Does he even need an introduction anymore ? Every generation has it own nickname for him: the GOAT, the legend, the local hero… We took advantage of the quiet summer days to sit down and what with Candide Thovex.
CHAPTER 1. THE BEGINNING
Without cheating, overthinking, or asking your parents for help, what’s your very first memory on skis?
I was two years old when my dad first put skis on my feet. I don’t really remember any of it, but one thing’s certain: it happened in La Clusaz!
How would you describe the La Clusaz of your childhood to someone who’s never seen it?
I was really lucky to grow up here. It was very quiet. There were fewer people on the slopes… but the chairlifts were brutal on the calves.
Ever skipped school to go skiing? If yes, tell us more!
No, I don’t think so. If I had, my mum would’ve come to get me straight off the slopes! I studied at the ski academy in La Clusaz during high school, so it was the perfect setup. I had plenty of time to go skiing.
What did you dream of when you were a kid? Are you happy with how it turned out? Still dreaming about the future?
I was obsessed with skiing, and it was peak mogul-skiing era with Edgar Grospiron. I dreamed of doing something in skiing. I think I can be satisfied with how things turned out, but I still have a lot left to explore.
Did you have a nickname at the ski club?
No, I didn’t. My first name was already original enough.
Who or what was on your bedroom walls? Who inspired you as a kid?
I had posters of Edgar, and also Jean-Luc Brassard and Sergei Shupletsov. They were the mogul-skiing stars. Later, when I was about 14 or 15, I got more into snowboarding, looking up to guys like Terje Haakonsen. That really changed how I saw skiing and made me realise other things were possible.
Is there a ski season from your childhood that stands out clearly in your memory?
I’d say the winter of 1997. That’s when I filmed my first skiing footage on 16mm. My first contract with Quiksilver. My first real trip, to Riksgränsen in Sweden, followed by sessions across Europe filming in snowparks.
What was the turning point that changed your life, your skiing, your career? When did you realise skiing wasn’t just a hobby but a passion that would become your career?
Everything shifted when I was around 16 or 17. I was travelling a lot, especially to the US, filming with American production crews. That’s when I filmed Chad’s Gap and won the X Games. That’s when everything changed.
CHAPTER 2. SO FAR…
What does it feel like to have a ski run named after you?
It’s a real honour. Balme is where I learned everything, where I spent most of my time on skis. The terrain there is unique, and I think my whole way of skiing comes from that place. So of course, having a run named after me in that area… I couldn’t be prouder. Huge thanks to La Clusaz.
The craziest moment of your professional skiing career?
Filming the Audi Ski The World commercial was definitely the wildest experience I’ve ever had. Two trips around the world, skiing in unbelievable places with an incredible crew. Skiing on the Great Wall of China, Jamaica, Iran, and so many other destinations… It was intense, and sometimes really tough. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, you carry it with you forever.
What goes through your mind when you’re on skis?
Honestly, nothing. When I’m skiing, I’m in my bubble, phone off, mind clear. It lets me forget everything. Skiing is therapy.
Describe your perfect ski day.
It depends on the conditions. I love piste skiing just as much as big powder days. Either way, it’s skiing from morning till night. A perfect day is when I’m happy with the footage in the evening.
How do you see the world of skiing? Was it better before? Excited for what’s coming?
Skiing is constantly evolving, and every generation brings something new.
As time goes on, your body becomes your main tool. How do you take care of it? Any specific routines before skiing—or all year long?
There’s a lot of preparation throughout the year, but most of it happens quietly, behind the scenes. In winter, I follow a programme I’ve built over the years that takes several hours every day after skiing. It’s real personal discipline.
How would you define the “Candide Thovex style”? Where does it come from?
That’s hard to say, I don’t think I’m the one who should describe it. Style is something natural; you can’t really put it into words.
What do you think of people who pronounce the Z at the end of La Clusaz?
They just don’t know any better!
What’s the weirdest ski advice anyone ever gave you?
I’ve never really received weird advice. I was trained by the best at the La Clusaz Ski Club, Fabien Cattaneo and Antoine Rachel, and everything they told me was solid.
And what advice would you give to young skiers today?
The most important thing is to enjoy yourself, and to remember that everything starts in your head.
CHAPTER 3. WHAT COMES NEXT !
After so many years, how do you keep things fresh? Without giving away your secret, how do you continue to innovate, on skis, through the spots you choose, and in the way you shoot your films?
I think skiing is really a sport built on experience, so you can only keep progressing. And there are always new things to try or invent in this sport. Every location has its own terrain. And when a project inspires me, I’ll always chase it all the way to the end.
People often compare freestyle, whatever the discipline, to dancing. Beyond the athletic side, it’s also an art form. What’s your take? How do you see it?
Sure, you could say that. Nothing is ever repeated the same way. But I think the artistic side is also in the way you shoot and edit the footage. You could edit a video a thousand different ways, it all comes down to inspiration. You could keep reworking a clip for years, but at some point you have to stop.
An artwork is never finished, only abandoned.
Skiing isn’t your only passion, you’re also into photography and filmmaking.
Yeah, that’s always been something I loved, especially filmmaking. Since I was 15, I’ve always shot and edited my own footage.
If you hadn’t become a professional skier, what do you think you’d be doing?
Probably another sport. I used to practise lots of different sports, and at some point I had to choose, so I chose skiing.
How do you picture La Clusaz ten years from now?
The mountains won’t have moved.
You’ve skied almost everywhere… Are there still places you haven’t checked off the list yet?
I’ve been lucky to ski in quite a few places around the world. After seeing so many different types of terrain, I think the Alps are truly exceptional. But of course there are still destinations I’d love to ski one day.
Any message for the people who’ve supported and admired you since the beginning?
A huge THANK YOU to everyone!
