Early in 2024, Candide Thovex dropped a very short video. In it, he soared through a strange feature called L’Aiguille Percée, which translates roughly to “the eye of the needle.” But as we all know, the edit that hits the internet isn’t always the first one… and Thovex, a man who has suffered more than his fair share of injuries from skiing, didn’t nail it first try.
The French Alps, where L’Aiguille Percée is located, are well-known for their stunning landscapes. This particular feature is found in Vanoise National Park, which has a route up to that curious natural archway.
Getting to the ridge where the eye of the needle sits in isn’t too hard at the beginning. As the path gets higher, though, it gets much, much steeper. As you can see, the approach to the arch itself is nearly vertical, too, and most people who’ve made their way up there take a slightly less steep trail back down to Tignes. Thovex, though, wanted to get down a little faster.
But the first time wasn’t the charm and according to the description, Thovex came into the jump with a little more mustard than he would’ve like. He overshot the landing by nearly 200 feet and very could have very easily ended his attempt, but he picked himself up, dusted the snow off, got back on the horse, and nailed it soon after.
The feat is made even more impressive by the fact that Thovex isn’t a young buck anymore. In his early 40s now, his body has taken a serious beating over the years.
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 as you can see, he’s not slowing down… if anything, Thovex is speeding up.
