Vancouver, Canada – The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association (CFSA) late last week announced the launch of CAN Freestyle, a detailed, long-term athlete development model designed to train freestyle skiers of all ages and abilities in all disciplines of freestyle skiing.nOne of the marquee programs in the new model is FreestylerZ, designed to safely deliver skills and thrills to children aged eight years and up, and will build on the revamped RBC Jumps & Bumps program, which teaches entry-level freestyle skiers from ages six and up.

“The establishment of CAN Freestyle represents the next stage in development for our sport,” said CFSA CEO Peter Judge, who added, “It is a perfect time to be able to implement an initiative such as this. The roll out of this program will allow us to create a very strong base and ensure that we have a strong gene pool to develop Olympic champions for the future. It is also an example of how the CFSA continues to strive for overall system growth through the implementation of best practices within Canadian sport.”

Canadian moguls skier Alex Bilodeau’s gold medal win in Vancouver has already had a tremendous impact in driving interest in freestyle skiing, particularly in Quebec, CFSA officials assert. The CFSA has been preparing for three years to be ready to capitalize on this type of considerable interest in the freestyle ski disciplines.

CFSA Sport Development Director Meredith Gardner said, “If we want to compete in the future with the emerging sport powers – China, Russia and Germany – and stay in the game with countries like the United States, we have to build better athletes from a younger age.

“We also firmly believe that being part of a high-quality Freestyle program is a unique, life enriching experience that we want to give to more Canadian children. Giving back is part of the culture of our sport,” Gardner added.

The development of CAN Freestyle was possible, in part, from initiatives like The Canadian Sport For Life project supported by Sport Canada, which allowed CFSA to draw information and support directly from other winter sports, like Snowboarding, Nordic, and Alpine. The CFSA believes that a well-rounded snow sports experience for children will ultimately garner Canada international success, and will give kids a life-long appreciation for physical fitness.