TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. — Piper Kunst and Tristen Lilly joined the winning echelon as newest Queen and King of Corbet’s Couloir last Friday, Feb. 13. They took home $10,000 each in prize money; $5,000 for winning the ski category and an additional $5,000 for being the highest scoring male and female athletes overall.
In the snowboard divisions, Jackson MacDougall and Ellie Weiler each took home $5,000 as the top male and female snowboarders. Second-place finishers in the ski and snowboard categories received $3,000 and third-place finishers took home $2,000.
Crowds of people gather in Tensleep Bowl to watch the Kings and Queens event at JHMR. Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
Prior to the event, 16 inches of fresh snow fell at the summit of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). The sun came out on Friday, and flocks of people came to witness the 24 athletes show their skills in the competition.
This year’s roster touted a stacked lineup, with Olympians, X Games winners and Freeride World Tour champions.
The competitors performed all manner of tricks, from backflips to massive vertical drops. One athlete did a railslide into the couloir, while another did a wall-ride on the West Wall, a la Dr. Huckintstuff at the inaugural Kings and Queens event in 2018.
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer took some photos of the athletes showing their stuff.
Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
“The competition unfolded under nearly ideal big-mountain conditions, with a stacked field pushing progression at one of the most iconic venues in skiing and snowboarding,” JHMR shared with Buckrail in a press release.
Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
In second place for men’s ski was Kelly Hilleke, and third place was claimed by Alex Hackel. Valerie Festavan and Wynter McBride took second and third place for the women skiers.
Yuki Kadono and Nate Bromley won second and third for men’s snowboard, and Madison Blackley and Sarka Pancochova took second and third place for the women’s snowboard category.