PND: Louif Paradis Interview

Welcome to another installment of Print's Not Dead from issue 12.3 of Method Mag. Fellow Quebexicans (and rippers in their own right) Frank April and Nic Suavé caught up with one of our absolute favorite snowboarders right now, monsieur Louis-Felix Paradis, or Louif as everyone calls him. Big Lou spills the beans on his roots, his inspirations, Real Snow 2011, filming for Videograss and much, much more. Louif basically crushes life and the best thing is, he is living his dream! (When you're done reading this interview, make sure you check out the whole new issue right HERE!)

F.A:Alright, recording... How did your season start last year?
L.P.: Last season for me started in Austria in October. We went to shoot the Salomon and Bonfire catalog there. While I was there I got the invite for X-Games Real Snow, which was totally new to me at the time. I was very surprised I got invited and accepted. Then I went to Colorado for a couple weeks in November with my homies to get my legs back under me. While I was there, I heard Calgary and Edmonton had some snow, so I flew back home for 2 days and then flew to Edmonton on the 7th I think, with Grenier, Oli and Hayden. We spent a day in Edmonton, two days in Calgary and then by that time Quebec had been dumped on so we all went there, and it was on. December 2010 was a big month.

F.A: Did you like enjoy taking part in Real Snow?
Uhh, yeah for sure, it was a good challenge, definitely a kick in the butt because it all happens so early. You deal with not much snow and the time frame is quite short, a month pretty much. But yeah, I liked it! Definitely an interesting challenge.

F.A: What trick in your Real Snow part was the hardest or gave you the roughest time? And which one are you the most proud of?
Well, the hardest was without a doubt the switch backside 270 on the gap rail. I had tried switch backside 270 at another spot for a couple hours earlier that day and couldn’t do it. I had to give up and go to a family dinner. While I was at the dinner, I couldn’t stop thinking about the trick and how I had to land it. So I thought of the gap and thought it would be easier to do there. I called you (Frank) and Oli, brought Hayden, my brother and my girlfriend to the spot, lit it up and did it after a bunch of falls. When I watched the shot, I thought I could do it better so I went again, switch backside 3'd into the stairs and bruised my heel bad! So in the end it was for sure the trick that sucked the most out of me.

F.A: Was that the last trick?
That was like December 30th, so yeah, I was done after that. Hayden and I had to deliver the edited part for January 2nd... and it started raining on the 31st. And we still wanted to celebrate New Year's. F.A. And what was the most satisfying trick? The shot I’m the most stoked on is the bluntslide transfer to lipslide on that bridge, because I had found that spot in the summertime and knew I wanted to hit it but didn’t have a trick for it. And then while in Colorado, I thought about the spot and thought about that trick and didn’t know if it was possible. And even when we got to the spot, I told you what I wanted to try and you said it was impossible so we bet on it. Something like 20 bucks.

N.S: That brings me to another question, does it happen often that you think of a trick in advance, without being at the spot?
It happens sometimes, but most of the time you have to work with what you find. It happens for features in Quebec City usually, because I can go anytime. But when we go, let’s say to Sweden, we’ll find a spot and do it the same day so you don’t have that extra time to think.

F.A: Alright. So is there anything you’d like to change about that Real Snow contest?
Yeah, it’s definitely weird to battle such different styles of riding together. I’d say it’s like comparing apples and oranges. But at the same time I think it’s cool. I think only 8 riders is pretty low, many other people deserve a spot, but if you look at the skateboard one, they don’t have every street skater every year. They just have new people doing it every year. I’m sure a lot of people that deserve to do it will get to do it at some point.

F.A: How did the rest of your season go after that?
Like I mentioned earlier, filming the switch backside 270 I bruised my heel bad. So after that I took a little break, tried to do some rehab, ice it. I just hung out for a while, helped other people with some shoveling, etc. Until there were talks of a trip to Sweden. I had the best trip ever there the year before, so I didn’t want to miss that. I went thinking I would be mellow at the beginning and get to ride after that. Which is what I did, but my heel never really felt any good. Any little impact would hurt so bad. I think I got only two clips out of something like two weeks there. A little frustrating. I still enjoyed it from the cultural perspective. But it was frustrating to force myself not to hit such good spots. Then I came back home and went to Aspen for the actual X-Games. We had to do that live event rail jam thing. I almost didn’t do it because of the heel but decided to do it anyway. And in the end it was a pretty cool experience, plus we came back with some medals and prize money!

