Candide Thovex grew up in La Clusaz and has been on skis since he was 2 and at only 14 he became French moguls champion. With the inspiration of the development of snowboarding, he started adapting some of the snowboard tricks for skiing. In ’99, he took part in the Big Air event at the X Games and claimed 4th place. However, he soon became better known for being the first person to clear Chad’s Gap, near Alta in Utah.
At 17 he won gold for big air in the X Games in 2000, followed by gold for halfpipe and slopestyle in 2003 and 2007 respectively.
In 2002 he held the first Candide Invitational in La Balme area of La Clusaz, which showcased the talents of the worlds best skiers and snowboard freestylers. The event ran until 2007 where Candide suffered a massive crash which broke his back at the T1 vertebrae on a 150ft jump calle Big Bertha.
After the accident, he disappeared from the mainstream for a while, before exploding back onto the scene with a video Candide Kamera which demonstrated his unique style, melding freestyle with big mountain and backcountry. Since then, the world of freeskiing and freeride has never been the same.
The film Few Words was released in 2012, telling the story of his life in the words and experiences of his friends and fellow skiers, and now it’s available to view, full length and uncut on YouTube.
If you haven’t already seen it, prepare to be amazed!