World-Class Aerial Skier. Trailblazing Journey.
Inspiring Global Change.
Dani Loeb is an emerging world-class athlete and breakthrough aerial skier on a trajectory toward the Olympic stage. But she's more than that. Her experiences inspire athletes of all ages and backgrounds to connect with their talents, push beyond physical and mental limits and triumph over their fears. Through raw talent, uncontainable grit and uncompromising character, Dani Loeb embodies the essence of a champion.
Only five years after pivoting from gymnastics to aerial ski, Dani created history as the first and only Alabamian to make the United States Ski & Snowboard Team. As a world-ranked aerial athlete, she has amassed recognition at the highest levels of competition around the world, including the NorAm Cup, World Cup, U.S. Nationals & Junior Nationals, European Cup and more.
Fast Facts
Born
08/10/2001
Hometown
Pintala, AL
School
Laurel Springs High School
Sport
Aerial Ski
2020 Ranking
Top-4 Female Aerial Athlete in the U.S
Ranked No. 21 Female Aerial Athlete in the World
Team
U.S. Ski & Snowboard – Aerials
Clubs
Elite Aerial Development Program
Park City Freestyle Ski Team
Dani’s Story
Her Beginning
Dani's status as a high-performing aerial skier is astounding when viewed alongside her unorthodox journey onto the slopes. Raised on a farm in Pintala, Alabama, Dani Loeb exhibited unstoppable aerial energy at a young age. Her parents – Ricky and Jamie – often found her climbing, twisting and flipping from household platforms, including refrigerators and 1,400-pound bales of hay. Desperate to provide a safe outlet to expend her energy, they enrolled her into a gymnastics program at six years old. Due to her ability, she bypassed classes, was immediately placed on a team, and family friends soon recommended she find a more advanced facility. By 12, Dani joined The Texas Dreams gymnastics team in Coppell, Texas – a program supervised by Olympian and world champion Kim Zmeskal.
Her Shift
As a pre-teen, Dani began to settle into the reality that her career in gymnastics had reached its ceiling. But as her "air awareness" grew more renowned, she set her sights on a new sport – aerial ski. By 13, she caught the eye of a U.S. Aerials Team recruiter and was shipped to Liberty, Virginia for a ski demo. Upon her very first run off an artificial ski hill, Dani "mistakenly" completed a backflip and astonished coaches. The rest was history; at 14, she was immediately accepted as the youngest female member of the Elite Aerial Training Center – a feeder program to the U.S. National Team – and relocated to Lake Placid, N.Y. to train with all-star athletes from across the nation.
Her Ascent
Dani's evolution to aerial skier was rapid. She spent one year in development learning how to ski. Then, from 2017-2019 traversed an array of aerial competitions and achieved numerous titles and podiums. Despite a minor knee injury in 2019, Dani relocated to Park City, Utah – the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team's official training site – and earned her historic place on the national aerial ski squad
Her Passion
Dani's passion for aerial ski is matched by her devotion to world causes. She has committed to using her rising influence as a public sports figure to raise awareness for various philanthropic efforts, including children's health, the global water crisis and environmental sustainability. From flipping from hay bales in Pintala, Alabama to soaring through the air as an Olympic hopeful, Dani Loeb's journey is story of perseverance, optimism and proof of what is possible when you lean fearlessly into your potential.