By Peter Soscia

AUSTRIA— A Springville native received national attention earlier this month at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships, held in Kreischberg, Austria. Alex Bowen took home the silver medal in the aerials competition, which is held every other year, and is the biggest skiing event next to the Olympics.

Aerial freestyle skiing consists of a skier starting on a high slope, gaining speed downhill and launching off of a large snow-made ramp. While in the air, the skier performs a series of flips and twists before landing. At the Freestyle Ski World Championships, five judges rate each jump on a scale of one to 10.

Bowen, 22, began his competition on Jan. 14, when he posted a top-12 jump that qualified him for the Jan. 15 finals. In the three-round finals, only nine of 12 skiers advance, and Bowen was able to secure the ninth spot on his first jump. Edging into the fourth spot on jump number two, where the top six get through, advanced Bowen to the third round, the only American to qualify for the medal round.

“It’s scary to watch sometimes. For the Super Final he was out of tricks, you can’t repeat jumps,” said Bowen’s father Greg, who was watching the finals on an online stream. “He only has an easy trick left that he had practiced.”

Before the last jump, Bowen’s teammate talked him into trying a brand new trick, one that he had never had practiced on snow.

“When I saw what trick he was going to do, my heart stopped,” the elder Bowen said. “Then, when he landed, I almost had a heart attack. When the pressure was on he nailed a never-attempted jump and won the silver medal.”

It was Bowen’s best career finish and the first World Championship medal for the USA since Ryan St. Onge won gold in 2009.

“My Double, full, full, full was the first one I’ve ever done on snow. It was the best jump of the day,” said Bowen. “This is totally unexpected.”

Landing the higher-degree of difficulty jump was enough to boost Bowen to second-best, being outscored only by Guangpu Qi, of China. It was the first time Bowen was able to top his previous best of sixth place, making it the first time he stood at the podium.

After landing the jump, Bowen’s teammates Mike Rossi and Ashley Caldwell rushed to meet Bowen, excited about the medal-earning jump.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates,” said Bowen. “Without them and the coaches, it wouldn’t have been the same event for me.”

Aerials Head Coach Todd Ossian praised Bowen for his ability to land the jump, citing the medal-winners ability to position himself properly at the top of the jump as the key to his success.

“He put himself in a position at the end to win. Alex is such an amazing acrobat. He’s done these tricks on water a lot of times,” Ossian said. “For me it’s all about his takeoff. If he puts himself in the right position to have good rotation, tricks are easy for him.”

Alex Bowen celebrates his first trip to the podium after completing an aerial jump he never attempted on snow.

Both Bowen’s parents have supported his decision to pursue skiing since they would drop him off at Kissing Bridge when he was younger. Between runs at Kissing Bridge and weekly drives to Lake Placid, his parents have stood by his passion.

“We are awfully proud of him,” Greg Bowen said. “Especially that he still calls Springville home and calls the Buffalo Ski Club his team while competing internationally.”

After a week in his hometown with family, the Salt Lake City resident joined his team in Lake Placid for the next World Cup event.