Portraits by Mike Nauman | Snowboard Photography by Joseph Roby | Words by Josh Barrow
Every snowboarder’s favourite snowboarder: The words revered quietly among peers and industry folk alike – Louis-Félix Paradis, known to most simply as Louif, is a figure who transcends the conventional bounds of snowboarding fame. Someone whose impact runs deeper than medals or magazine spreads; Monsieur Paradis has spent the better part of two decades quietly expanding what snowboarding can look like—from Québec’s schoolyard rails to every dam in Japan, not to mention weather-beaten outposts of Kamchatka and everything in between. This hugely influential rail enthusiast and longtime Salomon collaborator (amongst other things) continues to film in some of the planet’s most remote and unforgiving zones, which a lot of us couldn’t even place on a map.
We had the privilege of spending 48 hours with Louif closer to our home this winter, off the back of a trip to Sainte Foy where Génépi and back-to-back melted cheese dishes were balanced with empty chairlifts and impromptu side hits – We spoke about the things that continue to shape his approach to snowboarding, the ever-evolving world of filming video parts, and why single clips on a phone screen aren’t the one. And a few other bits too…
What was the snowboard scene like growing up in Quebec?
The scene was bustling. Lots of different young crews ripping and mimicking what was in the videos. A bunch of contests, events, and video premieres were happening too. I feel like there was just a ton of stuff going on to keep you submerged in snowboarding.
How did growing up in Quebec, with its long winters and brutalist architecture, shape your approach to snowboarding? Do you think it pushed you toward riding big structures?
Well, it definitely pushed me to ride structures. Little ones at first. Because with snow in town all winter long, you could easily go session a bench or a picnic table in the park nearby, just like Jeremy (Jones) and JP (Walker). That’s the approach that I naturally started focusing on because it was so easy to access. Versus any of the backcountry footage, which I enjoyed but couldn’t relate as much. Plus, I was really into skateboarding, and it just was an extension of it. You could try the same tricks and get directly inspired by a skate video before going snowboarding. Bigger structures came a bit later for me, but it’s all related for sure. My street foundation is in me forever.
Do you still see kids jibbing around town when you’re driving through?
Nah, unfortunately, you don’t really see it anymore. I think the scene has changed a lot.
Did you all go to the same school during the early Déjà Vu days?
No, we all came from different schools and different corners. We all met at our local resort Stoneham though, and created more of a solid bond when we would spend summers in Whistler to ride the glacier and at the Camp of Champions.
Do you feel like your crew helped put Quebec on the global snowboarding map?
Yeah, for sure. It had already been put on the map by the generation before us, but those guys had pretty much all migrated west and were mostly riding elsewhere. We continued what they had started, but we were actually riding mostly in Quebec and putting out tons of local spots in videos. After that, crews from everywhere started coming here.
Did you have local mentors when you were coming up? How did the scene evolve over time?
We did have some mentors. We had photographer Oli Gagnon, he was already shooting with the top dogs but saw that we were doing something special and started hanging with us. He had more experience and shared a bunch of it with us, on top of getting photos of us published in the magazine (back when that was a thing). He was a huge catalyst in our group’s success for sure. Other mentors were the Sugar Shack production guys and also Etienne Gilbert, who we looked up to and was riding with us here and there.
Aside from mentors though, what pushed us upward a ton was our group dynamic. Being the crew of riders that we were, all wanting to get better, trying new tricks and getting as good, if not better than the pros in the videos, and competing with each other in a healthy, friendly way. We learned a lot from each other and we quickly developed a certain work and riding ethic that followed us throughout each of our careers and is still ingrained in us today.
How would you describe today’s young French Canadian snowboard scene?
It’s very quiet. There is a crew in the Montreal area that are really solid, David Tourigny, Westley and crew. Seb Picard rips too. Besides them, the talent that I’m seeing now in Quebec is on the contest circuit mostly and in the special school programs. Like Frank Jobin and Eli Bouchard. It’s cool that those programs exist now, but it does shape up the scene differently, in a more official and regulated way, more towards judged events and less towards the creative freeride and freestyle space of filming.
Are there still some dams or spots in Hokkaido (Japan) you haven’t explored yet?
