2026 Kings and Queens 4th Place Women's Snowboard, 2025 Kings & Queens 3rd Place Women's Snowboard, Freeride World Tour Silver 2022, Bronze 2020 & 2021

Erika Vikander is a professional freeride snowboarder whose career is defined by consistency, progression, and big-mountain excellence. Growing up in Montana and now residing in Oregon, she spent six seasons competing on the Freeride World Tour, earning multiple event wins, 19 podium finishes, and multiple top-three overall finishes. Her other accomplishments include a podium result at the iconic Kings & Queens of Corbet’s, reflecting her respect within the global freeride community. Beyond competition, she is a filmmaker and mentor who uses storytelling and community involvement to help shape the future of freeride snowboarding.

Sponsors: Niche Snowboards, Zeal Optics, Pret Helmets, Coal Headwear, Dakine, Bent Metal Binding Works and Gordini.

2026 Kings and Queens 3rd Place Men's Snowboard, 2025 1st Place Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Open

2026 Kings and Queens 2nd Place Men's Snowboard, 2025 Kings and Queens 1st Place Men's Snowboard, 2025 & 2023 1st Place World Quarterpipe Championships Mammoth, 2019 Bronze Oslo Winter X Games, 2018 Bronze Aspen WinTer X Games, 2016 Gold Oslo Winter X Games, 2016 - 2014 podium finishes Winter X Games Aspen 

Yuki is back again! A fixture of the field since his steezy 2021 debut. Yuki is back in an effort to secure a crown after multiple snowboard podiums over the years.  Born and raised in Hyogo, Japan, Yuki is a true history-maker. At just 16 years old, he won the Air & Style event in Beijing in 2012, becoming the youngest winner in the event’s history. He followed that up by taking the overall Slopestyle World Cup title in 2013 and winning the Burton US Open in Slopestyle in both 2015 and 2020. Yuki is also a 6x X Games medalist and a 2014 Olympic Slopestyle finalist. Now a Jackson Hole transplant, we can't wait to have Yuki back at the Couloir. 

Sponsors: Signal Snowboard, Oakley, Union, Deeluxe, Woolf Merino, Remind Insoles, FourPine Collective and Avalon7

2026 1st Place FWT Challenger Series Americas, 2026 2nd Place FWT Val Thorens, 2025 Champion FWT Challenger Series America

New to Kings & Queens, we’re welcoming the young and reckless Shayne Blue-Sandblom to the field! Born and raised in Silt, Colorado, Shayne developed his skills riding with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s freestyle snowboard program. Deeply immersed in the slopestyle scene, he made the transition to freeride at 18 after moving to Tahoe and discovering a strong competitive freeride community. In his first full competitive season, Shayne won the FWT Challenger Series and qualified for the international Freeride World Tour. In 2025, he was crowned U.S. Freeride Men’s Snowboard Champion, earning a spot on the 2026 FWT, where he went on to become the highest-ranked American snowboarder on tour. With freeride officially added to the 2030 Olympic Games, it came as no surprise that Shayne will represent the U.S. in the sport’s Olympic debut. Welcome to the Kings & Queens family, Shayne!

Sponsors: Totally Board, SnowShepherd Gloves, Jones Snowboards, Yerba Madre, Pro-Tec

2026 Alaska Natural Selection Tour Finalist

One of the youngest competitors joining us in the Couloir, Reno local Hannah Epsteyn is ready to throw down! Hannah was on skis as soon as she could walk, growing up with a deep love for the sport. She entered her first competition at just 11 years old, and the rest is history. At 17, Hannah made ski history on the Natural Selection Tour as the youngest competitor, male or female, to land a spot in the Alaska-based finals. She earned her spot after putting down a smooth, stylish run packed with 360s and backflips at the NST qualifier at her home mountain, Palisades Tahoe. When she’s not competing, Hannah loves cruising around her home mountain and having fun with friends. We’re stoked to welcome her to the Couloir. Welcome, Hannah!

