Ståle Sandbech and Spencer O’Brien Win 2025 YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke

Spencer O’Brien (CAN) and Ståle Sandbech (NOR) claim victory at the 2025 YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke, battling through a high-stakes day of head-to-head competition in the massive cliff zone coated in powder just outside of Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s boundaries.

Mother Nature opened the weather window just long enough for two historic days of snowboarding progression in real time. On the line; the 2025 Natural Selection Tour Crown and nod as the world’s best all-around, all-mountain snowboarder.

“The venue, the resort team, and especially the riders made for an incredible couple of days up here in Revelstoke!” said Travis Rice, pro snowboarder and founder of the Natural Selection Tour. “The women took the attention with a couple of the best lines that I have ever seen in competition. While, the highlights coming out of the men’s side is enough to cut a full shred flick. Snow couldn’t have been better. We are so fired up!”

Riders put the massive mountainside venue to the test, with sheer cliff faces, boulder fields, and enhanced features piled high with feet of fresh snow. Both Natural Selection Tour champions drew from their slopestyle competition roots to advance through the brackets and reach the top of the podium—Sandbech, the 2014 Olympic slopestyle silver medalist, and O’Brien, a five-time X Games slopestyle medalist. Both earn the prestigious 2025 Championship titles, the biggest cuts of the $130,000 prize purse, and new 2026 Ski-Doo Summit X. 

YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke Day 1 and the Finals are now streaming on-demand at Red Bull TV.

Sandbech, a rookie to the Natural Selection Tour, returned to competition this week after stepping back from one of the most decorated slopestyle careers of all-time. Competition experience came in handy, as Sandbech narrowly squeaked past Revelstoke-local and cliff zone charger Dustin Craven (CAN) in one of the closest quarterfinal battles of the day. He picked up speed in the semi-finals throwing down a trio of 540s up top right into a pillow ollie before straight lining a cliff face to advance past NST veteran and consistent provider of NST highlights, Jared Elston (USA) to earn a 91—the high score of the day.

The men’s final featured an NST rookie showdown between freeride and freestyle expertise, as Sandbech faced 2022 Freeride World Tour Champion Blake Moller (USA). It became apparent that both riders have successfully crossed into each other’s disciplines, showcasing their all-around mastery of snowboarding.

Sandbech put down a heater on his first finals run, riding the upper mountain like a snowboard park with a highlight Cab 540 Melon and a massive backside 360 across the cliff face. Moller answered back on his second finals run—the final rider of the day to drop, throwing a huge corked backside 720 over a cliff face, but he was unable to get the landing gear down and Sandbech claimed his first NST title. 

The typically stoic Norwegian and new dad was still processing his win, admitting, “I’m emotional, and I don’t really get emotional.” Then, lighting up, he shouted, “I’m a dad now, too! Dad power!”

Sandbech says that he had to adopt a different strategy competing at NST, saying, “You don’t get to practice your runs, you look at it on photos, and visualize how it might feel and look out for all the hazards.” And there’s so many factors that when it comes time for your run, he says, “You have to turn on your instincts and go spontaneous. It’s so different every time, and you can’t really predict where people are going or what’s going to happen. So it’s crazy and exciting to ride.”

The women’s finals featured a showdown between two of the most esteemed and decorated riders in snowboarding—O’Brien and Elena Hight (USA), the 2022 Natural Selection Tour Champion. O’Brien reached into her slopestyle bag of tricks, stomping a Cab 540 up top, making her way into the HiBeams cliff  zone, finding a big drop and then effortlessly flowing through the consequential terrain. Hight answered back, going for broke in her last run with a massive frontside 720 up top, and a huge cliff drop in front of the hundreds gathered below. 

O’Brien entered NST as a Wildcard and turned that opportunity into a championship win, adding yet another chapter to her storied career. She said her goal going into today was to do a Cab 540. “I was really happy seeing Elena drop in and do that front seven. It fired me up so much. And I was like, yeah, let’s go—let’s just put it on the line and see what happens. It was really fun to get to ride with her today.” 

O’Brien gave credit to the NST for setting the stage for progression to happen, saying, “The attention to venue and snow quality and conditions and the care for the athletes. The event really provides a space where people want to send it and do their best. You saw that throughout the week. I’ve never seen a more insane display of snowboarding than yesterday; watching the men. It was just absolutely mind blowing. Props to everybody here—it was just such an exceptional show and an amazing week for snowboarding.”

Men’s 2025 Natural Selection Tour Podium:

1. Ståle Sandbech (NOR)

2. Blake Moller (USA)

3. Gigi Rüf (AUT)

Women’s 2025 Natural Selection Tour Podium:

1. Spencer O’Brien (CAN)

2. Elena Hight (USA)

3. Šárka Pančochová (CZE)

Up Next: The Inaugural YETI Natural Selection Ski evenr: Watch men’s and women’s skiers including icons of the sport like Marcus Eder and Michelle Parker to OIympians and X Games star Colby Peterson, as they navigate one of Alaska’s most iconic faces. Utilizing innovative filming techniques, including high-speed drones, the event will capture the artistry of freestyle meets big mountain skiing in breathtaking detail, allowing viewers to experience each carve and boost as if they were there on the slopes. Follow along on @naturalselectionski and watch April 17 exclusively on Red Bull TV. 

Where to watch online:
YETI Natural Selection DUELS – Watch now! On-demand on Red Bull TV
YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke – Day 1 – www.redbull.com/NSTsnow1
YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke – Finals – www.redbull.com/NSTsnow2

PHOTO CREDITS:

photo 1 and 2: Blake Moller full send credit: Mike Yoshida / Natural Selection

photo 3: Spencer O’Brien on the way to the win credit: Mike Yoshida / Natural Selection

photo 4: Stale Sandbech spins and sends for the win credit: Mike Yoshida / Natural Selection

photo 5: Elena Hight in green launching on Day 1 credit: Mike Yoshida / Natural Selection

photo 6 and 7: Women’s and Men’s podiums credit: Mike Yoshida / Natural Selection