Nah Hokkaido is beat! Don’t go there, it’s terrible (laughs). You should see my pins on Google Maps! It’s overwhelming. But actually, I have checked a bunch of them and now the spots that I haven’t explored are getting farther and farther and more out of the way. And some of those spots require good snow conditions, and this place is patchy. There can be a lot of snow in one area, but an hour further, there isn’t much. So we’ll see how much I explore more, but part of me really wants to keep looking.
I heard you once had to write a letter of apology to Japan—what’s the story there?
More than once, unfortunately. But the one I think you’re referring to though was right at a highway toll road gate. There were huge Kanji letters on the hillside next to it, similar to the Hollywood sign. We drove in front once or twice before, and it looked really easy to slide down one of them. I thought it could make a cool clip and picture. One day, we decided to stop and do a quick strike mission. Ideally, it was a one-and-done. I was just gonna 50-50 it and get the F out. We were communicating with radios and everything (laughs). We even had Phil in the driver seat, sliding door open, ready to get away fast when finished. I did get it first try, slid through the fresh snow on it, and everything. I was all hyped, but the countdown for the 16mm didn’t work, so the clip was garbage. I went again. Missed it and went again. So we were there too long. And what we hadn’t realised was that in the toll road office was also a police station! On my third and final try, a police officer came out running. He was so agitated and mad, like I’ve never seen before. They usually don’t show any emotions there, so it was bad. They brought us all in and made me write an apology letter and promise I wouldn’t do it again. I felt sort of stupid and stressed, but it was all good in the end.
You’ve explored some wild places—Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kamchatka… what drives your desire to go off the beaten path?
I find it stimulating and enriching. You get colours and smells and visuals that you’ve never seen before. In some of those places, everything you see is completely different to what you’re used to. From the food you eat, the cars you see on the roads, the way they build stuff, the way people act, everything, it’s cool. Whenever I come back from those trips, I come back with a new perspective on life. It’s fun and interesting to compare it to where you’re from. I also just really like getting out of my comfort zone.
What happened in Lebanon with Hezbollah? We heard you got interrogated?
That was some time ago, in 2008 or 2009. It was Jarad Hadi, Nick Dirks, Java Fernandez was filming and Liam Gallagher was writing the article and taking photos. Jarad had family friends from there and organised us a trip at their mountain house. We had time to kill in the city, so we went for a drive in Beirut with our friend, local guide and driver, Karam. After about 1 hour of car time, we asked if we could do something outside, stretch our legs a bit and get some fresh air. He said we were in a bit of a heated zone but would stop in the nearby “safe square”. We then stopped in some parking spot in front of an unknown business. There was a half-demolished building in front of us, it kinda looked like it had been bombed so the homies started taking some pictures. One minute later, a blacked-out BMW pulled in, and a few men started talking to Karam. There was a long conversation between them, and eventually they came to us, asked for the cameras, and asked that we follow them. On the short drive, Karam told us to just do as they say and everything would be fine. Minutes later, we were walking into one of their buildings, emptying our pockets, taking our shoes off, and locked in a random office room with bars on the window. Just the four of us, Karam was in a separate room. We each got asked a bunch of questions, where we’re from, what we do, where we live, list our family members, etc. They even lined us up against a wall at one point before we were moved to another location. These men were not in uniforms, just normal street clothes with guns on their belts. It was crazy. The whole thing lasted about 6 hours, multiple rounds of interviews, but also quiet downtime wondering what was gonna happen to us. Eventually, Karam reappeared, and they let us go. We then had an incredible meal with Liam that night and headed up to the mountains and rode the resort and the mountain town up there for the rest of the trip. Basically, we were acting suspicious, and they wanted to make sure we weren’t a threat.
You’ve got two kids, a house in the hills, and trails in your backyard. Has becoming a dad changed your approach to riding, filming, or picking spots?
My approach has changed a little bit in the sense that I try to be gone a bit less, and when I do go, I try to make it count as much as possible, less fucking around and more straight to the point. I also try to be careful, but I feel like I have always done that. I trust my instinct and need to be confident otherwise I skip. The spots picking thing also comes with aging. I have a weak front knee, so I’m mostly looking for spots that have transition or a soft powdery landing. Ideally both. I can still manage to ride some flatter street spots, but tons of tries for a hard trick on something isn’t good for me. I still get caught in battles, but I need to avoid them. Teaching my kids how to ride though, I’m slowly letting go of some of that selfishness and wanting to put more time and energy towards them and making sure they have all they need. My rail line at home might slowly become more of their learning zone in the near future, for example.
