Shred Movie Review: Candide Thovex and « Few Words »

Allow me to preface this by acknowledging that this is a website about snowboarding, not skiing. Yes, Candide Thovex is a skier. But I submit that Candide is the closest to a snowboarder that a skier can get. You know how you will occasionally come across a cat that is so awesome, it's pretty much an honorary dog? That's how I feel about Candide– he is the cat to the dogs of snowboarding.

Terrible analogies aside, when I found out that Candide's latest ski film, Few Words, was scheduled to play at the Whistler Film Festival (and that Candide himself would be in attendance), I knew I had to attend. I can think of nothing more pleasant than watching a ski movie on a giant screen surrounded by hundreds of other ski movie enthusiasts.

If you have not had the pleasure of viewing the Few Words trailer, may I suggest you pause now and take a look?

CRAZY, RIGHT? 2:27– did your mind explode?

Candide and Quiksilver nailed it with this movie. As the title suggests, Candide himself actually says very few words. Between shots of him doing epic things, some of his awesome buddies provide a narrative of sorts, painting a picture of who he is and how he came to be such a legendary skier.

As he developed his skiing career, Candide basically acknowledged how awesome snowboarding was, took that style and translated it in his own way on skis. I'm definitely not alone in thinking that he revolutionized so many aspects of freeride skiing as we know it today.

The plot thickens as the film takes us through the event that nearly ended Candide's skiing career (and his life, really). Candide broke his back and was out for a couple of seasons, but naturally, his comeback was placing first at the Freeride World Tour in 2010. Wow.

The crowd of toqued Whistlerites exploded in applause several times throughout the film, and the stoke was high from start to finish.

In short, I advise you to add Few Words to your rotation at your next ski movie sweat pant party. Just make sure you watch it before a major snowstorm so you can try all Candide's sweet movies yourself.