PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 15, 2014) – The 2015 U.S. Freestyle Aerials team was announced this week ahead of the FIS World Cup opener in Beijing, China on Dec. 20-21. With three-time Olympian Emily Cook now an alumna, Sochi Olympians Mac Bohonnon (Madison, CT) and Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, VA) will lead the squad this season. The world cup tour comes to the U.S. on Jan. 8-10 for the Visa Freestyle International at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort and Jan. 29-31 for the Putnam Freestyle World Cup in Lake Placid. NY. This season, athletes will also compete at the 2015 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships in Kreischberg, Austria Jan. 14-25.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sochi Olympians Mac Bohonnon and Ashley Caldwell will lead a group of 16 athletes named to the 2015 U.S. Freestyle Aerials Team this season.
- Strong Performances: After a podium in Val St. Come last year, 19-year-old Mac Bohonnon earned a spot on the 2014 Olympic team and placed fifth in Sochi. The 2014 FIS Rookie of the Year is looking to continue his success this season. Teammate Mike Rossi is also one to watch, coming off of a bronze medal at the 2014 U.S. Championships.
- Leading Ladies: With three-time Olympian Emily Cook joining the ranks of freestyle alumni, Ashley Caldwell, who finished 10th at the Sochi Olympics, and Kiley McKinnon are looking to earn the top podium spots on the women’s side this season.
- World Champs: The 2015 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships will be a highlight of the season. Athletes will compete in Kreischberg, Austria Jan. 14-25.
- The FIS World Cup season kicks off in Beijing, China on Dec. 20.
- Domestic World Cups include the Visa Freestyle International at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort Jan. 8-10 and the Putnam Freestyle World Cup in Lake Placid, NY Jan. 29-31.
- Steamboat, CO will host this year’s U.S. Championships Mar. 26-29.
- Watch Live: The partnership between the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), NBC Sports Group and Universal Sports Network will provide coverage of all domestic U.S. Freestyle events this season, including a live broadcast of the Visa Freestyle International on Universal Sports Network.
QUOTES
Mac Bohonnon
I am so excited for this season. Often times there is a big turnover in athletes, leaving a gap in depth after an Olympic year. That is not the case at all for our team. We have a young, motivated and extremely talented group of athletes, all of whom are excited to get on the road and do what we do best. I predict there will be a lot of success for the entire U.S. Aerials team this winter, and I encourage everyone to follow along and be a part of it.
Todd Ossian, Aerials Head Coach
We have a number of athletes who are in position to podium at events this year. I’ve been calling our team young for a long time, and they still are young. But they have a lot of experience now. We also had a very successful fall camp this year. We got more out of our training days than we ever have and the team is feeling confident.
2015 U.S. Freestyle Aerials Ski Team
Name (Hometown; Club)
*Indicates Olympian
A Team
Ashley Caldwell (9/14/1993; Ashburn, VA; Elite Aerial Development Program)*
Dylan Ferguson (8/10/1988; Amesbury, MA; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)
B Team
Mac Bohonnon (3/27/1995; Madison, CT; Stratton Mountain Freestyle)*
Kiley McKinnon (9/1/1995; Madison, CT; Elite Aerial Development Program)
Jonathon Lillis (8/20/1994; Rochester, NY; Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team)
Mike Rossi (2/25/1994; Long Valley, NJ; Fly Freestyle)
C Team
Alex Bowen (5/21/1992; Springville, NY; Buffalo Ski Club)
Si Ning Chan (5/27/1996; Maine, NY; Greek Peak Ski Club)
Madison Gorelik (3/12/1994; Park City, UT; FLY Freestyle)
Kendal Johnson (3/27/1992; McFarland, WI; FLY Freestyle)
Allison Lee (11/13/1989; Manchester, CT; Waterville Valley Freestyle Team)
Eric Loughran (12/4/1995; Pelham, NH; Waterville Valley Freestyle Team)
Morgan Northrop (4/16/1994; Haymarket, VA; Elite Aerial Development Program)
Madison Olsen (4/7/1995; Park City, UT; Fly Freestyle)
Harrison Smith (9/12/1997; Pittsford, NY; Bristol Mountain Snow Sports Club)
Zachary Surdell (3/6/1998; Marcellus, MI; Elite Arial Development Program)
Coaching Staff
Todd Ossian, Head Aerials Coach
Matt Saunders, Aerials Coach
Joe Davies, Aerials Coach
Jaroslav Novak, EADP Head Coach
Matthew DePeters, EADP Assistant Coach
Official Freestyle Suppliers
Uniforms
Columbia
Auclair
Uniform Logo Sponsors
Audi
Columbia
High Sierra
Nature Valley
Putnam Investments
Sprint
Visa
To see the full list of U.S. Freestyle Team suppliers, click here.
Follow the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team this season.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
