Candide Thovex
Encyclopedia
Candide Thovex is a French
professional skier.
, Haute-Savoie
, and grew up in the village of La Clusaz
. Thovex learned to ski in the Aravis
region of the French Alps
. La Clusaz is where his childhood friends and girlfriend live and where he perfected his big air technique.
In 1998, he was fourth in the X Games
Big Air. Candide became better known for being the first person to jump Chad's Gap
.
In 1999, he was eliminated from the U.S. Freeskiing Nationals
at Snowbird
. With a few days to kill he was convinced by film maker Kris Ostness to go into the backcountry
to film Ostness's film, Clay Pigeons. After Chad Zurinskas failed in his attempt to take the jump, Thovex asked if he could try. Then 16, Candide pulled what at the time was the largest, cleanest mute grab ever recorded. He came back to it the next year and landed a backflip 360, which could be described as a cork 7.
Candide won Xgames gold for big air in 2000. He also won gold at the X Games in 2003 for halfpipe and 2007 for slopestyle
. His 2007 run was switchup, switchup, 270 off the flat down box, 360 switchup 270 off the trap box. Switch right misty 7 mute, switch cork 9 mute, cork 9 tail, switch 630 on, and switch cork 10 tail.
He has appeared in many movies, notably the Rastafaride series.
http://www.freezeonline.com/freeze/features/article/0,13122,491461,00.html
2000:
2002:
2003:
2006:
2007:
2010:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
professional skier.
Biography
Thovex was born in AnnecyAnnecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
, and grew up in the village of La Clusaz
La Clusaz
La Clusaz is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Overview:It is a ski resort in the Alps near the Swiss border. The commune of La Clusaz is part of the Haute-Savoie département. An old village, La Clusaz has been hosting winter sports since 1907...
. Thovex learned to ski in the Aravis
Aravis
Aravis is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. She is a main character in The Horse and His Boy.Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen...
region of the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
. La Clusaz is where his childhood friends and girlfriend live and where he perfected his big air technique.
In 1998, he was fourth in the X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
Big Air. Candide became better known for being the first person to jump Chad's Gap
Chad's Gap
Chad's Gap is a 120 foot backcountry gap located in the Wasatch Mountains, near Alta Ski Area, in Utah, United States. Chad's Gap is a part of extreme skiing lore and facts about its exact location and the circumstances around its discovery have been reported but have not been fully substantiated...
.
In 1999, he was eliminated from the U.S. Freeskiing Nationals
Freeskiing
Freeskiing or Newschool skiing involves tricks, jumps, and terrain park features, such as rails, boxes, jibs, or other obstacles. This form of skiing resulted from a combination of the growth in popularity of snowboarding as well as the progression of Freestyle skiing...
at Snowbird
Snowbird
Snowbird may refer to:*"Snowbird" , recorded by Anne Murray in 1970*Snowbird , people from Canada and the northern United States who spend winter in warmer climates of the southern United States*Snowbird , a Marvel Comics character...
. With a few days to kill he was convinced by film maker Kris Ostness to go into the backcountry
Backcountry
A backcountry area in general terms is a geographical region that is:* isolated* remote* undeveloped* difficult to accessThe term may apply to various regions that are reasonably close to urban areas but are:* not immediately accessible by car...
to film Ostness's film, Clay Pigeons. After Chad Zurinskas failed in his attempt to take the jump, Thovex asked if he could try. Then 16, Candide pulled what at the time was the largest, cleanest mute grab ever recorded. He came back to it the next year and landed a backflip 360, which could be described as a cork 7.
Candide won Xgames gold for big air in 2000. He also won gold at the X Games in 2003 for halfpipe and 2007 for slopestyle
Winter X Games XI
Winter X Games XI were held from January 25, 2007 to January 28, 2007 in Aspen, Colorado. They were the 6th consecutive Winter X Games to be held in Aspen. Television coverage of Winter X Games XI was broadcast on ESPN and ABC, primarily hosted by Sal Masekela and Todd Harris...
. His 2007 run was switchup, switchup, 270 off the flat down box, 360 switchup 270 off the trap box. Switch right misty 7 mute, switch cork 9 mute, cork 9 tail, switch 630 on, and switch cork 10 tail.
He has appeared in many movies, notably the Rastafaride series.
http://www.freezeonline.com/freeze/features/article/0,13122,491461,00.html
Film appearances
- The Game
- Propaganda
- Royalty
- Focused
- Rastafaride 1
- Rastafaride 2
- Rastafaride 3
- Rastafaride 4
- Rastafaride 5
- Rastafaride 6
- Rastafaride 7
- French Toast
- Special Delivery
- Pull Up
- DVD Candide Invitational
- Wha'ppen
- Further
- Anomaly
- War
- Candide Thovex Invitational Story
- Lost & Found
- Strike
- Mind the gap
- Happy Dayz
- Tangerine Dream
- Candide Kamera
- Candide Kamera 2
Competition results
1999:- 4th X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Big Air
2000:
- 1st X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Big Air
- 1st Gravity Games, Mammoth Mountain, California, Big Air
2002:
- 2nd US Open, Vail, Colorado, Superpipe
- 4th US Open, Vail, Colorado, Slopestyle
- 5th US Open, Vail, Colorado, Big Air
- 2nd World Skiing Invitational, Whistler, BC, Canada, Superpipe
- 1st Rip Curl Freeski, Saas Fee, SUI., Overall
- 2nd Rip Curl Freeski, Saas Fee, SUI., Halfpipe
- 1st Rip Curl Freeski, Saas Fee, SUI., Slopestyle
- 2nd Rip Curl Freeski, Saas Fee, SUI., Big Air
- 9th X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Slopestyle
- 4th X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Superpipe
2003:
- 2nd World Superpipe Championships, Park City, UT., Halfpipe
- 5th X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Slopestyle
- 1st X Games, Aspen, Colorado, Superpipe
2006:
- 1st Orage European Feeskiing Open, Laax, SUI., Superpipe
2007:
- 1st. X games 11, Aspen, Colorado, slopestyle
- 5th. X games 11, Aspen, Colorado, superpipe
- 5th Ski Tour, Sun Valley, ID.
2010:
- 1st. Red Bull Linecatcher
- 1st. Freeride World Tour Chamonix
- 1st. Freeride World Tour Overall
- 2009-2010 Freeride World Champion
External links
- More news and photographs about Candide Thovex on this french blog
- Candide Thovex interview in The Ski Journal
- http://www.candidethovex.com
- http://www.candidekamera.com