Featured Image: Chad Chomlack, Courtesy of NST Ski | Skier: Michelle Parker
Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead! Be sure to click here and watch the full broadcast of Natural Selection Ski before scrolling down to avoid any unwanted spoilers of the event results.
It was the showdown we wanted—and the one that skiing needed. The 2025 Natural Selection Ski comp, the first of its kind, debuted yesterday, April 18, and it was exactly what freeskiing has been waiting for.
Natural Selection, originally a snowboard-only competition created by mastermind Travis Rice, announced its expansion into skiing—as well as mountain biking and surfing—last year. With the first iteration of this new addition now in the books, it’s safe to say NST has won the hearts of skiers everywhere.
NST is a bracket-style comp, where riders compete head-to-head. As they lay it all on the line, judges assess their lines based on Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty and Overall impression.
The four women, Manon Loschi, Maggie Voisin, Hedvig Wessel and Michelle Parker, all started as one heat, whereas the Men’s Ski field was broken up into two heats. The first consisted of Sam Kuch, Parker White, Colby Stevenson and Kai Jones, with the second pitting Craig Murray, Max Palm, Markus Eder and Kye Peterson against each other.
Conditions were dicey, with rapid warming and a bit of snowfall just before the competition day. The competition face, dubbed Priority 1, held hundreds of different features and unique line choices. Parker White opened up the day and got to sample the snow on several different aspects, which included an interesting mix of tricky crust and deep pow. The competitors adjusted their riding to navigate the sun crust on the south-facing slopes, powered through the chop and sniffed out the aspects that held soft landings and clean turns.
After a full day of battling, the finals came down to to Manon Loschi and Michelle Parker on the women’s side, with Craig Murray going up against Sam Kuch on the men’s side. You probably couldn’t draw it up any better than that. Parker displayed impressively-composed skiing and snuck a big air into her final run, but Loschi countered with a full descent of smooth, fast and fluid turns. The judges had Loschi as the favorite, giving her a 65.0 to 60.0 victory.
In the Men’s Final, Murray and Kuch put it all on the table, to no one’s surprise. Each had their ups and downs, with Murray lacing one of the cleanest 360s of all time and a giant backflip in an ultra-clean second run. Kuch’s first run very well may have delivered the win, but he lost a ski in a wild binding malfunction, forcing the judges to dock him a few points. He then went for a seemingly impossible air in his next run, coasting a hundred feet or more down the mountain and nearly stuck it. Ultimately, Murray was awarded the win with a score of 85.0 to 70.0.
FREESKIER’s Top 2025 NST Ski Highlights
Parker White cracking the day open with a picturesque P White front flip.
Colby Stevenson’s enormous hand drag 3’s from the top rope. Yes, he did multiple.
Maggie Voisin, one of the most dominant freestyle skiers in history, looking comfortable skiing giant AK lines.
Max Palm’s Round 2 Session 2 run, where he punted several 40+ foot airs and two 360s with his vest unzipped wide open. It’s true, style rules all.
Markus Eder attempting and landing tricks that have no business being thrown on an AK face. He got the 7, he’ll be back to put the dub 10 to his feet next time.
Michelle Parker’s second Finals run. Composed, technical, pristine skiing. The judges opted in favor of Manon Loschi’s smooth styling, surfy turns instead of Parker’s air time, but it was a close call in our books.
Craig Murray and Sam Kuch going head-to-head in the finals. Freeride skiing at its peak (no pun intended). Just a staggering showing of creativity, athleticism and huge airs. Watch it. Then watch it ten more times.
🥇 Manon Loschi (FRA)
🥈 Michelle Parker (USA)
🥉 Hedvig Wessel (NOR)
🥇 Craig Murray (NZL)
🥈 Sam Kuch (CAN)
🥉 Markus Eder (ITA)
A massive thank you to Travis Rice and the entire NST crew who made this possible. Freeskiing dearly needed an event like this that will surely draw more eyes, money and passion into the sport.
We’re thrilled that this comp went off as smoothly as possible, and we’re already making predictions for next year!
