Okay, so here is the last installment of Print's Not Dead for our first issue of the year. A chance to share with you some of the stories from Method Mag 10.1 which includes extra photos and questions not available in the print version. But this is just a simulation. You need to try to real shit and experience the story with pictures in full size and in fang-like sharpness, see the layout in its collaged madness, and feel the paper, yes that's right rub the paper, smell the paper, love the paper... ah, nothing will ever replace print.

Now enjoy our feature interview with Arthur Longo: Floats like a cupid, Stinks like a cheese but first plug in your laptop cause you're running low on power... something you will never have to worry about with a good old mag.

Hey Arthur, all good?
Yea, all good, thanks my man.

You’re finally at the beach after a few weeks in the US dialing in your pipe runs for the upcoming Olympics... How does it feel to finally be able to take a break?
I'm only on a short holiday with my girlfriend, but it’s always good to be back home in France and kicking it at the beach! Some surfing, some sun, that’s all I really need, then I'll be ready to get back on the snow.

Longo loomin' large Photo: Fred Egli

When are you going to be shredding again?
I leave Saturday for New Zealand.

So you only have two weeks off?
Between Hood and New Zealand, basically, yes. I’m not too sure if it's enough time for my girl and I to catch up on all the time we spent apart season though.

How do you feel about ending your season so late and starting up again so soon? Don't you get burned out on snowboarding?
Not really, actually I was done with my season pretty early this year, I went back to school in April. I've also been up to some other stuff since then, but I've spent most of my time since spring at school. It’s a pretty long break, I think. After a few weeks off my board I'm pretty much ready to start shredding again anyway.

Did you get your test scores back yet?
Not all of them yet, but some are already online and they look alright. I have a GPA (grade point average) of 12/20…

You're a regular Einstein…
Not too shabby, right?

Definitely not, I’m proud of you. So basically you're ready to get back on your board?
I’m going to be in NZ for one whole month, all of August. It’s definitely kind of annoying not being able to stay in France, spend some time with my girl and surf. But once you’re there, it’s so awesome. It’s always the same, I don't want to go at first but once I'm there everything is great.

Are you going with friends or just to ride pipe?
I actually have a bunch of stuff to do. I’m going with Olive (Gittler), who is a good friend of mine. So my first plan is to just chill and ride with him. Then the French team is coming down to train and do some contests so I'll be with them most of the time. I also have to shoot some stuff for Volcom, so there's actually a lot on my plate.

We just heard that Apo threw in the towel… Where does that leave you?
We’ll see what happens with Volcom. Right now I don’t have a board sponsor, so I’m on Volcom boards for the moment, it just makes sense. I'm hoping they'll make me an offer and I can ride for them officially, because I’m really into riding Volcom boards and I think they are too. But as of today (July 31, 2009), nothing is official yet.

Hanging time out to dry in Trysil, alley-oop FS 3 lien. Photo: Frode Sandbech

It's kind of a tough situation for you, since you've always had mad love for Apo and Cedric (Le Cordroch, Apo Team Manager)...
For sure, I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished together at Apo, they've been so good to me. But deep down I knew that if my career went any further, they would only be a stepping stone for me. Everyone knows it’s a small brand with no real marketing budget. They actually told me from the start that they could probably wouldn't be able to support me throughout my career, but that they would do everything they possibly could to back me. I've always loved working with Cédric. I was really disappointed when I heard the news that they were done, but I guess I kind of knew that I wasn't going to ride for them forever. It looks like Volcom is the right way to go for me right now, but I wish Cédric and Régis (Rolland) all the best, I love you guys!

Volcom would definitely be a good fit for you, especially since you’d be taken care of by one of your "mentors", one Jan Prokes…
Hahaha, yeah. It’s great with Jan, I think he's an awesome guy and I’m so stoked to be able work with him, hell yea!

