Spectators at the two aerial NorAm events at Ski Mont Gabriel this coming weekend will be treated to some of the best jumping in the world.

That’s because many international World Cup teams, including Australia and Belarus, have put forward entrants into Saturday and Sunday’s events.

These international powerhouse nations of high-flying twists and turns are at Ski Mont Gabriel training for the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and can’t resist another opportunity to refine their jumps in a competition setting.

Members of the Canadian Aerial Development Team will join their international counterparts in this important event. This next generation of the Canadian Air Force is trained and mentored by Nicolas Fontaine, a four-time FIS World Cup Aerial champion and four-time Olympian.

Fontaine hand-picked his athletes for a development program called Jump 2010, designed to transition gymnasts and trampolinists to the highly acrobatic sport of aerial skiing. So far this program has proved to be incredibly successful and three members of the squad, Olivier Rochon (Gatineau, Que.), Genevieve Tougas (St-Hubert, Que) and Sabrina Guerin (Laval, Que.), were all promoted to the World Cup Team this season.

"I’m really proud of my athletes, they are incredibly hard-working and dedicated to their new sport,” said Fontaine. "In fact, they are so well-regarded that they have all been invited to come to Vancouver and forerun the Aerials events at the Olympics. This will be an excellent learning experience for them as we expect to see the whole team jumping in Sochi in 2014.”

The Canadian development mogul squad will also be competing this weekend in NorAms in Killington, VT. Hot off of two gold-medal finishes last weekend at Lake Placid, upstart Mikael Kingsbury of Deux Montanges is hoping for a repeat performance.

For more information or for media accreditation to the NorAm at Ski Mont Gabriel, please contact Media Relations Manager Kelley Korbin at: kelleykorbin@freestyleski.com.