onX Backcountry, a navigation and discovery app for outdoor enthusiasts, forged a new partnership with Natural Selection, making it the tour’s official mapping app. onX’s immersive mapping technology will play a critical role in location scouting, course planning, conditions monitoring and interactive course viewing, for the tour’s operations team, competitors and viewers.
The brainchild of professional snowboarder Travis Rice, the Natural Selection Tour is backcountry snowboarding’s “ultimate proving ground.” With a format designed to reveal riders’ creative expression and knowledge of complex mountain venues, the tour brings together top riders – from Olympians to big mountain icons – competing on dynamic terrains worldwide.
“As today’s snowboarders push the sport’s boundaries, we are proud to provide a tool for the Natural Selection team to create safe, innovative and world-class events both on and off-piste,” said onX Backcountry Marketing Director – and snowboarder – Andrew Burrington. “Our App will also enable this year’s roster of athletes to scout, visualize and navigate their run and give viewers an insider’s look at the venues’ terrain from wherever they watch the event. We are stoked to help Natural Selection elevate their events and the next era of snowboarding.”
In addition to outfitting the Natural Selection team and riders with onX Backcountry Elite, all viewers will have access to an extended trial and 30 percent discount on the app’s annual membership, providing an up-close look at the Natural Selection 2024 venues and to inspire their outdoor pursuits whether on-piste or in the backcountry.
“With the Natural Selection Tour’s focus on natural terrain and prime conditions, endless research is needed to find venues and plan productions that can exceed both Natural Selection riders’ and viewers’ expectations,” said Natural Selection Tour COO, Liam Griffin. “Our team uses onX Backcountry to plan routes, track locations and ultimately layout the whole production. We then use additional layers in the App to check weather, avalanche conditions, slope angles and aspects. That knowledge ensures that everyone knows exactly how to get into position on time and, most importantly, everyone makes it home safely at the end of the day.”
Natural Selection kicks off the season with DUELS from six unique mountain destinations, worldwide. DUELS will stream on Red Bull TV starting February 27. The tour then coalesces in Canada for the YETI Natural Selection Revelstoke and YETI Natural Selection Selkirk Tangiers, which will broadcasted live exclusively on Red Bull TV during the March 10-17 competition window.
