BIOGRAPHY
Buffalo Ski Club’s Hans Gardner balanced competing in both aerials and freeride until he was 18, when he decided to make aerials his fulltime gig. Since then, he has been paying his dues as a NorAm Top-10 regular since 2007. His work ethic paid off in the 2010 and 2011 seasons with top-five overall NorAm rankings.

He earned his spot on the U.S. Team during the 2011 season with two NorAm second-place finishes and three more top-five results.

In 2012, Gardner made his first mark on the World Cup level with a 13th-place finish in just his second World Cup event.

HANS SAYS 
My season was great, I competed in my second, third and fourth World Cups ever and came really close to reaching my goals. Highlights were my family coming out to Lake Placid to watch. I learned a lot of technique. The most fun was improving practice jumps.

I’m looking forward to doing better jumps. I would like to place in the top ten in two World Cups next year.

FIRST TRACKS
Gardner was introduced to aerials from at the Buffalo ski club regional program. He started competing regionally from Buffalo where they had an aerials-styled air site, and inverts were allowed.  A few trips to watch the aerialists at the Lake Placid Olympic training Center got Gardner hooked and he’s been a serious competitor ever since. 

OFF THE SNOW 
Away from the slopes Gardner gets into volunteering at local non-profit organizations, reading, slack lining, road biking, skateboarding and coaching at summer camps.