U.S. Aerials holds YouTube tryouts for acrobats

Do you want to learn to fly? USSA is looking for future Olympic acrobatic athletes, 19 and under, to participate in the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP) in Lake Placid, N.Y. or the Western Development Aerial Program “Fly Freestyle” in Park City, Utah.

The EADP has converted acrobatic athletes from sports like gymnastics, trampoline, diving, tumbling, etc (that can’t necessarily ski) into Olympic athletes in the sport of aerial skiing.

U.S. Team athletes like Mike Rossi (Long Valley, N.J.) and Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.), who began their career with EADP, and are now successful World Cup athletes and strong 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games hopefuls.

“Moving to the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP) was a big step in my career,” said Rossi. “The coaches took all I knew about doing flips on the backyard tramp and refined my skills into something worth using in freestyle aerials. The professionalism in a camp like this will show the kids what they’re getting into, and as a bonus they get to train alongside some of the best in the world. If I had this opportunity when I was thinking of starting aerials, I surely would have taken it.”

Athletes are encouraged to share their best acrobatic tricks, then they could could earn an invitation to try out for the EADP or Fly Freestyle.

“The Elite Aerial Development Program identifies talented acrobatic athletes and builds strong foundations of these future national team members to prepare them to become the best in the world,” said Caldwell. “Many of the current U.S. Ski Team aerialists graduated from the EADP earlier in their career. At Deer Valley Resort last winter, former EADP member Mike Rossi jumped his way onto the podium at the biggest aerial World Cup in North America. This program has a long line of success stories.”

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