Do you watch snowboard videos with your kids? Do they ask you to rewind tricks yet?
I do and it’s hit or miss if they’re down or not to watch with me. It hasn’t really clicked yet for them. They love going to the hill and riding, but they’re not fully passionate about tricks and all that yet. They’re still young, four and six. The six-year-old might get into it more now that he’s cruising and more solid linking turns!
Was there a specific moment or video part where everything clicked for you?
I’d say Beacon. I was still on the momentum of Deja Vu, Encore, and Resolution: three enders. And then I had the chance to make this a more personal project, which allowed more riding time because we were a much smaller crew. The stars aligned for that one, and we got super productive on every trip that we went on. I feel like my riding was mature too, and I was able to chase lines and flow a lot that year. We were going for a specific aesthetic with Hayden, and that was a fun quest too.
You’ve always leaned toward filming over contests. What is it about video parts that keeps you coming back?
With filming, you’re on your own terms, you have full creative control, no schedule, no limits basically. That’s where it’s more of an art form because you could literally do anything you’d want. You could go anywhere and do it in the most creative way out there if you wanted. And in contest, I feel like there isn’t enough room. I feel restrained, and even on the most basic level, just waiting at the top of a scaffolding tower to drop, in a line of 10 or 20 riders, completely kills the flow for me.
Where do you keep your X Games gold medals? Are you still teasing Frank April with them?
Have I teased Frank with a medal before? (Laughs) I actually don’t remember, but I’m sure I have. We definitely always had a little rivalry. Especially coming from him poking at me all the time. And one year we were both competing in it, and we went on a trip together in Stockholm to get footage for each of our parts. It was funny. We’d rock-paper-scissors for spots and stuff. My medals are in a little leather sleeve somewhere in my room or my basement. Not exhibited.
You’ve worked with some iconic film crews—how important is chemistry with the filmer and crew when putting a project together?
It’s everything, yeah. That’s what shapes up the video for sure. Communication is crucial, and it makes all the difference if there is a clear conversation about tricks and angles and spots. Even more so when you’re trying to film a line! I’ve always tried to speak my mind but also trust what the filmer thinks is best. That’s for sure how I’ve gotten my best clips, with clear communication with the filmer. And one thing I try to do is keep things fun on a trip. Take a day off and go ride the resort or something like that. Take a break from all the hard work and go back to it rested.
You have a board with Salomon as part of the Hillside Project Series. Did you work directly with Wolle Nyvelt on it?
Yes we did a lot of back and forth initially to gather as much info as possible; what boards I liked riding at the time, how my stance was set up, ideal length, favorite properties in a board, what type of riding I was trying to accomplish, etc. We also did a lot of brainstorming on nose and tail shapes! I wanted it to be directional, but still have a very, very freestyle look to it. So I gave Wolle as much information as possible, and he got back to me with a bunch of different prototype boards to test. We narrowed it down, and we got a solid board in the Hillside Project line 4 years ago already. It stayed the same for 3 years, and just recently we updated it, and the new version will be available this fall. I truly appreciate Wolle’s knowledge and experience in this process and how he makes it to his liking, too!
Your riding has evolved from street, to hybrid (street in powder), to big-structure jibbing, to full-on backcountry. How has that progression influenced your board design?
Yeah, we basically were trying to make the best hybrid board possible, but that also gives you a really fun ‘do-it-all’ powerful board. It’s designed to float and land easily in powder. The flex pattern isn’t too soft, but it’s not a bar of steel either. You can press it and butter it. It’s stiffer between the feet, which gives it a lot of power in torsion and pop. It’s a mid-wide board but I wanted quick edge to edge responsiveness to hunt as many side hits as possible when on the mountain. It’s a board that feels cool to stand on and inspires me to ride better when looking down at it.
How involved were you in the 25-26 update? Were the changes subtle, or did they make a big difference?
We had another round of prototypes to try new widths and new sidecuts. We also had another round of brainstorming for nose and tail shapes. The changes aren’t major to the eye, and that was on purpose, to stay close to what had been a favorite to many, but it’s noticeably better to ride, more stable at high speed, and still really easy and quick to maneuver.
What’s your relationship like with Salomon today?
