Libby’s Riley McNew Shreds Her Way to Freeride Success

Libby’s own Riley McNew has been carving her way to the top of the competitive snowboarding world since she first strapped on a board as a kid. 

What started as a weekend hobby quickly became her passion, and by middle school, she joined the freeride team at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Wanting to pursue snowboarding at a higher level, she applied to several college prep boarding schools with strong training programs. 

McNew was accepted to nine and chose Steamboat Mountain School in Colorado due to its partnership with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC), known for producing more Olympians than any other U.S. town.

Now a junior in her third year at Steamboat, McNew has overcome multiple injuries—including concussions, vertebrae fractures and a broken wrist. This season, she completed her first regular season injury-free, focusing exclusively on freeride, a challenging style of snowboarding that involves navigating steep, ungroomed terrain like cliffs and deep powder. Athletes assess conditions, choose their lines and execute runs with control and style—all in a single attempt.

On March 1-3, Riley returned to Whitefish Mountain Resort to compete in the International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) Junior 3* national competition. IFSA is the primary sanctioning and ranking body for big mountain freeride events. Competing in her old stomping grounds, McNew took first place in the U19 women’s snowboard division and was also honored as the 2025 Campbell Smith Spirit of Freeride Award recipient, recognizing her passion and contributions to the sport.

This year, her dad, Zach McNew, got certified as a freeride coach so she could compete at Whitefish since her team couldn’t attend. 

“As a coach, I had to inspect the course with Riley, and standing on that steep, gnarly terrain gave me a whole new level of respect for what these athletes do,” Zach said. “It can be terrifying to watch, but we're so proud of her for tackling it head-on with skill and confidence.”

“Snowboarding is my heart and soul,” Riley shared. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. It’s amazing to be recognized for more than just my riding because everyone has bad days. I love inspiring others to push their boundaries, try something new, and have fun with snowboarding."

Beyond competition, Riley is an ambassador for the Rocky Mountain Freeride Series’ Rippin’ Ladies program, which encourages more women to get involved in freeride. With the season still underway, she is currently ranked No. 1 in the Americas and is awaiting her invitation to compete at the Junior Freeride Championships (JFC) at Kirkwood Ski Resort in California this April.

“This is just the first step toward my bigger goals—getting to Worlds, competing on the Freeride World Tour and hopefully making it to the Olympics when freeride becomes an Olympic sport,” Riley said. “Hopefully that will happen in 2030 but for now, I’m stoked to get my JFC invitation and hopefully finish strong there. I really appreciate all the support from my friends, family and hometown because I couldn’t do this without them.”

Her name will be engraved on the Campbell Smith Trophy, which will be displayed at Whitefish Mountain Resort for future freeriders to see. 

While McNew’s journey is just beginning, but she’s already proving that hard work, resilience and passion can take her to incredible heights.