The word is out: we’ve officially partnered with NST. Yessir, Mons Royale is throwing threads as the Official Next-to-Skin Partner of Snow and Ski and the Official Apparel Partner of Bike for the 2026 Natural Selection Tour. Our sheep are so proud.
If you know NST, you know this is not your average competition circuit. And if you don’t know NST, this is not your average competition circuit. Founded by Travis Rice, the Natural Selection Tour has reshaped freeride snowboard, ski and bike by putting creativity, progression and respect for mother nature at the centre of the sport. World-class riders are dropped into natural and naturally enhanced terrain – no cookie-cutter courses, no predictable outcomes. Just instinct, consequence, and that elusive flow state.
Performance where it matters
In the mountains, there are no shortcuts. Come dirt or snow: terrain is harsh, weather is unpredictable, and conditions are constantly changing. There’s no grace, no cushion room, and no place for gear that’s not working as hard as it can. Adaptability is not optional, and when outputs are high and conditions are variable, that versatility becomes a competitive advantage. That’s why Merino is such a natural fit.
How?
One, we tap into Merino designed for mountain sheep that live in rugged terrain and manage the heat, cold, wet and wind with nothing but the wool on their backs.
Two, Merino is a bit witchy. Ryan The Wool Guy will tell you it’s science, but here in marketing, we know it’s voodoo. Quite simply, it does it all: it regulates your temps across changing environments. It stays warm when wet. It manages moisture naturally. It resists odour through long competition windows. It works just as hard on hill climbs as it does at start gates. It keeps riders cool on hot laps, warm on ridgelines, it wicks sweat, dries fast, and it adapts to changing conditions as quickly as you do. It’s everything you want from the mountain apparel closest to your skin. Cough, voodoo.
Three, it looks hot. Huge competitive advantage.
Kiwi energy on the big stage
The 2026 Tour spans three of the world’s best mountain locations: Queenstown, Valdez, and Revelstoke. And no surprise, Kiwi riders are once again punching well above their weight on the international stage.
Finn Bilous and Jess Hotter* continue to shape the next wave of freeskiing with style and substance. Robin Goomes is charging freeride MTB with the same fearless instinct. And repping our Innsbruck epicentre, Gigi Rüf brings that old-school, carve-your-own-line energy that NST was built on.
These riders don’t wait for permission. They trust the terrain. They push progression. They ride like the big bad weapons they are, raising bars and eyebrows with every ride. A bit like how we design our apparel.
*Jess Hotter, certified big bad weapon, has since been injured and will no longer be competing in NST. But we're damn proud of her efforts this season, and can't wait to see her come back stronger and Hotter next year.
From Wānaka to the woolly wide world
Mons was born in Wānaka, New Zealand. Not in a boardroom, in a ski bag. Our sheep and our riders share the same ridgeline, with most of our wool grown just down the road. Now, we span three mountain towns – not mega cities – across the globe. Wānaka, Innsbruck and Squamish. And we’re still pulling the wagon from the same valley as our founders, designers, sheep and farmers.
So, when Mons shows up on the world stage at NST Snowboard and Ski and when NST Bike returns to Queenstown in 2026, it’s about more than just logo placement. It’s global progression landing back on home soil. It’s Merino proving itself in the most demanding playgrounds of snow and dirt. It’s a world-class tour rolling through our backyard with Merino on the shoulders of the world’s best. And it’s pretty clear proof in the pudding that performance doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense.
The future of freeride is progressive. The future of performance is natural. And in 2026, they meet on the same start line.
Go Wildcats.
