Montanans were glued to the TV back in the winter of 1998 as we watched one of our own compete, and win an Olympic gold medal in ariel freestyle skiing.

Now, Eric Bergoust is back home, bringing his own kind of "fear factor" to a local gym, teaching others just how to get it.

Eleven years later, aerial freestyle skiing Olympic gold medalist Eric Bergoust still has it. On Thursday nights at MISMO gym in Missoula, the champion leads his charges through the up and down and upside down world of aerials.

13-year old  Darian Stevens likes to throw crazy tricks into the pit. They call her the rocket and she's already competing and winning in aerials.

Bergoust competed in four Olympic games. The most memorable, was in Nagano in 1998 when he was the first man to ever win a gold medal in aerials.

"I was in it when it was really popular. There was a big push to put it into the Olympics. The Olympic exhibitions were sold out, the Nagano Olympics were sold out."

He says snowboarding stole a little of the lift from aerial's popularity.But, what he's teaching here can help in other sports where fearlessness is the X factor.

He made his mark on the sporting world and is now bringing his expertise home again. He says it's always going to be a small sport.

"But if you want discipline and want to work hard...and you want to end up being a very good, even amazing acrobat, then come bounce on the tramp with me."

Eric is living in Missoula with his wife and new baby.