The 1999 X Games gold medallist will be helping the country's freestyle skiers prepare for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, where the sport makes its Olympic debut.

Cusson, who has played a pivotal role in freeskiing, was part of the Salomon Teneighty Team, which won a number of titles.

He will team up with Toben Southerland, the National Slopestyle Team head coach, and Trennon Paynter and Marc Macdonnel on the coaching staff.

It is Cusson's first major ski coaching post, and he told ESPN: "I was already a judge for the Dew Tour and the X Games, but I figured with my experience and knowledge, I'd more useful being a coach than a judge.

"Plus, I like teaching, my parents were both teachers, so I guess it's in my blood."

Cusson has spent recent years teaching golf, and CFSA high performance programme director David Mirota is confident that he can help the Canadian freeskiing team achieve their potential.

"We knew we had the athletic talent in Canada in slopestyle and halfpipe to be a real medal contender at the next Olympic Games," he said.

"We also knew that in order to harness and develop this talent we had to lay a foundation with the best possible coaching staff.

"The addition of JF rounds out our programme and puts us on the path to success in Sochi."

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