F.A: Your first time at X-Games right?
Yes, it was weird. After that I went to Japan to ride some powder with Taka, Wolle, Chris Carr, Harrison, Oli, Java and Boris Benedek. It was such a sick experience because, well, just to ride with Taka and Wolle is awesome but also because Wolle and Boris were working on a documentary about board shapers. So we got to learn and meet some really cool people making boards in japan. We met the dudes at Gentemstick and also Atsushi, who makes the Yuki-Itas. Those are just carved out of wood in all different shapes, some of them have little wooden studs, some of them have just surf wax. And people just rip through the trees on them. We got to try a bunch of them. It was EPIC. Also got to try Wolle’s Äsmo. Definitely one of the best trips I’ve been on. Didn’t get many shots but...

N.S: Good life experience?
Yes, trying new things and seeing things I didn’t know existed...

F.A: And it gave your heel a little break?
YES! I didn’t feel it once. It actually made it heal almost completely. After that I went back home and filmed a couple things with the snow that was left. Then I got invited to the Nixon Jibfest, so I took it easy until then. Went there, it was pretty cool. Fun setup, good weather.

F.A: Was it the kind of setup you were expecting?
Because when we were younger, I remember they had the sickest features! To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting anything. I don’t remember what I was thinking but for some reason I wasn’t trying to visualize a setup... But honestly, it was a little disappointing that they re-used a part of the X-Games set-up. Also, compared to how it was in the first couple editions where they were inventing new features, this time there wasn’t really anything new, they brought OG obstacles back instead... But it was still super fun. It was all in a line so you could hit a couple things in a row. Everything was set up perfectly too. Can’t really complain.

N.S: What do you think about the crew that was there?
Personally, I was hyped to get to ride with guys like Dave Downing and Brian Thien. But again, so many more people could have gotten invited and killed the place. Even the riding that went down, it wasn’t too crazy.

F.A: And that was the end of your season, right?
Yep. That was it.

F.A: So what are you plans for this coming season?
I will be filming another Real Snow part all December with Hayden. After that I’ll hop on the Salomon tour. We’re doing North America first, then in February we fly over to Europe to a bunch of different locations, and then we go to Japan in the spring. So those are my plans for now. We’ll see what happens. I’m hoping to stay healthy this time. (Knock on wood.)

F.A: What made you want to start snowboarding?
As you both know, we have snow for 4 months in Quebec City. My parents would take me sledding on some hills around town and even on the slope beside our house. My brother and I, we would try to stand up on them. Soon enough we each got a "Black Snow". That was better and it made us want to try real boards. So we rented boards on a spring break vacation, rode 'em for a couple days. From that moment, that’s all I wanted to do. F.A. What influences your riding? Skateboarding has something to do with it for sure, not gonna lie. But also, what’s around me, in my environment, that I can possibly do something on. Often, my trick selection will be affected by how fast I can go. I really like to go fast these days. Going slow and trying some trick forever doesn’t attract me much anymore, so that influences it for sure.

F.A: Do you stay connected to the snowboard world on the internet? Do you watch a lot of snowboard videos online?
Yeah, I do, every time I’m on internet I’ll go see what's up, if there’s anything worth watching. I’m a little selective about what I watch. A lot of times I’ll start videos and stop 'em halfway cause it’s bad. But I really enjoy watching the new generation of kids, what they’re doing. Remember when we were younger, looking at the old pros, we'd get kinda mad at them for not doing much. I don’t think we’re in that situation but I really don’t want to be that guy.

F.A: You don’t want to take it for granted and sit on it. N.S: You still have the desire to get better...
Yeah, for me and most the people I’m surrounded by, it’s a need to move forward and evolve.

N.S: Yeah, that’s how snowboarding is! If you stop moving forward, you fall.
Yeah, but there’s a way to be productive, without really evolving. Getting a couple photos a year, same video part every year.

F.A. What’s Quebec for you?
For me, Quebec is home. Over the past couple years I got to travel to many different places and enjoyed many aspects of all of them, but in the end being home is very unique. It’s where I grew up, it’s my natural environment. One thing I really like about Quebec is how the 4 seasons are very different from each other and each has their own activities that come with them. I love the fact that there’s snow right outside my door in the winter too. Some people have to drive hours to go ride. We just drive around town, find a spot and ride, sometimes we even walk.

N.S: Do you think coming from Quebec has something to do with the rider you have become? Do you think if you came from Halifax, you’d become the same snowboarder?
I don’t think so. Definitely not. Being in Quebec and being with all you guys especially. I think with our crew, we all loved snowboarding so much and pushed each other all the time. If I was in Halifax, I’d probably be by myself and I don’t think I’d be here doing what I’m doing. Also, it’s pretty obvious that I’m all about "urban" snowboarding, from what you can see in my parts and all that. I can’t get over it, and I don’t get bored in the streets. I always find new things to do and that, for sure, comes from growing up in Quebec.