I’ve been with them for over 15 years now, I feel lucky to have landed on their team back then and been a part of the family for that long. They value my opinion and they keep me involved on multiple levels, on the product side of things, boots, boards, bindings, and also on the creative side. It’s a big company, but it’s a friendly and tight community. The headquarters being in France, I can speak French with a bunch of them over there. On the team, at this point, I’m one of the older ones. It’s cool to go on trips with younger riders and feed off their energy and perspective on snowboarding. I try to share some of my experience too when it feels adequate.
What’s your process like when you’re out spot-hunting? What makes you pull over the van?
It’s hard to describe. Things just line up. At this point I’m just scanning very quickly for a bunch of different things. Speed, feature, landing, danger, snow quantity, trick possibility, security, overall feasibility. When a few of these are positive, I’ll stop and go assess from closer! Sometimes you’ll just see a glimpse of something and have to go check by foot because not everything is visible from the road. Most of my favorite finds actually are finds on Google Maps that were verified by a long walk out there.
What aspects of snowboard culture excite you right now? Any inspirations outside of snowboarding?
I feel like there would be a lot of cool stuff to do in DIY parks of different kinds. Either springtime transition park like the Brain Bowl, or a junk yard street spot in some abandoned zone, or even a powder-collecting man-made-mushroom field somewhere like at Natural Selection. I feel like there could be more to do hands-on. Easier said than done for sure. I’m doing a lot of it in the summer, working on mountain bike trails, and I’d be interested in doing it more and more in the winter too.
Do skateboarding or surfing influence your approach or perspective on riding?
100%. I’ve always paid attention to skateboarding and copying how solid and square they have to be for it to work. The trick selection, the spots, the music, etc. As for surfing, I’m an occasional recreational surfer. I suck at it. I’ll watch videos here and there. But I think whenever I’m riding, I’m looking for waves and bumps to pump and pretend like I’m surfing. I love being on a frontside bank and toe edging up and down it as if I were on a long right.
Looking back at parts like Bon Voyage, Déjà Vu, Crazy Loco, Beacon—which one feels like the true origin point for you?
I think Deja Vu is where I look back and I think my style and riding was mature enough. Before that I find it more juvenile, haha. And on another level, Deja Vu was our OG crew reunion project which left a mark in the industry and was truly a special time for us. The energy was incredible.
If you could re-shoot one of your old parts today, with everything you know now, which one would it be?
Off the top of my head, I’d maybe reshoot Videograss, the first one. I watched my part in that recently and was cringing during the first song. The second song is fine but the first one I don’t know. I think I was experimenting a lot there, trying new things and some just didn’t stand the test of time in my opinion.
When is a part “done” for you—beyond just meeting a deadline?
Well, in snowboarding, we normally allow ourselves one or two winters for a project. Some people have done three. We have a stricter natural deadline than surfing or skating. When the snow is melted it’s over. But in a perfect world for me, a part is done when you have 20-plus clips and enough meat around the bone to fill up a solid song with a little bit of an intro and outro. That would be a perfect part for me these days.
Is there a trick or spot that still haunts you?
No, nothing that haunts me too seriously. I just have a bunch of spots that I’m very interested in, but snow conditions or time haven’t lined up yet. I’m more spot based these days, and the spot dictates the trick more than anything. I haven’t had a trick list for more than a decade, I think, and I just recently made a little loose one. Tricks or ideas that I should try and find a spot for.
What does “progression” look like to you in 2025?
Progression for me in 2025 is more flow. More riding time and document it. I feel like in street and even backcountry, we are too often unstrapped, building, driving, waiting. I would love if pro snowboarders were riding more. Rethinking what we want to ride on and maybe letting go of some rules and parameters that we have imposed on ourselves and just spending more time on the board would be great haha. That and spinning less. Less helicopters, more flow, more creativity in spots, and more 3D and 4D riding, less 2D.
What are your thoughts on blasting clips on socials versus saving them for full video parts?
Loaded question. I think saving it for a longer, more complete piece is better for sure, but I also think things have changed, and the way people are consuming snowboarding media is different now, that includes me. People are looking for shorter but more frequent content, obviously. The single clip on the feed doesn’t really do it for me, though, but there would be a way to do a middle ground well on YouTube. I would be curious to see the right people try a different form. I don’t know, say a hybrid between vlogging and video part on YouTube every other week throughout the winter. I know some people are doing it already in snowboarding and other sports. There are other ways to explore out there for sure. Call me an old head, but I’m definitely nostalgic for how videos were coming out 15 years ago. We’re in a different place now, and I think there’s work to do to make it more exciting.
