RnD 2026 Continues to Expand Opportunities for Women In Snowboarding

Fifteen women from around the world gathered at Whitewater Mountain Resort Feb. 23 – March 3 for the 2026 Research and Development (RnD), a backcountry freestyle snowboarding event designed to provide female riders competition exposure, mentorship, community, and a pathway to the 2026 Natural Selection Tour in Revelstoke, British Columbia.

Now in its third year, the event continues to elevate women’s backcountry freestyle snowboarding. Arc’teryx is a title sponsor of RnD, supporting its mission to bring more women into backcountry terrain and spotlight their riding. For the first time, two riders earned invitations to compete in the Natural Selection Tour in Revelstoke, British Columbia.

Riders included Estelle Pensiero, Egan Wint, Katie Kennedy, Ellery Manning, Amelia “Billy” Pelchat, Enni Rukajärvi, Marissa Krawczak, Celia Petrig, Stefi Luxton, Ellie Weiler, Yuka Fujimori, Eva van Vugt, Maria Hidalgo, Audrey Doan and Olympic wildcard Juliette Pelchat.

Now in its third year, the event continues to expand opportunities for women in backcountry freestyle snowboarding. For the first time, two riders earned invitations to compete in the Natural Selection Tour in Revelstoke, British Columbia, with a third rider selected as an alternate.

RnD was founded by professional snowboarder and Arc’teryx athlete, Robin Van Gyn, with a goal of creating more opportunities for women to push the boundaries of backcountry snowboarding.“ RnD was created to get more women deep in the mountains and give them a platform to showcase their riding,” Van Gyn said. “It’s about creating space for progression, collaboration and visibility in backcountry freestyle.”

A Format Built for Backcountry Riding

The event combines three filming days with one live competition day, with final scores weighted 70% for the best contest run and 30% for the strongest filmed clip.

During filming days, riders navigate variable weather and lighting conditions while scouting lines, building features and working with professional photographers and film crews. Participants are divided into small groups to explore terrain accessible from Whitewater’s sidecountry.

The format mirrors the realities of backcountry riding, where athletes often spend days hiking or splitboarding to locations, constructing jumps and coordinating with filmmakers and photographers.

By consolidating that process into one event, RnD provides riders with the opportunity to build professional footage while developing experience in backcountry terrain.

Contest Results

1st Place — Amelia “Billy” Pelchat ($10,000)

Pelchat delivered the standout run of the competition, navigating the technical terrain known as the “Oreo.” Her line included a spine feature followed by a frontside 180 and a cab 540 on the final jump. Consistent filming-day clips helped secure the overall victory and an invitation to the Natural Selection Tour.

2nd Place — Yuka Fujimori ($6,000)

Fujimori qualified through The Draft, an online video submission contest for Japanese riders organized in partnership with Arc’teryx and YETI. On contest day she rode through a steep cliff band before linking a half cab and attempting a backside 720 on the final jump. Her performance across contest and filming days earned second place and a Natural Selection Tour invite.

3rd Place — Katie Kennedy ($4,000)

Kennedy secured the alternate position for the Natural Selection Tour. In addition to her competition run through the “Pizza Slice” cliff zone, she delivered one of the strongest bodies of footage during filming days, including multiple spine lines and frontside 360s.

Community Events

RnD week also included several community-focused activations in Nelson.Arc’teryx hosted its ReBird repair station, providing equipment repairs for athletes and community members. A YETI Movie Night featured screenings of Facing Giants and Wayward, films by Mia Lambson, Lambson, proving women’s backcountry riding isn’t “up next.” It’s happening now.

Burton Snowboards partnered with RnD and Natural Freedom to host a Community Ride Day, while Natural Freedom also led an Intro to Backcountry Clinic aimed at helping riders gain confidence beyond resort terrain.

A new addition this year, the Vert Toss Seeding Event, determined contest drop order by measuring the distance riders could throw a snowboard vertically.

Building the Future of the Sport

By combining filming, competition and professional production support, RnD creates a collaborative environment for riders to develop backcountry experience and build their media portfolios.

The event also serves as a pipeline to the Natural Selection Tour, offering riders increased visibility and new opportunities within the sport.

If 2026 proved anything, it’s this: when women are given time, terrain, production support, and community, they don’t just rise to the occasion—they redefine it.

The RnD 2026 recap film premieres March 9, 2026, on Red Bull TV.

Arc’teryx is a Canadian company based in the Coast Mountains. Our design process is connected to the real world, focused on delivering unrivaled durability and performance in extreme conditions. Our products are distributed through more than 2,400 retail locations worldwide. We are problem solvers, always evolving and searching for a better way to deliver resolved, minimalist designs. Good design that matters makes experiences better.