All Images: Keegan Rice | Skier: Alex Beaulieu-Marchand
The 2025 edition of Kings & Queens of Corbet’s is in the bag. After last year’s cancellation due to poor conditions, the event was a sight for sore eyes. On February 11, some of the best skiers and boarders in the world gathered at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for what could be considered the ultimate snow sports huck fest. Conditions in the Tetons lined up perfectly, with plenty of fresh snow and low temps preserving the course in ideal shape.
JHMR recorded 18 inches of snow over the last five days. Corbet’s Couloir has also been closed for several weeks, ensuring that riders were not chucking themselves into barebones conditions. In fact, we saw many competitors get hung up in the pow at various points on the face.
As in years past, the course design was a thing of beauty. After exiting the initial start gate, riders descended to the mouth of the couloir, where multiple take-off options awaited. After (hopefully) sticking the landing, multiple natural features were at their disposal, with several cliffs and lips becoming favorites over time. The bottom kicker was placed similarly to previous years, with two takeoff options and a long in-run. Athletes had the option of taking a second run if they weren’t satisfied with their first.
Before we continue, it’s worth noting that the results are not finalized yet. The event is peer-judged, and riders will vote for their favorites on Friday, February 14, with results being published the following day, so stay tuned.
There were several big change-ups to K&Q this year. We saw notable skiers like Jake Hopfinger, Parkin Costain and Karl Fostvedt leave the competition after many years. For the first time ever, there were separate categories for skiers and snowboarders: Men’s and Women’s Ski, and Men’s and Women’s Snowboard. Each category has its own podium and prize money, with $50,000 being split amongst the lot.
1st Place: $5,000
2nd Place: $3,000
3rd Place: $2,000
The overall King & Queen, who will be the highest-scoring athlete regardless of discipline, will also receive a $5,000 bonus, bringing their total purse to $10,000. The anticipation is killing us, but we can’t wait to see who the riders select as the next King and Queen of Corbet’s.
We can only guess who will be crowned as the 2025 champions, but in the meantime, let’s revisit a few of our favorite moments. FREESKIER dialed up legendary Jackson Hole photographer Keegan Rice to get a glimpse at the event through his lens. Check out the full gallery and highlights below.
Tim McChesney was the first overall rider to drop. After canvassing the lip, he laced a double cork 1080. He stomped two huge airs and proceeded to land a perfect switch dub 10 blunt on the bottom jump. A true freeski icon, McChesney didn’t shy away from the pressure in the slightest.
Jackson Hole local Wyatt Gentry went with a huge cork seven on his first run. He took a few tumbles throughout, but the young gun was quick to get back on his feet each time. His second run saw two intense crashes as well in the couloir and on the bottom jump. Odds are good that we’ll see more from the JHMR rider at K&Q in the future.
Ridge Dirksmeier was one of several notable rookies to the competition. The Sun Valley local got the recommendation from Karl Fostvedt to fill in when Fostvedt announced he would not be competing. Dirksmeier went for a gigantic double front flip from the top rope, surely making Crazy Karl proud.
2022 Queen of Corbet’s Piper Kunst dropped in with ferocity as she over-rotated her backflip. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Kunst took a second run and once again laid out a signature backie.
Slopestyle legend Alex Beaulieu-Marchand is no stranger to the competition scene. The K&Q rookie went for a switch dub nine, making him the first skier in the lineup to drop switch into Corbet’s. He was tossed on the landing, but after recovering his skis, ABM threw a pristine mute seven, tweaking it out to the delight of the crowd.
Veronica Paulsen, the first woman to land a backflip into Corbet’s Couloir, attempted a double backflip again this year. After a tough crash, our thoughts are with Paulsen and we hope a speedy recovery is in her future.
The flying Frenchman Lalo Rambaud went for a double backie on both of his runs. He also included a stylish stalled-out shifty 360 off a natural feature as well as a cork seven blunt on the final kicker. Making waves on the Freeride World Tour Junior circuit, Rambaud is one to keep an eye on.
Reigning Queen of Corbet’s Claire McPherson opted for the straight air and cleanly put it right to her feet. The crowd lit up as she tossed a big backflip off a natural feature halfway through the course.
Tristan Lilly, representing the great state of Maine, put on a hell of a show. His first one saw a bewildering hand drag cork seven and a front flip off the bottom kicker. In his second run, Lilly punted a massive double backflip. Now located in SLC, he’s one to keep on your radar.
Alex Hackel upped the bar from his previous performance at K&Q, tossing a hand drag seven right to his feet to start his run. He continued to lace a 360 and a right side 900 with the capped blunt grab for good measure. Hackel’s run is up there for our personal favorite pick this year.
Always creative, Colby Stevenson managed to find a unique two-step into the couloir. The 2023 King of Corbet’s bounced off one lip onto another, doing a 180 to a switch 540 Japan grab. It didn’t go Stevenson’s way this time around, but we hope he’ll be back for more.
Ana Eyssimont is all smiles after absolutely stomping her run with confidence. Her line was controlled and dialed, with a big backflip halfway through the course putting her in top contention for the Women’s Ski title.
