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Meet Your King and Queen: 2023 Corbet’s Couloir Freeride Winners Announced!

Meet the winners and bask in the glory of the 2023 Kings and Queens of Corbet's competition.
Written by Will Brendza
Kings and Queens of Corbet's couloir; (photo/Red Bull)Kings and Queens of Corbet's couloir; (photo/Red Bull)
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They came, they sent, they conquered. The 2023 Jackson Hole Kings and Queens of Corbet’s was as thrilling as it always is. There were epic crashes, mind-bending tricks, flips galore, a few minor injuries, and a whole lot of gnar. And the conditions were almost perfect this year, with a ton of soft, fresh snow for the athletes to compete on.

To say it another way: the huckfest was a smashing success. There were 24 competitors on the roster this year, all of whom charged the famous couloir like heroes. Sadly, without RedBull TV live-streaming the event, there was no way to watch the competition in real time unless you were actually there. Now, though, the full competition video is up, and you can watch the action from start to finish.

The event was athlete judged, as it is every year. Every competitor rates the other athletes’ runs on a 1-10 scale, judging on the cleanliness of the run and its difficulty. This year there was also a People’s Choice Award winner, who will be announced later tonight (Feb. 15). Watch the replay, pick your favorite, and vote here. We’ll update this article later with the results.

But in the meantime, allow us to introduce to you your new King and Queen of Corbet’s 2023.

Meet the King: Colby Stevenson

Stevenson competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics and brought home a silver medal in the Big Air competition. He’s won three gold medals at the Aspen X-Games. Now he’s been crowned King of Corbet’s Couloir 2023. Colby Stevenson absolutely charged his runs, and impressed his fellow athletes enough to earn the title and go home with the crown.

Stevenson’s first run was a mind-bender: he threw a huge and flawless switch five rodeo. Then on his second run, he went even bigger, throwing a switch dub nine (in the video clip below). But he overshot it and didn’t totally stick the landing. It didn’t matter. That first run of his had already blown everyone away.

Meet Your Queen: Claire McPhearson

Claire McPhearson, a 19-year-old athlete from Canada on Salomon’s Freeski team, snatched the Queen’s crown this year. McPhearson came out of the gate with a super-clean straight air drop off the couloir. Her perfect form earned her the admiration of her fellow athletes, and she walked away Queen of Corbet’s. Check out her second run below.

Meet the Tomahawk King: Parkin Costain

Sometimes, a ski crash is epic enough to warrant an award in and of itself. This was the first year that the competition awarded someone the Tomahawk Award, and Parkin Costain earned it hands down. He launched off of the couloir and double ejected immediately upon landing, going full “ass over teakettle.” It was so gnarly, he opted out of his second run.

Help Choose the People’s Choice

Voting for the People’s Choice Award is still live through Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. If you haven’t yet, submit your vote on the RedBull website and help pick the fan favorite.

Kings and Queens: Our Favorite Highlights

Holy backflips, Batman! Veronica Bell Paulsen hucked the first-ever double backflip attempted by a female competitor. And almost nailed it.

Windham Miller sent it on a stiff ol’ front flip, with 100% gusto and 0% concern for his body.

Piper Kunst, the 2022 Queen of Corbets drops that ol’ familiar cornice, on a totally unfamiliar line.

For the sixth year in a row, Cam Fitzpatrick boosted, stomping the landing like a tin can and riding off into the sunset.

Will Brendza
483 articles

Will is a writer, journalist, and professional misfit based out of the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. Will grew up on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, reenacting “Survivorman” episodes and studying books like “Hatchet,” “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” and “Into the Wild.” He’s written on topics ranging from cannabis to local news, the environment and, of course, outdoor gear and adventure. If he’s not banging stories out on his computer, you’ll probably find Will skiing or mountain biking (depending on the season) — or drinking beer at some remote craft brewery.

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