Wintersports
Freeskiing
Manon Loschi goes back-to-back at Natural Selection Ski Alaska
A shift in venue and a last-minute rebuild of the competition zone turned the 2026 YETI Natural Selection Ski event in Alaska into one of the most unconventional backcountry contests ever staged.
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Mother Nature took charge at YETI Natural Selection Ski Alaska, steering the event through a week of twists and turns. What was originally intended to be a competition on the iconic big-mountain lines shifted 24 hours before drop-in, with athletes instead delivering runs across a complex terrain that rewarded line choice and execution.
Despite the late change of venue, the 12 invited athletes showcased their versatility to deliver a memorable event defined by adaptation, creativity, and high-level execution.
You can watch all the action in full below if you'd rather avoid spoilers:
NST Ski Alaska finals
Watch the world's best slopestyle and freeride skiers battle for the crown in Alaska’s legendary terrain.
01
Alaska forces a complete reset of the contest format
Markus Eder helped scout a new location for the finals in Alaska
© Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection Tour/Red Bull Content Pool
Initially set to take place in the city of Valdez, Alaska’s low and unpredictable snowpack created unsafe and inconsistent conditions. This meant that organizers had to find a new venue and fast. NST co-founder Travis Rice and competitor Markus Eder were able to identify a new location – an untapped, rolling alpine face with safer aspects and natural features suited to competition.
With only a single day left in the weather window, the crew built an entire contest venue from scratch. The change transformed the competition from exposed big-mountain terrain into a rolling, feature-rich environment that demanded constant trick output and immediate adjustment from every athlete.
02
A hybrid ski format emerges in real time
What developed on the mountain was a departure from traditional big-mountain spine riding. Skiers linked natural features with technical tricks throughout their descents, including double backflips, double corks, and continuous combinations across entire runs.
Judging took place on-mountain from a snow-built arena, with scores based on creativity, risk, difficulty, execution and overall impression. The panel included renowned backcountry skier Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and freestyle skier Grete Eliassen.
“We came here thinking big mountain, spines, exposure – and suddenly we’re looking at freestyle heavy venue, where you could link tricks top to bottom,” said Markus Eder. “A 180 degree shift which turned out to be all time. In my opinion, that’s what NST is all about. You’ve got to have all-round riding skills in your bag!”
03
Composure key in the women's final
Manon Loschi charges down the powder-laden cliffs in Alaska
© Leslie Hittmeier/Natural Selection Tour/Red Bull Content Pool
With four world-class riders competing for the title, the competition was always going to be tough, but it was returning champion Manon Loschi who triumphed thanks to a composed and fluid run built around consistency and control.
The French ace linked a double backflip off a major hit early in her run, maintained speed through the middle features, and closed with a clean 360 to secure the win in a format where every landing and every trick carried weight.
“With a venue like this, my strategy was to have fun, but stay calculated,” explained Loschi. “I wanted to show strong skiing, but not go 100 percent and risk crashing. It was about finding that balance, taking enough risk to qualify while still skiing clean. I was probably skiing at around 50 to 60 percent in qualifiers, making sure I could put a run down and build from there.”
04
High execution defines the men's bracket
On the men’s side, eight athletes were required to adapt to the new format and the freestyle heavy venue. In the end, it was Colby Stevenson who was best able to link multiple high-difficulty tricks from top to bottom as he claimed a memorable victory.
Finn Bilous claimed third place in Alaska
© Chad Chomlack/Natural Selection Tour/Red Bull Content Pool
"It's huge. It's everything I could have dreamed of," said Stevenson. "I'm super hyped it all worked out. It was just an epic session with everyone, such a different vibe than every other competition. We were just feeding off each other's energy."
The Americans’ winning run came on his first attempt in the finals and was built around eight cleanly executed tricks. However, it was his first trick near the top of the course, a double cork 1080 blunt grab, that not only helped him secure the win but also landed him the BOA Dialed In Award for one of the standout moments of the event.
Following that huge trick, he carried speed through the remainder of the venue, linking spins, flips, and natural-feature transitions into a complete winning run defined by clean execution under pressure.
05
YETI Natural Selection Ski Alaska results
Women's results
Rank
Person
Nationality
1
Manon Loschi
France
2
Astrid Cheylis
France
3
Elisabeth Gerritzen
Switzerland
Men's results
Rank
Person
Nationality
1
Colby Stevenson
United States
2
Markus Eder
Italy
3
Finn Bilous
New Zealand
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