Five big new names have been added as wildcards to the roster of the 2026 YETI Natural Selection Ski event.
Five big new names have been added as wildcards to the roster of the 2026 YETI Natural Selection Ski event.
Following last year’s highly anticipated, highly successful debut of Natural Selection Ski, the stoke for the 2026 event is growing with the announcement of five wildcard riders who will join the action in Alaska this spring.
On the women’s side, wild cards straight to Alaska have been dealt to Tatum Monod and Astrid Cheylis. Monod, who field hosted the 2025 debut NST Ski is back, this time to compete. She’ll bring a powerful, confident approach to Valdez’s consequential terrain. Cheylis has emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting freeride skiers, blending technical precision with fearless line selection. The pair will join Manon Loschi, who is prequalified after winning the inaugural Natural Selection Ski event and returns as one of the most composed and creative athletes in the field.
The men’s wild cards bring together pioneers, style icons, and Olympic-caliber competitors. Karl Fostvedt, a long-time innovator in backcountry freestyle skiing, earns a spot alongside Tanner Hall, whose influence on freeskiing has shaped the sport for more than two decades. Finn Bilous rounds out the wildcard invites, bringing his modern freestyle approach into big-mountain terrain.
They will join the top four finishers from last season, who automatically qualified for Alaska: Markus Eder, whose creativity and skill continues to redefine what’s possible on skis; Sam Kuch, one of the most technically precise backcountry skiers in the world; Colby Stevenson, whose prodigious talent on skis extends from the international slopestyle circuit to backcountry and big-mountain skiing; and Craig Murray, who is hoping to hold onto his crown after winning the 2025 Natural Selection Ski title.
In contrast to the inaugural NST Ski contest, this year’s event includes a qualifying stage: The NST Super Session at Palisades Tahoe in California. Eight athletes selected by Natural Selection’s ski advisory council will face off here for the chance to win one male and one female invitation to the NST finals in Alaska.
The women’s field at Palisades Tahoe includes Elisabeth Gerritzen, Indy Boyer, Ana Eyssimont, and Hannah Epsteyn. The men’s roster features Teal Harle, Connery Lundin, Jonah Williams and Parkin Costain.
At the opening of the Natural Selection Ski Super Session window at Palisades Tahoe—an on-snow competition period closed to the public—Natural Selection Ski will host a public athlete meet-and-greet and media opportunity on February 23 at the evo store in Tahoe. The event is open to all offering a chance to connect with eight of the skiers shaping the future of big-mountain and freeride skiing.
The Natural Selection Ski Super Session at Palisades Tahoe will begin rolling out March 17 on Red Bull TV, with the winners announced at the end of the broadcast.
The tour will conclude with the YETI Natural Selection Ski Alaska Finals, staged in Valdez, one of the most iconic proving grounds in the history of big-mountain skiing.
“Valdez was the first access point to the wildest ski terrain on earth,” said Mike Douglas, Head of Natural Selection Ski. “Back in the 1990s ski legends were built on that terrain. It seems fitting to invite the world’s most progressive skiers to compete on this sacred ground.”
When and where to watch:
Natural Selection Ski Super Session – Palisades Tahoe
Premieres March 17, 2026, exclusively on Red Bull TV. Results revealed within the broadcast.
YETI Natural Selection Ski – Valdez, Alaska Finals
Premiering April 14, 2026, exclusively on Red Bull TV. Results revealed within the broadcast.
Need a reminder about Natural Selection’s exciting debut in skiing? Check out our coverage of last year’s event.