Murray, who had been battling a knee injury since February and hadn’t been on his skis leading up to the event, couldn’t help but feel immense pride. After earning the top score of the day in qualifiers, he said, “I'm really proud of myself – I don't usually say that, but I’m proud of myself for believing I can still ski like that and for coming up here with everyone. It’s just been the most incredible week. I can’t really express how grateful I am to be here."
Of his win, he added, “Getting to spend two weeks in a wild location with everyone created a totally different atmosphere than you see at other events. Everyone came together as a team rather than competitors. Skiing with such a range of the world's best skiers was unique. Dropping into the final with one of my best friends was beyond comprehension and the cherry on top.”
I'm really proud of myself – I don't usually say that, but I’m proud of myself for believing I can still ski like that
Craig Murray faced off with Sam Kuch
© Leslie Hittmeier
Athletes call NST Ski the “best vibes ever”
At the contest's end, the consensus among all the competitors was that NST Ski was an incredible success with the “best vibes ever” from start to finish. Despite the stakes and scoring, one sentiment echoed from nearly every athlete on the glacier: it didn’t even feel like a contest. The energy between riders was more collaborative than competitive. They weren’t just there to win – they were there to push each other, inspire each other, and do something that had never been done before in ski competition. You can now watch the full action on demand on Red Bull TV.
YETI Natural Selection Ski Top 3 men and women
Men’s 2025 YETI Natural Selection Ski results:
- Craig Murray (NZL)
- Sam Kuch (CAN)
- Markus Eder (ITA)
Women’s 2025 YETI Natural Selection Ski results:
- Manon Loschi (FRA)
- Michelle Parker (USA)
- Hedvig Wessel (NOR)
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