This past season worked out very well for you, even though it was kind of rocky at the start of it, no?
Yea, this past season started out all wrong for me, I made some bad calls. I decided to focus on qualifying for the Olympics but after riding tons of pipe at Hood last summer, I realized I wasn’t really sure if that was what I really wanted to do anymore. So I asked Jan if he could find me a small production company to film with. We were pretty sure it was going to work out, but it turned out all the crews were full and we ended up not finding me a spot anywhere, except at the very end of the season. By then it was too late to start filming... I knew from early on that I was going to have a weird winter, doing a bunch of different things without really having any direction. But as the season progressed from shoot to shoot and from contest to contest, I kept being pleasantly surprised and things worked themselves out eventually.

More frames than you can handle, massive Mayrhofen backcountry cab 900. Photo: Vanessa Andrieux

How do feel about not filming for all of last winter then?
I wasn't really getting any real replies from anyone, but I kept my hopes up and told myself over and over it was going to happen. Eventually I realized it didn't look good. Still, I managed to film a bit with Apo & Vans, who are putting out a small team movie together, it should be dropping in September. But I did as many contests as I could to make up for not filming a full part...

…And then, your season suddenly came together!
Definitely! Things worked out well for me on quarterpipes all season long, keeping in mind that quarters are not something you get to ride everyday. You usually only get to ride transitions that big when you’re at a quarterpipe event. So I’m super stoked it worked out, especially since I wasn’t really that well-prepared coming into it. I certainly didn’t expect anything like winning the Arctic Challenge!

Looking back, what does winning the Arctic Challenge mean to you?
Well, you were there with me, you saw how it was. It was very special, the weather was bad, it was snowing like crazy… That day, uhm... (pause) I won… (pause) Haha, looking back at it now, I actually have a hard time talking about it! Whatever, it was unbelievable, it gave a lot of momentum, it totally boosted my confidence and I have no doubt it’s going to help me a lot in my career… Seriously, it's hard for me to express how stoked I am to have won in Oslo.

What's it like to beat Terje, especially in his own house?
Tough luck for him! Hahaha, no, I’m kidding… I don’t know, it’s unreal. Shit, it’s Terje, he’s one of my idols and I ended up beating him at his own event. It’s definitely something really special.

How do you feel about Terje? Are you intimidated by him?
Less and less, but that's inevitable because I'm growing more accustomed to seeing him around. I've seen him regularly at contests for about three years now, so my perception of him changed. But the first few times I saw him I was acting like a total fool, I couldn't even bring myself to talk to him. The good thing is that now I feel more comfortable approaching him, asking him questions and just getting to know him better.

Did you treat yourself to anything after cashing in that big old jackpot?
Nah, I just got myself a savings account. Oh, and I gave a nice chunk of it to Sarko, that’s about it!

Straight up backie to the delight of the Parisian peanut gallery. Photo: Fred Egli

You really surprised me when you said you didn't think your win at the Arctic Challenge wasn't well-deserved. What's up, have you changed your mind since then?
Yeah, yeah, I changed my mind, because everybody convinced me I did deserve to win it. But then again, it’s a contest, it was gray and snowy and luck plays a big role in winning in those conditions. You have to take into consideration all the external factors, it’s all a part of the game. Yeah… I changed my mind, but you know what I’m talking about.

So are you a perfectionist or just pragmatic?
Both, I think, haha. I've always had a hard time being proud of myself and my accomplishments… And I'm a realist too, because Matt (Ladley) was seriously killing it that day. He was on fire, I didn’t see every trick he threw but each one I did see was perfect, so I couldn’t understand why I beat him, that’s all.

One of the first things you did right after you found out you had won was to call Mathieu Crépel, who had just injured himself in Japan. You couldn't have been further away from the moment…
It’s such a strange feeling, it's kind of hard to explain… Every time I win something, I’ve never really… (pause) Wait, yes, there were a couple of times where I went off, but this one, yeah, it took some time to really wrap my mind around it. So, right then and there I guess it still hadn't hit me that I had won and I was more worried about Mathieu.

