Natural Selection Ski Announces Return to Alaska for 2026

Featued Image: Chad Chomlack, Natural Selection Ski

Last year, the first-ever ski edition of the Natural Selection Tour captivated freeskiers the world over. After much speculation, the crew announced that NST Ski will officially be returning to Alaska for winter 2026. While the exact date has not been specified, the freeride comp will again be held in late March. From qualified riders to the event timeline, here's everything we know so far.

If you weren't able to tune into the inaugural NST Ski last winter, it's important to understand this is not your average freeride competition. Founded by part-time philosopher and professional snowboarder Travis Rice, NST was not open to disciplines beyond snowboarding until last year, when Natural Selection announced it would be branching out into skiing, biking and surfing.

Judging and venue selection both separate NST from its counterpart competitions. In NST Ski, riders go head-to-head in a bracket-style event, and scores are based on a criterion of Creativity, Risk, Execution, Difficulty and Overall Impression.

The venue is a natural face, remote and untamed. While there is a weather window to ensure that avalanche conditions are mitigated, (athlete safety is absolutely paramount,) there are very few parameters when it comes to off-limits. Last year, conditions deteriorated rapidly in the days before the event, leading to parts of the steep competition face becoming relentlessly firm and small avalanches breaking loose. Still, the event went forward and no condition-related injuries were reported.

It's unclear if NST will return to the exact same mountain face, dubbed Priority 1. Our money is on a new zone taking the spotlight this coming March.

Variable conditions and untimely weather couldn't stop NST Ski '25 | Photo: Chad Chomlack, Leslie Hittmeier

The roster has yet to be released in full, but we know that a few riders from last winter are pre-qualified for 2026. Those six skiers include Michelle Parker, Sam Kuch, Marcus Eder, Colby Stevenson and reigning MST Ski men's and women's champions Craig Murray and Manon Loschi.

Additional riders will earn their way into the roster through a first-stage competition, with more details being released in the coming weeks. Wildcards will also be announced, though that selection process is less defined, with the press release stating, "wildcards [will be chosen] as needed to fill the drop spots with the most skilled and exciting skiers in the world."

Behind the scenes, the unique event will continue to be shepherded by some of freeskiing's finest. "Last year felt like we cracked open a new chapter in skiing," said Mike Douglas, legendary pro skier and NST Ski Event Director. "This format strips skiing back to what it really is: reading the terrain and letting your style come through. We saw skiers push themselves in a way that honored both creativity and commitment. This year, the bar will only rise."

Stay tuned as FREESKIER continues to cover NST Ski 2026