On December 14, 2024, under the icy glow of the northern lights and with a packed hillside cheering below, Ashton Salwan soared to new heights at the 2024/25 Europa Cup season opener at the Ruka Ski Resort in Kuusamo, Finland. Teaming up with Ukrainian powerhouse Dmytro "Dima" Kotovskyi, the duo delivered a show-stopping performance in the men’s synchronized aerials final — clinching 1st place with a perfectly executed Back-Full-Double-Full that electrified the judges and crowd alike.
For Ashton, a U.S. independent athlete grinding his way onto the world stage, this gold medal marked a pivotal milestone. Months of summer training, cross-continental camps, and late-night conditioning sessions all culminated in this singular moment of shared precision and power. In perfect sync, Ashton and Dima launched into the Ruka sky, twisting and flipping through a complex maneuver that demands air awareness, timing, and trust — then stomped the landing with authority.
It was Ashton’s first international podium finish AND synchronized event — what a way to kick things off.
The result solidified Ashton’s reputation as a rising force in the freestyle aerials world and further highlighted the power of global collaboration in sport. What began as a spontaneous team-up turned into a gold-medal-winning partnership built on mutual respect and technical mastery.
From the frozen peaks of Finland, Ashton’s momentum is building — and the world is starting to take notice.
“That moment in Ruka was surreal — we trusted each other, hit our timing, and just let the training take over. To share the top of the podium with Dima was unreal. It also gave me a real sense of how far I’ve come in just six months, and what I’m now capable of delivering on snow.” ~Ashton X Salwan
