[Not Just Splashing Around] From Switzerland to the U.S. to Australia, Ashton Salwan took on three international water-ramp competitions in 2024 — building experience, testing progress under pressure, and moving steadily closer to the winter season.
No Snow, No Problem
Before winter arrived, the work had to be tested.
Ashton Salwan’s 2024 water-ramp season stretched across Switzerland, the United States, and Australia, turning months of summer training into three international competition starts. Each stop offered a different measure of progress — adaptation, execution under pressure, and the opportunity to carry technical work from one venue to the next.
Mettmenstetten: Starting Strong
Ashton opened the circuit in Mettmenstetten, Switzerland, competing in his first FIS Swiss Freestyle Aerials Masters. As the only U.S. athlete in the field, he finished 17th — an early competition benchmark and a chance to see how the summer’s work translated when training gave way to judged performance.
Park City: Building Confidence
Back in Park City in August, Ashton returned to the Utah Olympic Park for the 2024 U.S. Freestyle Ultimate Airwave. He finished 9th overall and second among U.S. men, marking a clear step forward in placement while adding another international start to the summer.
Brisbane: Stepping Up
The final stop brought Ashton to the Olympic Winter Training Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Competing as the only U.S. athlete in the men’s field, Ashton finished 4th overall — one place off the podium and his strongest result of the three-event run. The finish closed the water-ramp circuit with a tangible measure of the progression built across the summer.
“These summer comps were a chance to stack experience, not chase results. I showed up, stayed present, and kept building — and I feel more ready than ever heading into winter.”
— Ashton Salwan
Carrying It to Snow
Three countries. Three competition starts. Three different tests.
From 17th in Switzerland to 9th in Park City and 4th in Brisbane, the results traced a steady progression across Ashton’s 2024 water-ramp season. More than any single placement, the circuit added international experience, competition repetitions, and another layer to the technical foundation he had spent the summer building.
That experience became part of what Ashton carried into the 2024/25 winter season — where the work would move from water back to snow.
