Candide Thovex Talks Past, Present and Future

As a rookie on the FWT2010 Candide Thovex had nothing to lose and everything to win, which is exactly what he did. After the four events on the FWT it was Candide who edged out a strong field of riders to bring home the title of Freeride World Champion.

 

FWT: Tell us about the FWT10
Candide: My first experience with the FWT really made me happy. I learned a lot especially when we found ourselves in front of the faces two days before the comp and we had to spend a lot of time scoping the face to make sure we would have a beautiful and safe run. I’m really familiar with checking out a face for a video part but during the competition the clock is ticking. I liked the atmosphere with riders like Seb [Michaud] and Auré [Ducroz]; everyone was really helpful. We’re all there to push the sport, make sure we’re all safe and give each other advice. I competed on my first tour without any pressure because I wasn’t favoured to win. My goal wasn’t to see if I could win against the best freeriders in the world but to see if this type of competition was fun for me and to see what I could do.

 

FWT: Freestyle vs freeride?
Candide: In freestyle you have to learn the moves by heart and roll them into a program. In freeride, when we’re at the top of the slope we can’t see what’s below so you really have to focus and visualize the face. And then it’s not enough to check the face for just one day. You have to be consistent and analyze the next course in order to stay ahead in the standings. So there’s added pressure and it’s this kind of pressure that made me blow the stage at Squaw Valley last year. But I like this format where you accumulate points like surfers do on their world tour.

 

FWT: At the beginning of a run, up high on the face, you forget the pressure of the competition, it’s the pressure of the face that becomes the priority.
Candide: To work on the mental side of the competition is to get there, relax, and remove yourself from the competition. It’s at this time that you drop in and you’re in your element.

 

FWT: Good memories?
Candide: Chamonix, because it was a test to see if I liked the competition format. Clearly, winning gave me confidence and made me want to continue. There was a lot of pressure because the face was determined two days before the event. I had never skied the Brévent face before and I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go until the very last moment. 
But the craziest of the faces is still the Bec des Rosses in Verbier.

 

FWT: About Verbier?
Candide: I had never set foot in Verbier. I arrived a month in advance in order to prepare but there was too much wind. I couldn’t ride but I took tons of photos that I really studied for the big day. The other riders gave me loads of advice, especially Xavier who has already ridden the face five or six times before. He helped me a lot because on the Bec des Rosses there is no room for error. You make one mistake and you’re tomahawking to the bottom. Finishing third behind Kaj [Zakrisson] and Auré [Ducroz] is a great result.

 

FWT: Any kind of preparation for this season?
Candide: I skied 15 days in Chile for a Quiksilver photoshoot but there were no serious faces like they have on the FWT. I’ve been doing other sports like hiking, biking, surfing and I’ve worked on strengthening my thighs. Last year if I was tired at Verbier it’s because the face really stressed me and also because I was on crutches for 15 days after Squaw. I didn’t start skiing again until six days before Verbier.

 

FWT: What's this year’s objective?
Candide: Clearly, it’s that I want to defend my title but I’m not going to be super competitive. I will try to do my best. I will try not to think too much or put too much pressure on myself. The important thing is to have fun, that’s important. The mental aspect is huge and we shouldn’t ask too many questions. I completed my first FWT without any pressure because I wasn’t favoured to win. My job was not to beat the best freeeriders in the world but to see if I enjoyed this kind of competition and to see how I could do. I have learned a lot about scoping the face, I learned so much this winter. This year, in addition to the competition, I’m also going to do some shooting for Candide Kaméra. And then I have another project in mind but I don’t want to speak about it until things are more concrete.

 

FWT: What will you try to improve?
Candide: Always make the best analysis in order to have the confidence and power to throw some tricks. This year I’m going to try to bust more tricks because that’s how I like to ski. But when you only have one run, like in Verbier, it’s risky to try tricks. I’ll also work on the mental side and on stress management.

 

 

 

FWT: Program for the winter?
Candide: Shoot for Candide Kaméra and a new project in the works that I can’t talk about. I’m going on holiday soon. I’ll start skiing again in mid-November and go to Chamonix for a bit to ride some faces like Brévent.

 

FWT: Who's your biggest competitor ?
Candide: Julien [Lopez], Auré [Ducroz], Henrik [Windstedt], Seb [Michaud] all have loads of experience. Any of the other skiers can also be a challenge if they have a good run.

 

FWT: FWQ at Le Clusaz.
Candide: I’m not going to compete in the qualifier because it’s there so that others can qualify. I’d like to watch, though.

 

FWT: What about the two new stages?
Candide: Four events were not enough; six events are good. It adds credibility to the world tour and there are more chances to climb in the rankings since they count only your best four results. Now that we have two chances to blow it we are more likely to try things. I like competitions with two runs because there’s more possibility to throw tricks. Six events are also good, not for the competition, but because it’s important to do other things like shoot photos and ride with others. And it also lets you see other countries and new mountains that I’m not familiar with.

Talking about Candide Kamera, if you haven't seen it yet, here is Kamera 2:

 

Check out Candide's run in the Nissan Xtreme by Swatch in Verbier last year. He finished third but he won the tour there!