N.S: Do you have any long-term goals?
I often think about that. I’m aware that this career doesn’t last forever. But mainly my goal is to keep doing the things I love. Because right now it’s a dream come true for me, and if eventually I had to start doing something I don’t like for a living, I’d be miserable, I think. Growing up, being a professional snowboarder was my ultimate dream, right now I’m doing it. Hopefully I’ll have another dream like that and try to make it happen?! Or at least just keep doing something I love. That and try to be a good person, a good human.

F.A: Keep enjoying life?
Yeah, being happy, I think, is the ultimate goal.

N.S: What are you interested in besides snowboarding?
Uhm, I love to be outside, outdoor activities, being in the woods...

F.A: How would you like your riding to be?
Hmm, I don’t know how to formulate this.

F.A: You talked about it earlier a little bit, but what would you like to do with your board in 5 years, or in the future?
I’d be super interested in doing some backcountry lines, pillows and riding natural features. That's something I really enjoy watching people ride and that would be something I’d like to get into. But realistically, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and see where it takes me. Looking only a couple of years back, I notice quite a big difference in my snowboarding, from my part in "These Days" to now, my approached changed, and it’s gonna keep changing. And it’s not something I plan, it happens naturally. So I’m just gonna keep trying to bring something new and constructive to the table.

N.S: Well, your unique style of riding inspires people too... F.A: That’s what I was gonna say, do you think about influencing people, is it one of your goals? Because when you were a kid you probably had snowboarders you looked up to. Do you think about that at all?
I think about it whenever a kid comes to me and compliments me, but otherwise, I don’t think about it directly like that. I just try to do new things and not repeat myself from video part to video part. Often I see people with the same video part every year, just on different obstacles, and I find it kinda boring. Most of the time I try to do something that I haven’t seen before. That’s my primary goal usually, and maybe kids being stoked on my riding is a result of that... I don’t know. 

F.A. What did you do this summer?
With Eve, my girlfriend who I’ve been dating for 7 years, we were both still living at our parent's places and we needed to get out of there. We have been talking about buying a house for some time. So we visited a couple and found one we like and bought it. We had to wait until the middle of July till the people that were living there moved out, so I went to Mt. Hood for a week to do a trick tip for the Videograss Trick Tips movie. Always good times up there. Good weather, tow rope, dodgeball, homies, etc. When I came back to Quebec, it was time to move in, so that was awesome. To have my own place with a lot of room, a yard, a garage. It was all new to me. So it took us some time to paint it and make it how we wanted. I played in the yard a bunch, it was pretty much abandoned so I had to do a bunch of yard work. It’s cool though. I also spent time discovering the surroundings, cause it’s all forest with infinite trails and a couple of lakes and rivers. Then I went back to Hood for another week and had a blast again.

F.A. What do you think about the skatepark that was just built in Quebec?
I think it’s awesome! It was about time. It went from nothing...

F.A. Yeah, a couple of metal mini ramps and shitty prefab park features.
Yeah, to the best bowl I’ve ever skated, and a really good street plaza too! They don’t even have that in Montreal. Well, they do, indoors. But outdoor like that.

F.A: Ha, there’s nothing even close to our park in the Province.
Yeah, I really would love to see that happen with snowboard parks too. I feel like we have the capacity to make something innovative too. But I feel like we’re just following, 8 years behind. Where was it that you just went, Nic?

N.S: Seven Springs. Yeah, that’s crazy, they're like 12 years ahead. It’s insane.
What’s up with that? Are there that many people that go there?

N.S: It’s 45 minutes outside of Pittsburg, which is a pretty big city. As big as Montreal. But it’s also a question of budget. The guy that owns the resort also owns some sports team and has crazy money... It’s a miniature mountain, but they have a golf course, shooting range, it’s like a resort for adults.
Yeah, well sometimes I tell myself I should try to play a role in that.

N.S: In Quebec?
Yeah. I don’t know. Try to contribute to make things happen for our territory, you know. Maybe help with park designs, or try to create a snowboard event that makes sense, maybe. That’s a project I’d like to do sometime soon, I think. We’ll see.

F.A: Tell us about your new shop sponsor.
Sure. It’s called La Boutique du Skate. I’m positive it was the first skateshop to open in Quebec City and brought skateboarding to town. They also had an indoor skatepark back then. Then they closed for over ten years, and recently a couple of homies decided to reopen it and it’s just the place I would go to if I ever needed anything. I think I started putting stickers on my board before they asked me to ride for them. But yeah, it’s a cool shop and it’s right by the new park too.

 Read Method Mag 12.3 online NOW!