RnD 2025 | Pushing Limits & Shaping the Future of Backcountry Snowboarding
The second annual Research and Development (RnD) event, created by Robin Van Gyn, is in full swing at Whitewater Resort, BC. Supported by title sponsors Arc'teryx and YETI, this invite-only gathering goes beyond just competition—it’s about pushing boundaries and bringing women from all over the world together to feed off each other’s riding. Over the course of this week, 18 riders are blending freestyle and backcountry riding with filming and head-to-head competition in two runs on comp day, all vying for a career-defining prize: a spot on the 2025 Natural Selection Final Tour stop, $10K prize-purse (split amongst top finishers), and an opportunity to accelerate their careers in a way that once took years for even the most well-known backcountry riders, like Robin, to achieve.
by Natalie Langman
Celia Petrig [o] Wiseman
Competition Day Recap
Yesterday, under shifting skies, riders dropped into pillows, chutes, and hefty sends off Whitewater Resort’s Trash Chutes into jumps. As is often the case in the backcountry and in the contest scene, the weather played its game—one moment, the sun was out; the next, it vanished mid-run, forcing riders to adapt on the fly. Judging their big mountain-meets-freestyle lines are legends Kimmy Fasani, Jess Kimura, Hana Beaman, and Marie-France Roy.
What makes RnD unique is the access it provides. Robin Van Gyn has created an environment where emerging talent can ride alongside the icons who shaped snowboarding, gaining insight and experience that typically takes years to build. This year’s lineup includes heavy hitters from across Europe, like Enni Rukajärvi, Sarka Pancochova, and Celia Petrig, mixed with a strong crew from BC, including Estelle Pensiero, Billy Pelchat, Gillian Andrewshenko, and Eva Van Vugt. Riders have also traveled from across North America, including Marissa Krawczak (originally from Bend, Oregon, now based in Revelstoke, BC), alongside a stacked U.S. contingent: Zoe Vernon, Izzy Gomez, Emilé Zynobia, Katie Kennedy, Ellie Weiler, Cali Loeb, Amaya Potts, Egan Wint, Mia Jones, and Ellery Manning.
Eva Van Vugt [o] Campbell
Hometown Hero Moment
The scope-ride day kicked off the week with fun pillow popping pow shred day, with Quesnel-born, Whitewater-local Eva Van Vugt, charged hard while showing us around the resort. Coming in as an unsponsored wildcard, Eva quickly turned heads with her full-send, full-throttle attitude. Whitewater Resort wanted a local unknown with serious potential, and with Robin’s commitment to bringing in more rising talent, Eva delivered.
Celebrating her champagne birthday, she charged into a massive quad pillow line to a flat landing, went huge off the two jumps at the bottom, grabbed, and sent it on her final hit—just missing stomping the landing in front of a fired-up hometown crowd. Fans wearing Eva’s name across their white shirts cheered her on. But she wasn’t the only one charging down. Riders were sending it down spines, pillows, and a rocky sections dubbed the Oreo Zone, throwing down on the bottom jumps.
Big shoutout to Marissa Krawczak, who won the beacon search contest, earning her the coveted first-drop position and the chance to choose her zone. She kicked things off with some serious sluff and proved she knew exactly how to pick an insane line and threw down huge backies in both her runs. Mia Jones took us through some technical terrain with double cliffs, Estelle Pensiero powered through the Oreo Zone, Enni Rukajärvi and Ellie Weiler threw down seriously huge backflips, and Sarka Pancochova stacked a clean run with a front 3 to back 3 off the jumps. Judge’s results are not announced till the final day, but the level of riding was high across the board, and the jump section saw some serious heat, making it anyone’s game.
Katie Kennedy [o] Chomlack
Filming Days: The Real Test
This event isn’t over yet. Over the next two days, riders will film their best segments, and the leaderboard could flip completely. That’s the beauty of RnD—you don’t need to win the contest to take the overall title. A standout clip in the next two days could completely change the game. With Whitewater Ski Resort’s endless steep pillow lines, accessible cliff drops, untapped powder, and an abundance of side hits and jumps to be built, opportunity is everywhere.
Stay tuned to see who will be crowned the RnD Backcountry Champion and secure their place at the final stop of the 2025 Natural Selection.
Research and Development is proudly backed by title sponsors Arc'teryx and YETI, and supported by Whitewater Ski Resort, Jones, Burton, Tribute, The Adventure Hotel, Nelson and Kootenay Lake Tourism, and The Natural Selection Tour.
Gillian Andrewshenko [o] Wiseman
Ellory Manning [o] Campbell
Peanut Gallery [o] Chomlack