How cute, thinking of Mathieu before yourself… Sounds like a daytime soap opera.
Hahaha, whatever, you won’t actually use this in the interview, will you?

What role did Mathieu play in your evolution?
He was sort of a big brother. He helped me on a lot of different levels: how to deal with sponsors, my riding, getting my head straight. He helped me feel comfortable with English, he really did a lot for me, I can't thank him enough.

You guys were just together at Hood, the Olympics are just around the corner. How do you expect it to go, will it be the biggest event ever?
First of all, not all of us on the French team right now are guaranteed to go. The coach includes all of us in team meetings anyway, that way we can start visualizing actually being there. Anyway... I didn’t really dedicate myself to making the cut for the Olympics and I know there’s still a long way to go, especially since I came in when the whole process had already started. But if I make the cut I’d be stoked, the whole crew is so fun to be with, it’d be beautiful, in every sense of the word. Even if I don’t go, it’ll be amazing just seeing them on TV. Basically I can’t really tell if I’m going yet but I try to keep my perspective, my life doesn't really revolve around making it to the Olympics.

Arthur gallops his stinky French fromage through the magical forest of das Gnarlberg. Photo: Vanessa Andrieux

So how do you really feel about the Olympics, do you think they are bogus like most people in the industry?
It’s legit to think that way in the snowboard industry because we have a bunch of other stuff going on like the TTR tour, magazines, movies. A lot of other sports live for the Olympics and only have that event as their showcase. We have the opportunity to participate in the Games and I think that’s great. But representing France, I’m not so sure about that. The French federation is still really disorganized, it rarely helps riders when they’re not doing well and is always there for the ones who are. So riding for France is not really my thing, but taking part in the Olympics, that's pretty cool! Seriously, when you look at the pipe event it's become, it’s crazy. Every time I see Olympic pipe, I have to admit it’s the shit.

So as our good buddy De Coubertin would say, the objective is just to participate?
Haha, yes! But hey, if you're there you might as well give it your best shot and not just wing it. When I think about it seriously, I realize I would gain tons of experience by going to the Olympics, and that makes me more comfortable with the whole thing. Even if I'm not at the same level as the finalists, I think it would be awesome just to be there.

Do you think the way people perceive you is different in and out of snowboarding? Not only with regards to your riding, but also how you've matured.
Yes, although it’s the something that I've never really figured out. Personally, I think I'm definitely more mature! Haha, look, I can even twirl the ends of my mustache! It’s pretty hard to answer this question… I don’t really know. For example, you will probably always have the same perception of me…

Arthur tears off a front 10 lien of beastly proportions in the land of l'amour. Photo: Fred Egli

Yes, yes… Let’s hope so, haha! Do you ever feel a little suspicious when people develop a "sudden" interest in you?
Well… First off, every time someone shows an interest in me, I feel like I have to take an interest back in them. I like recognition and it’s hard to differentiate between someone who is just interested in you because of what you represent and someone who actually wants to be your friend. That’s one my weaknesses. As soon as someone shows some curiosity in me, I don’t ever question their integrity and I’m immediately nice to them. But I never really think about the big bad wolf who might try to seduce me with his brand, luckily I've managed to avoid becoming too cynical.

So how do you really feel about your privileged lot in life? No bullshit, please!
It all came together so slowly, it's hard for me to step back and see how my situation has evolved over time. The only thing I can say for sure is that money is not an issue for me. Right now I have to spend a lot of my time traveling but I don't really think too far ahead... I feel good living my life this way, and it’s not some crazy jet-set lifestyle either, right now things aren't going so well with Apo. But hey, I definitely don’t feel sorry for myself and I don’t think that having my privileged life has changed me.

You have this reputation for being a civilized and adorable guy. I’m fucking over it, could you please come clean and set people straight about who you really are?
Hahaha, I don’t know, I don’t really know my reputation… You might even know more about it than me! Feel free to tell me what people are saying about me. I don’t know, I’d say I'm half-angel, half-devil!

