Fabian Bodet grew up in Chamonix, the highest mountain town in the French Alps. Yet in a world dominated by alpine specialists, skiers and speed flyers pushing the limits of mountain travel, he wasn’t a big mountain guy from the start. Although he now focuses his attention on the Mont Blanc Massif and beyond, for “Chyko” it began in the streets.

Now 33 years old, Fabian caught the photography bug at age 13, when he dug an old camera out of the family attic and began documenting his friends skateboarding. After years of honing his skills on film, he bought his first digital camera in 2008. He began shooting a few local legends for regional magazines. Finally, in 2013, his perseverance paid off when his work, featuring a huge kickflip from Arno Wagner over a rail in the streets of Geneva, was published by national magazine soma SKATEBOARD MEDECINE.

Skateboarding, an inherently aesthetic activity, led him to discover the work of Los Angeles-born Glen E. Friedman. It was a pivotal visual encounter, and Chyko was instantly enthralled. He modeled his style after Friedman, documenting the French punk and skate scenes. But it’s hard to forget your roots entirely…

Buy issue

Subscribe to start your collection of The Snowboarder’s Journal.