Event Analysis: RSEO Snow 2025 Competition Format Break Down
The inaugural snowboarding edition of the Rockstar Energy Open arrives December 19–21, and it’s bringing something new. Kicking off in Breckenridge, Colorado, RSEO is uniting layers of snowboarding culture—from hosting a film festival to spotlighting nonprofits in the space and creating a new platform for the community to share. RSEO is also offering up something fresh in the form of a new contest format.
Simply put, this event is built for the ATVs. It’s designed for those all-terrain riders who can combo on rails, utilize the unique features, and send it off the jumps and side hits. If they can do that while maxing out on amplitude, with dialed execution, on tricks that are difficult but also showcase variety, they’ll be in the judges’ good graces to be scored on a 1–100 scale. However, two extra factors come into play: use of course and creativity.
The format, though, is where things get really interesting—particularly the final.
Nik Baden. Photo: Clavin
SEMIFINALS
Both semifinal events for the women (16 total athletes) and men (24 total athletes) will feature four riders who have earned their spots via the VQS. The men’s VQS qualifiers will be decided by the results of the 10-person onsite qualifier in Breckenridge, while the women have been invited directly from the digital VQS.
Each snowboarder will be allowed three (3) top-to-bottom runs down the course. The fields will be divided into two groups (two heats of 12 men and two heats of 8 women). After both groups have finished and been ranked, the top eight (8) men and eight (8) women will advance to the finals.
Gabe Ferguson. Photo: Clavin
FINALS
For the finals, the format will be dramatically different. The event will include three (3) rounds.
Round 1: There will be four (4) head-to-head matchups (A, B, C, D), pairing the 8th-place finisher from the semifinals against the rider who finished 1st, 7th against 2nd, 6th against 3rd, and 5th against 4th. Each rider gets two (2) runs, but their second-run score will not be revealed until both riders have finished. The winner of each match advances.
Round 2: The winner of Match A competes against the winner of Match B, and the winner of Match C competes against the winner of Match D. Again, each rider gets two (2) runs, with the second-run score held until both riders finish. Winners advance. The top-scoring non-advancing athlete will officially place third overall.
Final Round: The last head-to-head matchup will allow each rider two (2) runs, with their second-run score held until both have finished and the winner is named.
Tune in to watch every event at the 2025 Rockstar Energy Open via livestream on Platfrm.com, starting with the Rail Jam on Friday, Dec. 19, at 3:30 p.m. local time in Breckenridge, Colorado.