See It in Action — Video Feature Below
Built in Brisbane. Proven in Ruka.
Every season starts with a reset, and for U.S. Freestyle Aerials athlete Ashton Salwan, that reset happened in Brisbane. After spending three months at the Utah Olympic Park pushing high-difficulty triple-skill variations in freestyle aerials — bFFF, bdFFF, and bFdFF — he entered Australia focused, hungry, and ready to rebuild fundamentals before the 2025/26 World Cup season.
One-on-one training with Coach Matt “Saundo” Saunders, combined with time spent with Saundo’s family, gave Ashton the grounding he needed. Their support offered a much-needed breath of normalcy in a sport that rarely slows down, and the routine — morning water sessions, afternoon workout blocks, and family dinners — helped him return to a healthy rhythm after a demanding summer of training and rookie pressures.
Brisbane wasn’t just a practice environment.
It was a reset button.
Working solo with Saundo, without outside distractions, sharpened Ashton’s focus in a new way. Every video review was personal. Every correction was tailored. Every rep had intention behind it.
This three-week training block forced Ashton to own his process more deeply. There was no comparison to other athletes, no noise, no pressure from group pace. Just an athlete, a coach, and the grind.
And it paid off — Ashton left Brisbane with a stronger takeoff, cleaner lines, and the confidence that he had built real technical durability heading into early-season World Cup aerials training.
Back With the Crew - Adjusting to Ski Team Rhythm
During the last week of October, Ashton linked up with the rest of the U.S. Freestyle Aerials Team, entering a training environment led by Head Coach Vlad Lebedev. Transitioning from quiet individualized work to the fast-moving rhythm of a national team pushed Ashton to stay centered and rely on his own pacing.
Navigating that shift helped him refine how he manages pressure, focus, and his competitive approach — all essential skills for the upcoming Ruka Freestyle Aerials World Cup 2025, the first Olympic qualifier of the season.
Finland: The Real Test - Returning to Snow
Returning to snow in mid-November after months of triple-focused water training came with challenges. Triple skills demand amplitude and aggressive timing. World Cup doubles in aerial skiing require precision, efficiency, and restraint — especially at the Olympic-qualification level.
The transition wasn’t immediate. Some sessions clicked. Others fought him.
Those early Ruka days became a mental battleground — balancing patience with pressure, trusting the process even when timing felt off, and remembering that the grind always happens before the breakthrough.
And then the breakthrough came — a shift Ashton felt internally before anyone else saw it.
The tough days in Ruka were actually what helped me settle in. Once I stopped fighting the timing and trusted myself, everything started to click. ~ Ashton X Salwan
FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup 2026 - Ruka Aerials
On Saturday, December 6, all the foundational work finally showed up when it mattered. At the first World Cup of the 2025/26 season — the opening U.S. Olympic qualifier and Ashton’s first World Cup as an official member of the U.S. Ski Team — he delivered a clean, composed performance that put him 13th overall and 4th among the U.S. men.
But the placement alone doesn’t tell the full story.
Ashton didn’t just survive the field — he positioned himself as someone the freestyle aerials world can no longer overlook heading into the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic cycle.
The grind from Australia, the solo work with Saundo, the early struggles returning to snow in Finland— every moment fed into this performance. And as the season moves deeper into Olympic qualification, Ashton is proving he’s not just participating.
He’s positioning himself.
He’s climbing.
He’s arriving.
A solid start, but it’s just the beginning. I know where I’m trending, and I’m excited for what’s next. ~ Ashton X Salwan
This is the Ashton the world is about to get used to seeing.