[Built, Not Given] From summer water ramp events to World Cup finals, the 2024/25 season reflected not only Ashton Salwan’s technical progression, but also his steady rise among the sport’s elite.
Still Earning It
Every athlete’s journey is different, and Ashton Salwan’s path has never followed a conventional script.
For nearly a decade, his progression in freestyle aerials has been built on resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to keep moving forward when the outcome remained uncertain. No shortcuts. No guarantees. Just a deep love for the sport and an unwavering commitment to becoming the best version of himself.
The 2024/25 season became a defining chapter in that journey.
Competing across North America, Europe, and Central Asia, Ashton delivered the strongest season of his career to date. International podiums, World Cup starts, a first World Cup finals appearance, and a climb up the FIS rankings transformed what began as an uncertain independent campaign into a breakthrough season on the world stage.
Behind every competition stood a season built on initiative, perseverance, and belief.
This was not simply a year of better scores.
It was the year Ashton learned what was possible when he trusted himself enough to build his own path.
The Harder Route
In a sport where many athletes develop within established team structures, Ashton’s route looked different.
The 2024/25 season marked his first full year navigating the international aerials circuit as an independent athlete. Much of the season was spent traveling alone, training with coaches and athletes from multiple nations, and creating opportunities through relationships built one conversation, one training session, and one competition at a time.
There were no guarantees waiting at the next stop.
No permanent coaching staff following every event.
No teammates sharing every flight, hotel, or training venue.
Instead, there were long travel days, unfamiliar environments, and constant decisions that demanded maturity far beyond what appears on a results sheet.
From summer training blocks in Switzerland and Australia to winter competitions in Finland, Canada, Kazakhstan, and across the United States, every step required adaptability. Every opportunity had to be earned.
Looking back, those challenges became one of the season’s greatest gifts.
They taught Ashton how to advocate for himself, solve problems under pressure, build relationships across the international aerials community, and remain focused even when circumstances were less than ideal.
The athlete who stood on the Europa Cup podium in Airolo was not the same athlete who boarded a flight to Switzerland the previous summer.
He was stronger, more experienced, and more confident in his ability to create opportunities rather than wait for them.
A Mindset That Never Changes
Through every phase of his journey, Ashton has lived by one principle: still earning it.
It is more than a motto. It is a mindset.
It reflects the understanding that nothing meaningful in this sport is given freely, and that every breakthrough is built upon countless unseen repetitions, setbacks, adjustments, and moments of quiet perseverance.
It is also a reminder to appreciate the people who believed in the journey before the results fully appeared.
Along the way, Ashton was fortunate to be supported by individuals who invested in his growth when the path ahead remained uncertain.
Coach Enver Ablaev helped expand his technical ceiling and challenged him to think differently about the sport. Coach Matt “Saundo” Saunders provided consistency, guidance, and support during critical moments of the season. Garage Finisher offered belief and backing when potential still outweighed proven results.
Each played an important role in helping Ashton continue forward when the destination remained unclear and together, they helped make a season possible that might never have happened otherwise.
Ashton is equally grateful for the coaches, teammates, mentors, friends, sponsors, and supporters from around the world who extended encouragement, advice, opportunities, and friendship throughout the 2024/25 season.
Success in aerials may be measured individually, but no athlete reaches meaningful milestones entirely alone.
“I’ve learned that you don’t need the perfect setup to keep moving forward - you just need the right mindset and the right people in your corner.
That’s what’s made the difference for me.”
— Ashton Salwan
Looking Ahead: Milano-Cortina 2026
With the 2025 summer training season underway, Ashton now turns his attention toward the next challenge: pursuing a place among the athletes representing the United States on the sport’s biggest stage.
The road ahead remains demanding, and nothing has been guaranteed.
But this time, he begins the climb from a different place.
Not from uncertainty.
From experience.
From confidence.
From a season that proved he belongs.
The rankings, podiums, and results tell part of the story.
The greater achievement was learning how to build a path when one did not already exist.
By the end of the season, Ashton had earned World Cup finals appearances, international podiums, and recognition among the top aerial skiers in North America.
More importantly, he had earned something harder to measure:
Confidence in his ability to keep moving forward, regardless of the obstacles in front of him.
Confidence not because the path became easier, but because he had proven he could navigate it.
Still learning.
Still rising.
Still earning it.
2024/25 SEASON AT A GLANCE
- U.S. Aerials Team Rank #4
- FIS NorAm Cup Rank #2
- FIS Europa Cup Rank #8
- FIS World Cup Rank #27
- FIS Overall Rank #28
- FIS World Cup Starts: 3/7
- Skill Progression: bFFF
- GMTM Top Ranked Freestyle Skiing Athlete
- Career Milestone: 82 FIS Starts
- 9 Years in Sport
2024/25 MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
- 1st Place, Domestic WC Selections (USA)
- 1st Place Synchro, Ruka Europa Cup (FIN) with Team Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi
- 2nd Place, NorAm Cup Park City (USA)
- 2nd Place, NorAm Cup D2 Quebec (CAN)
- 3rd Place, NorAm Cup D1 Quebec (CAN)
- 3rd Place, Europa Cup D1 Airolo (SUI)
- 4th Place, Europa Cup D2 Airolo (SUI)
- 5th Place, National Freestyle Aerials Championships (USA)
- 12th Place, Europa Cup Ruka D2 (FIN)
- 19th Place, Europa Cup Ruka D1 (FIN)
2024/25 WORLD CUP BREAKTHROUGHS
- 11th Place, Almaty World Cup (KAZ)
- 13th Place, Deer Valley World Cup (USA)
- 18th Place, Lake Placid World Cup (USA)
2024 SUMMER WATER RAMP CONTESTS
- 4th Place, Brisbane Freestyle Aerials Cup (AUS)
- 9th Place, Utah Olympic Park Freestyle Ultimate Airwave (USA)
- 17th Place, Mettmenstetten Freestyle Aerials Cup (SUI)
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT: 2024/25 TRAVEL SCHEDULE
- Switzerland: Mettmenstetten (Zürich) and Airolo (Ticino)
- Australia: Brisbane (Queensland)
- Finland: Ruka (Kuusamo)
- USA: Bristol Mountain (NY), Lake Placid (NY), Deer Valley (UT) and Utah Olympic Park (UT)
- Canada: Lac Beauport (Quebec)
- Kazakhstan: Shymbulak (Almaty)
