Will Candide Thovex Compete at Natural Selection Ski?

The Natural Selection Tour was once only for snowboarders. Next winter, it’ll include skiers.

Upon digesting that reality, the freeskiing side of the internet melted down a bit. While the Freeride World Tour, the Nendaz Backcountry Invitational, and Bobby Brown’s Cascade put on impressive shows last winter, there’s always room for more backcountry freestyle and freeride competitions in skiing. And the loss of some events, like the Red Bull Cold Rush, still sting. The NST, with its high production values and stacked rosters, is uniquely positioned to meet the clear demand for skiing competitions that embrace the freedom of natural, unmanicured slopes.
 
The news broke yesterday and contained a small handful of details. The Natural Selection Ski event is scheduled for 2025 in mid-April and will be held in Alaska.

A group of elite skiers—Michelle Parker, Chris Benchetler, Kristi Leskinen, Markus Eder, Candide Thovex, and Sammy Carlson—has been named to the competition’s Advisory Council, ensuring that, despite the NST’s snowboarding roots, the interests of our side of the sport will be reflected. Hats off to the Natural Selection team for putting that endlessly qualified crew together.

The “Advisory Council” part of the announcement may, in some cases, have been lost on the public. On Instagram and internet forums, skiers chattered excitedly about seeing Thovex in a bib. But for now, neither Thovex nor the rest of the advisory group are confirmed competitors—they’re advisors.
 
That doesn’t preclude their appearance in the start gate, though. A rep from the NST explained via email that members of the advisory councils (the NST will include snowboarding, surfing, and biking going forward, alongside skiing—each sport has a respective council) could occupy varying roles in the future, from judging to just advising. Some of these council members may compete, although we don't know who they are quite yet. The rider list will be out in a few months, and the Advisory Council will have a say in who gets an invite.

That leaves ample room for speculation about what the final ski lineup will look like. Any of the Ski Advisory Council members would be at home in a backcountry freestyle competition, but they’re clear shoe-ins, and there’s plenty of room for more skiers—last year, the NST had 17 invited snowboarders on its roster. So, let’s play a guessing game.

Which Skiers Might Compete in the Natural Selection Tour?

On the women’s side, Maggie Voisin jumps out as an immediate contender. She came from a competitive slopestyle background (Voisin has seven X Games medals), but in recent seasons, has pivoted to the big mountain side of things and appeared in Teton Gravity Research’s latest film.

She’d arrive at the NST with a potent combination of slopestyle skills and freeride know-how. The FWT could also be a place to find competitors. There’s Hedvig Wessel, obviously, but Astrid Cheylus, Manon Loschi, and Addison Rafford—who’ve all competed on the FWT—present freeride’s next generation.

It’s difficult to talk about the men’s field when there’s an enormous elephant in the room—Candide Thovex, assuming he competes—but I’ll try.

Colby Stevenson, who’s made the jump from slopestyle to freeride like Voisin, and had one of last year’s all-around best parts, would fit right in. I'd be shocked if his name hasn’t come up behind closed doors as the NST team deliberates. Sam Kuch, Max Hitzig, and Karl Fostvedt are probably part of those conversations, too.

Everything about the arrival of the NST in skiing feels unexpected and unprecedented (it just about got an audible reaction out of me when the news hit my inbox), so don’t be surprised if these speculations miss the mark. Maybe the excitement will cause something truly wild to happen, like a rare Sean Pettit on skis appearance. At this point, no one really knows—all that’s certain is that when April arrives, we’re in for one hell of a show.

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