Let’s get back to snowboarding… You started riding a while ago, blah blah, same boring crap every time this question is asked. What I want to know is, was there a precise moment in which you realized that you could snowboard for living?
Back in the day I used to go to a sports academy in Albertville, and this school had really strong ties to the Federation, so all winter long all I did was train and compete in FIS European Cups in shitty weather, so I wasn't really that stoked on snowboarding. Then, when I left the sports academy and went back to regular school I totally had a revelation: I rode less, but I rode better. Not to mention I had way more fun. I think that was when things really started to gel for me, right before I won that O’Neill thing in Avoriaz, remember? I'd say around 2007, right? So yea, I think that was sort of when I realized I could make it as a pro rider.

What was going through your mind back then? Were you seriously considering leaving school and focusing on your snowboard career?
No, there was no way I wasn't going to finish school before focusing on snowboarding. So I just got the whole pro rider thing done as best I could when I could get away from school. The weird thing is, I was riding better when I still had to deal with school than now, when I'm focusing on my career, haha!

Un magnifique frontside tenner off a camembert wedge. Photo: Fred Egli

You grew up in Les Deux Alpes, far, far away from any kind of civilization, hehe. What's it like being a teenager in a place like L2A?
It's definitely pretty special up there. Some of our buddies turned out a bit weird, if you know what I mean. I was lucky enough to have supportive parents, some great friends and, of course, I had snowboarding. It didn't really matter anyway, because I've always loved the mountains and nature, and I had a blast growing up. But the most important fact is that I didn't actually live in Les Deux Alpes, I lived in a small village at a slightly lower elevation. My parents are awesome and they wouldn’t let me turn into the biggest shitbag ever. I’m a shitbag, but not the biggest ever! My surroundings and my family played a really strong role in how I grew up.

The first time we noticed you here at Method was at Snowbombing two and half-years ago, when you won the contest with a huge FS3 on the hip. Have you ever told anyone that we actually gave you first place in exchange for 50% of the prize money?
Actually, I don’t even remember what really went down that day, but I’m cool with telling people it was all a set-up. What was the story again, you bribed the judges or something?

Uhh, no, no… I don't even know what you're talking about. That's some crazy talk right there, dude.
Hahaha, okay, whatever, I don’t remember much from that day anyway, so you can away with it this time.

Snowboarding today is just in a whole other dimension, viewers can choose the winner of a contest by SMS, riders are turning into jocks (except for the fact that they are pretty much encouraged by their TM's to get sloshed every once in a while), everybody brushes their teeth four times a day. Was snowboarding always that way for you? Do wish you could have lived through the crazier times of yesteryear?
Back then snowboarding was just coming into its own, so things were still a bit messy. Nowadays it’s a lot more professionalized, in every sense of the word, and why is that? There's the money, of course, but also the number of riders who are killing it. The biggest difference for the riders is how much more work we have to put into living a healthier lifestyle. I don’t regret that it’s become more professional, because I’m stoked to be doing something that keeps me healthy and active. I feel good this way, so I think it’s great.

Do you feel you've had to sacrifice anything to get to where you are in your career?
No, not really. For example, I’ve learned over time that I'm not missing anything by leaving in August, it doesn’t matter if I’m away from home. Now I know that it’s always good to leave, I never regret going on any trips.

What does the word “style” mean to you? Should we judge a rider on his style or results?
If it's up to me I'll always say style, it means so much in snowboarding. The technical aspect and results are one thing, but style is way too important to not take into consideration. How could I describe it... I don’t really know, actually. Personally, I don’t know where I get my inspiration from, but I'm influenced by a bunch of different riders, I try to incorporate the best aspects from my favorites. Style will always be fundamental in my eyes. A rider with no style, I'm not really backing that…

Even the bears of Trysil came to the forest edge to watch Arthur launch this mega method. Photo: Frode Sandbech

Who has the best style right now?
Right now the guy who's really stoking me out is Jake Blauvelt.

