Ah, the illustrious category, the one with the most power and, inevitably, the most blowback. What makes a Rider of the Year nominee goes far beyond a single performance. It’s about covering all the bases, contest wins, magazine covers, unforgettable footage, and the kind of presence that shapes the conversation for an entire season. These nominees demonstrated a mixture of everything that puts a rider at the top of mind when you step back and ask who truly did it the best.

FOREST BAILEY: His footage, specifically the amount and the quality, is the cornerstone of this nomination. What once felt like a far-off promise that he could become one of the best rail riders in snowboarding has long since turned into established fact. Beyond the clips, Forest continues to shape pro model gear that stands as a key piece for both GNU and 686, proving his influence reaches further than any single part. When you add the consistency, the creativity, and the sheer output together, the overall performance has Forest staring straight at the top tier of Rider of the Year.

BEN FERGUSON: The footage alone would have put Ben in this conversation, the kind of season where every project he touched seemed to orbit around his clips. PAVED in particular felt undeniable, like the whole film rested on his shoulders and he carried it without blinking. His riding had that rare mix of power and intention, proving again that he can film at a level that shapes how people think about backcountry snowboarding. Beyond what showed up on screen, Ben also left a mark through his art, featured on the rerelease of the Burton Custom, a reminder that his influence stretches past riding and into the visual language of the culture itself. Taken together, the impact felt bigger than any single part, and impossible to ignore for Rider of the Year.

AYUMU HIRANO: This year gave us a fuller picture of Ayumu beyond the halfpipe, with the documentary about him and his brother offering a rare window into the family, pressure, and quiet determination behind the medals. On snow he was once again the most podiumed pipe rider of the season, stacking four podiums across X Games, World Cup, and Snow League, even with Scotty James pushing him at every stop. What makes Ayumu remarkable is that he remains a shimmering beacon of style in a pipe field that can often feel mechanical and predictable, especially when measured against the wider landscape of snowboarding. He rides with a softness and intention that stands apart, reminding everyone what the pipe can still look like at its highest form.

BLAKE MOLLER: BMO checked all the boxes this year. He took second place in Natural Selection after battling his way into the duels, filmed impressive footage in 686’s Curveball, and was a name that kept coming up whenever we asked trusted colleagues who was truly in the mix. For someone who was nominated as a Rookie just a few years ago, Blake has made quick work of living up to the hype, proving he can perform under contest pressure while still stacking clips that matter. The progression has been steady and undeniable, and this season felt like a full arrival.

JACOB KRUGMIRE: The dark horse on this nomination list, but the proof is in the pudding. He went pro for Ride, landed what might have been the most memorable cover of the year with Torment, and backed it up by filming his personal project, It’s a Mess, packed with solid clips. None of it felt accidental, just the result of a rider hitting a stride at the exact right moment. If that kind of season doesn’t earn a nod for Rider of the Year, we’re not sure what does.

SAVANNAH SHINSKE: The footage put her in the conversation, but the way it landed kept her there all season. In Atlas 2 she rode with a calm confidence that made big features look approachable and complicated spots feel simple. Savannah had that rare mix of presence and performance where every project she touched seemed to gain gravity, making her an easy pick for Rider of the Year.

IRIS PHAM: The footage was the backbone of her year, and it spoke louder than anything else. Her parts in Spike were sharp, creative, and refreshingly direct, the kind of riding that makes people stop talking mid-premiere to actually watch. The contest results at X Games and Red Bull Heavy Metal helped round out the picture, but they felt more like proof of what we were already seeing on screen. All season her name kept floating to the top of conversations, on chairlifts, in shops, at premieres, like everyone had quietly agreed she was becoming essential viewing. That kind of momentum is hard to manufacture, and even harder to ignore.

ZOI SADOWSKI-SYNNOTT: Zoi balanced both sides of the spectrum this year in a way very few can. On the contest circuit she stayed at the sharp end with podium finishes at the LAAX World Cup Slopestyle and again at the Aspen World Cup Big Air, reminders that her competitive baseline is still as high as anyone’s. At the same time her riding in PAVED showed she is just as committed beyond the scaffold, bringing the same confidence and trick selection into the backcountry that made her a household name in the first place. The mix of medals and meaningful footage kept her squarely at the center of the year’s conversation and made the nomination feel automatic.

KOKOMO MURASE: Kokomo stacked podiums across the season, including X Games (silver in Slopestyle), LAAX World Cup Slopestyle (bronze), Aspen World Cup Slopestyle (silver), and Aspen World Cup Big Air (silver), alongside a gold in Knuckle Huck and footage in the Nomadik film. The results speak for themselves, but it’s her presence that sticks. Quiet, composed, and carrying a level of confidence that everyone recognizes.

MIA BROOKES: Mia’s season was anchored by results that were impossible to ignore. She stood on podiums across the World Cup circuit, with top finishes at LAAX Slopestyle, Calgary Slopestyle, and major Big Air stops in Klagenfurt and Kreischberg. Those performances helped her lead the year with one of the highest podium counts in both slopestyle and big air. Beyond the bib, she earned a pro model boot with Vans and a pro model board with Capita, proof that her influence now reaches well past the contest scaffold and into the culture itself.