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The Canadian Champion, Friday, February 9, 2007 - A15 SPO"RTeS' SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE LeBLANO e-mail sfebIanc@haItonsearch.com Ticlas Fontaine was alreay iopressed aler waciga 10-yesold T1ais Gerits wina bigaircometiionin Mount Orford, Whenh foqnd out how far the youngster andi bis brother Tyler had traneed for thse cosnpetltion, he knew lie bad sornetblngsped*l. "Wow, ibey're going oui of ibeir way to compete," Fontaine thoughi. .The Canadian aerials developm.enî îeam coach approacheti Gerrits to see if bie would be inieresteti in trying a new sport. "I bad seen it on TV and dreamed of it," saîd thse now 15-year-old Gerrits. "There jusi were no opportunities to do it." Those opportunities still are very limited but ai leasi Gerrits no longer bas to, leave the country. His firsi train- ing sessions were belti in Lake Placid, N.Y. because it was tbe closesi waîer ramp for summer training. Tbe Canadian Freestyle Ski Association bas since buili a fadility in Le Relais, Quebec, whicb opened in 2004. Gerrits bas spent his lasi tbree summers in Quebec training. lis a sacrifice thse Milton District Higb Scbool lOib grader is willing to make to, try 10 land a spot on tbe 2010 Canadian Olympic îeam. While tbere may be older and more experienced seri- alists ahead of bim, Gerrits is not about to let bis age bold bis» back. Laie lasi montb in Ste. Adele, Quebec, Gerrits tumned in a perfect score on one of bis jumps to earn bis besi ever-flnisb - flftb - on the Noram circuit, bufld on that ibis weekend at die next tour stop in Park City, Utah where bel debut a new jump - a double twisting. double backflip. Fontaine said Gerrits bas been working on ht for a wbile but the coachlng staff besitaied to bave bisu per- fou» it in competition. Tbat cbausged afier Gerrits earned a perfect score - one of only three or four Fontaine has seen ibis season "You don'i wasst to penalize bim because of bis age but we want bis» to go slow - make sure hes learning tbe basics - but hie wants to follow the others," said Fontaine, a four-trne World Cup aerials champion. "Wben hie got thse perfect score, 1 said, 'l tbink hes ready'." Gernits, despite being two years younger tban any otber member of thse development team, bas already compiled an impressive resumé just five years after tak- ing Up the sport. He won the junior nationals last year, improving on bis second-place finish front the previaus year. This year on thse Noram circuit, hie bas improved witb eacb event, from. 11 tb to ninffi to fiftb. "Sometimes we forget hels so young because bes so good," Fontaine said. "He's really on the young side but bis progression bas been thse samne as thse others." Having skied since be was six, Gerrits also bad a strong background in gymnasiics, a sport from. wbicb many serialist competitors have been recruited. He coin- peted ai thse provincial level on trampoline and tbough. bie no longer competes, be still bas a trampoline ai borne andI uses it as a training tool. q,-e AERIAIST on page A19 I ~MILTON YOUTH SOCCER CLUB i ~/OUTDOR SUMMER SEASON 2007 REGISTRATION DATES Dhe Mlilon Youthi Smuer Clufb t ale Onbiala Somor Auaeatl&eaêPealHl umaocr Au"Omlt Saae.feeW lrsrd Y"adl Ahbh iu 5,Affagu01Wl&W e Talne Y"la 0fMle Sm"a lmB. ~u mmm - 111im ' L 3aturday Fobruary 10, 2007 Stro 1 1:008M-:Ow>m j Febrffly 17, »O07 Su nday Faprerll1 , 297 ,123060p :0Oam-4:30pm AU SUR COACUH FwN 2007 mu Applications may be dropped atf ta thie office mailbox Iacated at the Milton Leisure Centre ta the attention of the President or nailed ta the Club address. Ail applications must be received by Wodnosday February 7, 2007. ta be cansidered far a tearn for the upcarning seasan. Any questions may be directed ta hoadcoach@multonmagc.com HANG TIME: Travis Gerrits catches some air during competition at Mount Gabriel, Quebec. ROB GERRITS / SPECIAL TO THE CHAMPION '7