Sponsors: Nordica, Helly Hansen, Sugar Bowl Resort 

2026 Kings and Queens 3rd Place Women's Ski, 2026 2nd Place FWT Val Thorens, 2026 3rd Place YETI Alaska Haines Pro, 2026 3rd Place YETI Xtreme Verbier

Our women's ski third-place winner, Wynter is a freeride skier from Ogden, UT who grew up skiing at Snowbasin. She didn’t have expectations to be a professional skier necessarily - just a love for the sport, a passion to progress in her skiing, and the community around it. She started coaching the Snowbasin Freeride Team in 2020 which inspired her to try her first IFSA Qualifier Freeride competition in 2022. She was hooked after that first competition. In 2025 she topped the IFSA Qualifier and Challenger Series finishing 1st overall in Women’s Ski. Back to back strong finishes earned her a spot on the Freeride World Tour and qualified her for the first ever FIS Freeride World Championships to represent the USA. Wynter’s approach to skiing is rooted in power, smoothness, style, and consistency. Her standout runs have earned her a place among the three women representing the U.S. in freeride skiing’s Olympic debut at the 2030 Games.

Beyond skiing and freeride competition, she is passionate about art, storytelling, and community. She was featured in the full length ski film “Advice for Girls” (2024) and serves on the board for the non profit, Ogden Avalanche. In the summers you’ll find her mountain biking often, practicing yoga, and strength training for the next ski season! 

Sponsors: Columbia, ON3P Skis, Scott

2026 Kings and Queens 4th Place Men's Ski, 2023 3rd Place FWT Junior Championship

Wyatt Gentry is a skier born and raised in Victor, Idaho. He started skiing at just two years old while attending preschool at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and grew up working his way through Jackson’s ski programs before making the jump to competitions. Wyatt competed at the Freeride Junior World Championships two years in a row, finishing third as the youngest athlete in the field. He continued chasing the tour on the IFSA Challenger Series. We're excited to welcome Wyatt back to Kings and Queens for the third year in a row, with lots of local fans cheering him on. In recent years, Wyatt has also been making moves in the ski film world, working with Blank Collective Films and earning a Breakout Skier of the Year nomination at the iF3 International Freeski Film Festival. He’s also been featured in projects with Salomon and Crew22. 

Sponsors: Salomon Skis, Hestra Gloves, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Crew22, Blank Collective Films

After an abrupt exit from Kings & Queens before the competition could even get underway, we’re stoked to see Isaac back in the lineup! Originally from Palisades Tahoe, Isaac grew up immersed in the mountains and competitive ski culture. Known for his progressive style and technical ability, he’s built a reputation for pushing his limits. In 2025, Isaac won POWDER’s Best Trick of the Winter for his massive backflip off the Couloir. Last season was another big one, as he front-flipped off Whistler Blackcomb’s Air Jordan cliff feature, earning major recognition and praise. Earlier in 2026, he also took on the first run of the season off Tahoe’s legendary McConkey’s, Eagle’s Nest, stomping a huge front flip. No doubt Isaac likes to send it, and we can’t wait to see what he throws down in the Couloir this year!

Sponsors: DPS Skis, Spyder Outwear, Phaenom Footwear, Sweet Protection 

2026 Kings and Queens 5th Place Men's Ski

A Missoula, MT native, Quinn is known for his smooth style, technical skiing, and creative approach to the mountain. Blending precision, flow, and progressive trick selection, he’s no stranger to the podium, with a 2022 Knuckle Huck win and multiple podium finishes over the years. Known for making it look effortless while pushing the boundaries of modern freeskiing, Quinn continues to stand out as one of the sport’s most dynamic athletes. A last-minute addition to the 2026 Kings & Queens lineup, Quinn walked away in 5th. With plenty up his sleeve, who knows where he’ll land this year? One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be big.

Sponsors: Monster Energy, Armada Skis, Giro