Natural Selection Tour’s first stage in Jackson Hole wraps with the finals on Tuesday. These are the snowboards that pros are riding for 2021 in this unknown terrain.
Day one of Travis Rice’s Red Bull-backed Natural Selection Tour kicked off on Thursday. The opening action at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort delivered on all fronts: epic bails, mindblowing tricks, and fierce competition (watch the replay here).
But by the end of day one, the venue was tracked up. Luckily, a storm on Friday filled in the tracks — and then some.
With nearly 3 feet in the last 48 hours falling on an already-solid base, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort blasted past the 300-inch benchmark for the season. (At the time of writing this article, the season total is sitting at 336 inches.) That’s all to say the storm has ensured the final comp in Jackson Hole tomorrow will have plenty of powder.
Moving into finals day, half of the riders have been eliminated: only four women and eight men remain. As a gear nerd, snowboard tester, and GearJunkie reporter, I’ve been curious: What will these top talents be riding tomorrow? Chances are, they’ll be riding these boards.
Watch Finals Day HereMen’s Quarterfinals Matchups
Austen Sweetin vs. Blake Paul
This is the Mervin matchup. PNW snowboarder Austen “Froth Goblin” Sweetin rides for Lib Tech, and Jackson’s own prince of powder, Blake Paul, rides for Gnu. Both brands are subsidiaries of Washington-based board-builder Mervin.
Austen Sweetin: Lib Tech Dynamo Snowboard
Day in and day out, from hardpack to waist-deep pow, the Dynamo ($499) is Sweetin’s board of choice. A one-inch setback and 3mm taper make this directional shape capable in pow yet still adept at landing switch.
C3 Camber puts a rocker pocket between the feet, which will help Sweetin find the sweet spot when surfing through Jackson Hole’s bountiful blower.
Check Price at evoCheck Price at Backcountry
Blake Paul: Gnu Hyperkyarve Snowboard
![Ben Ferguson Ben Ferguson snowboarding](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/02/semis-ben-ferguson-tim-zimmerman.jpg)
Ben Ferguson vs. Sage Kotsenburg
Ben Ferguson: Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Snowboard
Sage Kotsenburg: K2 Manifest Team Snowboard
Check Price at k2 SnowMark McMorris vs. Travis Rice
Mark McMorris: Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Snowboard
Travis Rice: Lib Tech Golden Orca Snowboard
Check Price at evoPat Moore vs. Mikkel Bang
Pat Moore: K2 Manifest Team Snowboard
Check Price at k2 SnowMikkel Bang: Burton Custom Snowboard
![Pat Moore Pat Moore snowboarding](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/02/semis-pat-moore-wellhausen.jpg)
Women’s Semifinals Matchups
Elena Hight vs. Marion Haerty
Elena Hight: Jones Women’s Flagship Snowboard
Marion Haerty: Rossignol After Hours Snowboard
![Elena Hight Elena Hight snowboarding](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/02/elena-hight-dean-blotto-gray.jpg)