Candide Thovex is unquestionably one of the best freeskiers ever. His many trophies are proof of that, but even more so are the quick-hitting edits he drops on YouTube and social media.
He does strange things on skis. Backflips in wave pools, for instance. Huge jumps off kickers a snowcat is about to demolish. Hell, sometimes he’s not even skiing on snow. If you can slide on it while on skis, Thovex is willing to give it a shot.
Thovex is no spring chicken. In his early 40s, he’s been putting his body to the test for a long time now, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing. Born in 1982, Thovex began skiing as a toddler in the Aravis region of the French Alps. It quickly became clear that he was strangely good at it, and as the years wore on, he proved it over and over again. By 15, he’d signed his first professional sponsorship contract with Quiksilver and truly began his career as a professional skier.
Sometime in late ’90s, he got the nickname “the Flying Frenchman,” a moniker that still suits him today. But all that time in the air (and the inevitable landings) hasn’t left him unscathed. He’s shredded the cruciate ligaments in his left knee and broken his back, his knee, and both hands, just to name a few injuries. But through it all, Thovex comes back charging as hard as ever.
In the (very) short clip here, Thovex threads the eye of a large needle in L’Aiguille Percée, a wild run in Tignes, France. Sure, it’s just one trick, but what an eye-catcher, right?