Not really an original answer, but nonetheless an excellent one.
Yea, I’m not really that original, but damn! I’m really psyched on what he’s doing.

What’s the most complicated thing about constantly traveling?
Mainly being organized! It’s always hard to be organized, haha. In my case, I also have to make a lot of decisions. I’m always anxious about it, and I rarely make the right ones. One of my main faults is that I'm always second-guessing myself. Even though I know it’s not a smart thing to do, I just have this tendency to suddenly change my mind.

Maybe you're not organized because your mom isn't there to wash your socks?
Maybe! I definitely miss eating good food with my parents a lot though, it’s something I’m always looking forward to when I come home. Especially the homemade bread!

It's never summer for Longo, pipe fling at HCSC camp. Photo: Frode Sandbech

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen in all your journeys? Not necessarily linked to snowboarding…
It's hard to say, because we have so many cool experiences but in the end, you only remember a few of them. Which is too bad… But if I had to say something, I’d say meeting some seriously weird and interesting people. Oh yea, there's an amazing story in Santiago de Chile with Coin-Coin, but I’m not sure I should tell it, haha! But I’ll tell you right after you shut off the tape recorder.

So do you think you're having too many crazy experiences to remember them all?
Well, we're always in developed countries, where life is pretty easy. Fine, there's a few cultural differences between them, but not that many. It's not like we're lost in translation type thing. That’s what was so different about Chile, it was the first country I visited that wasn't totally developed. Still, most of the time when we travel to other countries we don’t have time to get to discover the local culture, it's a shame really. We usually just hop on the plane, go straight to a resort and then back to the airport for the flight home...

French people are well-known for organizing strikes for any and everything. If you had to take part in any strike tomorrow, which would it be?
Right now I’d certainly go on strike for the environment.

Hi, my name is Arthur and I'm looking for a long-term relationship. I'm a lovely French boy who likes big, scary gaps, nose grabs and sunsets in Trysil. Hit me up at arthur@lovescheese.com! Photo: Frode Sandbech

Again, what an original answer… Are you doing it on purpose?!
No way, the environment is really important to me. My father taught me to respect nature from an early age and I really believe we need to do something about the way we are destroying the planet now, before it's too late.

Do people ask you a lot about Sarkozy when you travel, or do they just not give a shit?

Before I answer the question, I'm always surprised by how few people even know who he is in other countries. And if they do know who Sarko is, it’s definitely more for acting like a diva, his bling-bling and jet-set lifestyle. I guess he's just not that interesting to talk about. Let's move on to the next question.

You’re one of the few riders who still skis no matter how much shit people talk about it. Here's your chance to explain why you still ski and throw in your two cents into the whole snowboarding vs. skiing debate!
Hahaha, this is a pretty thorny issue! First off, I have a bunch of friends who are skiers and I respect them a lot, it’s a beautiful sport. But when the subject is freeskiing… The thing is, everything just came so easily to them, they just showed up at our spots and started doing their thing, spots that only exist today because of years of snowboarders' blood, sweat and tears. And if that wasn't enough, they are taking away participants from snowboarding, haha! The big issue I have with the whole thing is that I don’t want kids to start freeskiing without ever trying out a snowboard first. But I definitely have a lot of respect for the alpine skiers and freeriders, it’s a tough sport and amazing to watch.

Arthur, what do you want us to wish you?
Uhm… That my mustache grows a bit faster and that I stay healthy, that’s pretty much it. I just want to keep doing what I'm doing right now.

Thanks man, it was special.
Thanks to you, Flo, it was cool to do this interview with you. And thanks a lot, Method!

Interview by Florent De Maria

Photos by Frode Sandbech, Vanessa Andrieux, Fred Egli

Check out the Longoest Week of the Year documentary on Method.TV to see Arthur's shredventures from last season. Click here.