The world’s most exciting freeride mountain bike athletes will be showing off their skills in New Zealand at the inaugural Natural Selection Bike next year.

The contest will feature around 30 of the world’s top mountain bike athletes, including a host of Kiwi riders, and it will be contested on Mt Dewar in Queenstown on February 15, 2025.

The competition will feature a men’s and women’s division and will combine the three most dynamic disciplines in mountain biking: downhill, slopestyle and freeride.

New Zealand’s top freeride mountain bike athlete Robin Goomes, who won the prestigious Red Bull Rampage earlier this month, is thrilled the competition is coming to Aotearoa.

“It’s so great that they’re bringing Natural Selection Bike to New Zealand,” Robin said. “There is such a sick mountain bike scene here and everyone’s going to be fizzed to get amongst it.”

“There are already so many talented young riders in New Zealand and I think having this on their doorstep is just going to push them to the next level.”

Formerly known as Proving Grounds, the competition is now part of the Natural Selection Tour, which is expanding from its snowboarding roots to include mountain biking, surfing, and skiing.

The New Zealand event will also feature a ‘Dream Ticket’ qualifier at the world famous Dream Track in central Queenstown on February 8 and 9, which will give local talent the opportunity to compete for four spots at the main event.

Natural Selection Bike event director Sophie Luther said the competition will provide a fantastic opportunity for homegrown riders to shine in front of a global audience.

"We’re thrilled to give New Zealand based riders the chance to compete at home against the world’s best," she said. 

"We have such a talented mountain bike community in New Zealand and such passionate and inspiring riders; we can’t wait to showcase them to the world.”

Natural Selection Bike is being staged with the backing of the Minister of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which is supporting the event through the New Zealand Major Events Fund.

“Queenstown is a stunning location and a thrill-seekers delight; I couldn’t agree more that it is a ‘dream venue’ for this high-octane global event,” MBIE major events manager Kylie Hawker-Green said. 

“Events like Natural Selection deliver a broad range of economic and social benefits for New Zealand and the regions they take place in.”

The build for Natural Selection Bike Aotearoa is due to begin next month. Tickets are on sale here.

PHOTO: Supplied