Park City • After Ashley Caldwell landed her second triple flip of the evening, she carved into the snow at the base of the White Owl run at Deer Valley Resort. The 21-year-old from Ashburn, Virginia, leaned into her skis and turned toward teammate Kiley McKinnon, knowing the the two Americans had just grabbed first and second places. Her score hadn't officially been posted yet, but she knew.
"That was really incredible," said Caldwell, a two-time Olympian.
It was historic, too.
Thanks to Caldwell's victory and McKinnon's second-place finish in Thursday evening's Freestyle International World Cup Aerials competition, the pair dialed the clocks back four decades. The last time two U.S. female aerialists went first and second on a World Cup podium was 1989, when the freestyle team did so twice that season. Caldwell's two triple flips of the night, coupled with McKinnon's precision jumps, produced a scene befitting of the night. Caldwell's teammates carried her onto the podium and placed her atop as McKinnon waited with a bouquet tucked into her arm.
Watching and waiting for his turn was Mac Bohonnon. The 19-year-old from Madison, Connecticut, screamed when Caldwell and McKinnon were placed on the podium to the roar of fans. The 2004 FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year continued the success already cultivated in his young career into this season when he finished second on the men's podium.
"To be able to do this — three podiums in one night — I can't even tell you the last time that happened for the USA," he said. "To do that in front a hometown crowd is just unbelievable. It's awesome."
It wasn't just the one-two punch that highlighted the evening. The U.S. men had eight finalists and six of the top eight finishers. China's Guangpu Qi won the competition with a rousing 138.50 score while Ukrainian Oleksandr Abramenko finished third behind Bohonnon.
The plan for Caldwell was never going to waver. She was dead set on throwing a full-full-full on her first jump to guarantee her spot in the super final. She stuck it but didn't evade the pain that she says comes with landing the difficult trick. Her knee came up and smacked her jaw, but she kept her balance and rode out of it.
"No hesitation," she said.
"She loves doing triples," McKinnon said of Caldwell. "She's crazy."
The first jump wrapped up the last spot in the super final. So after McKinnon secured the No. 1 spot, the task of supplanting her eventually came to Caldwell, who stared down at the jump, knowing another triple flip was on the bill. She flew over the jump and landed her lay double-full-full.
"Our whole sport's psychological," Caldwell said, "so I don't know if it's an advantage or disadvantage."
Whatever it was, Caldwell went for it. The outcome was something a U.S. duo hadn't accomplished in 25 years. Now it's onto the FIS World Championships in Kreischberg, Austria, from Jan. 14 to 19.
The Americans won't have much time to celebrate. They have a 9:30 a.m. flight out of Salt Lake City on Friday.
"I'm going to pack my bags and go to sleep probably," Caldwell deadpanned. "Which is really sad because I want to go out and hang out with my family. I'm 21 now, but it doesn't even matter right now."
ckamrani@sltrib.com
Twitter: @chriskamrani
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell reacts after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell reacts after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell reacts after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Ashley Caldwell competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Caldwell won the Ladies' Aerials competition with a score of 99.78.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Qi Guangpu celebrates after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Guangpu won the Men's Aerials with a score of 138.50.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Qi Guangpu celebrates after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Guangpu won the Men's Aerials with a score of 138.50.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Qi Guangpu competes in the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Guangpu won the Men's Aerials with a score of 138.50.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Qi Guangpu celebrates after winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Guangpu won the Men's Aerials with a score of 138.50.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Madison Varmette competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Varmette finished in eighth place with a score of 68.90.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Madison Varmette competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Varmette finished in eighth place with a score of 68.90.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Kiley McKinnon competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. McKinnon finished in second place with a score of 95.52.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Xiaoxue Shen competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Shen finished in third place with a score of 83.54.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Ukraine's Olga Polyuk competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Polyuk finished in fourth place with a score of 77.43.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune China's Hailing Quan competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Quan finished in fifth place with a score of 88.83.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Ukraine's Nadiya Mokhnatska competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Mokhnatska finished in ninth place with a score of 68.73.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Zachary Surdell competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Surdell finished in seventh place with a score of 98.28.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Michael Rossi competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Rossi finished in 11th place with a score of 73.89.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Alex Bowen competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Bowen finished in sixth place with a score of 69.25.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Ukraine's Mykola Puzderko competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Puzderko finished in tenth place with a score of 93.93.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Kendal Johnson competes during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Johnson finished in 12th place with a score of 57.19.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Alex Bowen falls while competing in the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Bowen finished in sixth place with a score of 69.25.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Nivin Brown falls while competing in the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Brown finished in fourth place with a score of 80.99.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Mac Bohonnon celebrates during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015. Bohonnon finished in second place with a score of 128.51.
Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune USA's Kiley McKinnon, Ashley Caldwell and Xiaoxue Shen celebrate after winning during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Thursday January 8, 2015.
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