Quebec Air Force

Owning the Podium

An international professional circuit of freestyle skiers established itself in the early 1970s, prior to the sport becoming officially organized through the Canadian Association (1974) and before freestyle became governed by the International Ski Federation in 1981. An interesting phenomenon began to occur on these podiums within the first few years.

It was the athletes from Quebec who began to consistently earning podium finishes, at times with seven to eight skiers within the top 10 finishers. At one point, Canada boasted 13 of the top 16 aerialist skiers in the world, most of whom were from Quebec.

Who is Part of the Quebec Air Force?

The Quebec Air Force was not a designation that these athletes gave to themselves, nor was it an official club with membership. It was, however, one given with pride from national and international competitors and media who witnessed their incredible dominance.

The “Quebec Air Force”, comprised of men and women competing at the international level, were the ones to beat for many years. To be considered a member of this group meant that you had to be from Quebec and do well in competition. 

Passing the Baton

Aside from the forward-thinking infrastructure and training systems they created and constructed, there were intangible ingredients that made the Quebec Air Force unique. The real friendships and the fierce competitive spirit they had even amongst themselves led the group to worldwide success.

There was also an inter-generational advantage. By the time younger athletes like Nicolas Fontaine and Jean-Luc Brassard came along, they had the systems in place and the mentorship to be able to perpetuate this dominant legacy.

World Cups and World Championships

The World Cup began in 1978 and the first FIS World Championship took place in 1986.

A small snapshot of Québec Air Force Members who achieved extraordinary heights of success in these competitions included five-time world champion Marie-Claude Asselin and World Cup winners Jean Corriveau, Craig Clow, Yves Laroche and Jean-Marc Rozon. At the very first ISF World Championships, Lloyd Langlois and Alain Laroche won the championships titles.

The Olympic Games

Freestyle skiing premiered at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 as a demonstration event, where Jean-Marc Rozon took home the gold medal in aerials and Lloyd Langlois captured the silver. In 1992,  aerials were again a demonstration sport in Albertville, France, where Philippe Laroche earned gold and upstart Nicolas Fontaine took home the silver.

This set the stage for 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway where, as a full-medal sport, four Canadian men placed in the top-six in aerials, with Philippe Laroche and Lloyd Langlois earning the silver and bronze, respectively. During those same Olympic Games, Quebec mogul skier Jean-Luc Brassard took home the gold. Quebec’s ensuing dominance in moguls was an offshoot of the province’s success in aerials.        

“This passion for freestyle skiing, I try my best to pass it onto the new generation, it’s still very much alive.”

– Nicolas Fontaine

Cementing a Legacy

Since the 1990s, Quebec has maintained its dominance in freestyle skiing, in part due to the Quebec Air Force pioneers, who paved the way and inspired young skiers. In the early 2000s, as many Canadians gravitated towards freeskiing and other ski disciplines, Quebec’s new generations did not lose sight of the success of past champions.

Alexandre Bilodeau fell in love with freestyle after watching Jean-Luc Brassard. The Dufour-Lapointe sisters and Mikaël Kingsbury are also proudly carrying the torch.

Looking Back

Once a year, some of the original members of the impressive Quebec Air Force get together. Jean-Marc, Lloyd, Nicolas and the Laroche brothers reminisce about the incredible memories surrounding aerials.

Only after a full day of jumping do these athletes share a meal, rich conversation, and of course, very fond memories of their accomplishments, travels and camaraderie.