The Uninvited 2026 Was Another Important Chapter In Women's Snowboarding

70 of the world’s best female riders from 17 countries arrived at Woodward Park City, Utah, for The Uninvited Invitational, presented by The North Face, bringing a level of talent that pushed the boundaries of female street riding.

Two days of qualifiers narrowed the pool to 20. By the final heats, the difference came down less to technical ability, since all of the riders were so skilled, and more to how riders approached the course, linked tricks, and showed creativity in each attempt.

Himari Takamori, Marie Kuhlmann, and Jess Perlmutter received YETI Standout Rider awards on the first day of qualifiers, followed by Mela Stalker, Henna Ikola, and Midori Oshima on the second.

On-site spectators credited it as the hardest female street-shredding they had ever seen.

Energy carried through the weekend and into finals, which were briefly paused as rain, hail, and lightning moved over the course. Riders seemed unfazed by the less-than-ideal conditions and charged through.

The all-new street-style course, built by Ben Block, took shape over the course of weeks. At the top, a feature referred to as “The Nicolas Cage” fed into a sequence of rails that encouraged riders to get creative on each run.

16-year-old Himari Takamori took first place after a weekend of consistent, technical riding. Her runs included a switch 270 frontside boardslide fakie on the stair rail, a switch boardslide 270 on the ragged rail, and backside lips on the Nicolas Cage, all executed with control.

Takamori’s back tail back 270 on the dugout feature earned Best Trick, adding to a week that also included a Day 1 Standout Rider award. She described her win as a “dream come true.” 

17-year-old Jessica Perlmutter, last year’s Uninvited winner and recent X Games gold medalist, finished second with a similarly technical approach, linking tricks such as a 50-50 to frontside 360 on the Nicolas Cage and a backside lipslide 270 on the rail. 

Livia Tannò placed third, followed by Hinano Sakamoto in fourth and Bella Warren in fifth. 

Additional awards included Stefi Luxton earning the Nicolas Cage award, Miyu Oishi named YETI Rookie, Yuri Takizawa receiving the TNF Never Stop award, Selin Lakatha recognized as Switch Boss, Henna Ikola awarded Style Boss, Mela Stalker named Dark Horse, and Midori Oshima taking home the Baldface Stoke award.

Jess Kimura launched The Uninvited in 2017 as a film project aimed at creating opportunities and visibility for women in snowboarding.

Kimura’s passion for uplifting female riders is contagious and could be felt throughout the week of events. “I didn’t have these opportunities [growing up], and the girls around me didn’t either,” Kimura said. “I don’t want this generation of talent to be bypassed like the last one was.”

The Invitational format, introduced in 2023, expanded her efforts into a competitive structure that includes wildcard video submissions and regional qualifiers in Europe and, for the first time this year, Japan. “Each year we’re blown away by the talent coming out of Japan,” said Kimura, and the talent on display this week backed that up. 

Sandra Clark of The North Face said the level of riding she saw this year was “absolutely insane bananas,” adding that “the next generation is going to blow us out of the water.”

The contest distributes a $60,000 prize purse across multiple categories, alongside YETI standout awards and a rookie award.

Beyond the contest, the event fostered a strong sense of community and excitement throughout the week. From the welcome party to the community ride day, the focus on uplifting and celebrating female snowboarders was celebrated by everyone in attendance, reflecting a shared investment in the continued progression and visibility of women’s snowboarding.