Steve Omischl of Kelowna, B.C., may not get many freestyle ski victories that come this easily. The defending World Cup overall men’s aerials champion started off the 2007-08 season with a bang by distancing himself from a field that included the 2006 Olympic champion.

“I couldn’t have done a better first jump and I had a very good second jump,” remarked the 29-year-old, who won the overall title last season and in 2004.

He took the lead in the Freestyle FIS World Cup Friday by nailing his opening jump, a quadruple-twisting triple somersault, performed with a double twist on the first revolution.

“The weather was perfect. I just felt very relaxed,” added Omischl, who won before a sparse crowd that consisted mainly of about 300 children brought in for the event.

“I hate to say it, but it was kind of easy. I’m just extremely happy,” concluded the native of North Bay, Ont., whose goal is to lead this season’s overall World Cup standings from start to finish.

Omischl’s winning score of 247.55 came at Changchun Lianhuashan Ski Resort where the only other Canadian competing was Warren Shouldice of Calgary. Shouldice scored 216.85 for seventh place. Anton Kushnir of Belarus was second in 237.33 and Olympic champion Xiaopeng Han third in 236.11.

Two of the sports superstars went 1-2 in the women’s aerials final. Australian Jacqui Cooper, the defending World Cup women’s overall aerials champion, took the win with 196.62 points after starting with 110.30 points for a triple-twisting triple flip. Her teammate, Lydia Lassila, was second in 190.34 and Xinxin Guo of China took third in 186.70.

Other Canadian aerialists remained in Canada training for North America’s season-opening World Cup, scheduled for January 18-20 in Lake Placid.