News: The Quicksilver Natural Selection: All-Mountain Freestyle Invitational at Jackson Hole

I’m on day three of my stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the snow has been falling almost non-stop, much to the delight of the 17 freestyle riders gathered here for the first-annual Quicksilver Natural Selection competition. The snowboarders, hand selected by pro-rider 25-year-old Travis Rice, who’s a resident here in Jackson, represent the best of the best in the freestyle circuit. Two steep courses have been set up, allowing riders to really show their stuff on the mountains, not just do a series of tricks on a half-pipe. None of the guys are allowed to test out the runs before the competition, adding an element of surprise to each ride. The four-person team of judges, headed by “the father of big air” Tom Burt, will watch from the sidelines and with the help of high-tech camera crews befitting of an action film. When the competition will take place is anyone’s guess: The weather will be the determinant—good visibility is clearly a must—but sources say tomorrow, Saturday, may be day one of two. In the meantime, the whole mix of snowboarders, gear experts, judges and media are amassed here in a whirlwind of fun and mountain air. Just last night we witnessed phase one of the competition, a mechanical bull riding competition at the Jackson Hole Playhouse, where the riders rode a different kind of beast in hopes of getting the best time, and therefore a choice of competition lineup positioning. The winner? Mark Carter, a stocky snowboarder from nearby Ten Sleep, Wyoming, population 770. (Photo of Travis Rice, on the bull)