Arthur Longo was 17 years old when he got caught partying at a boarding school for promising young athletes, was expelled from the institution and subsequently let go from the French snowboard team. It came as a setback in some senses, but the ouster was an important step in his unconventional path to success. “It was part of the growing-up process, and my snowboarding actually got better once I went to a regular school,” Arthur says. “It was a rebellious time. Doing tricks for a coach was not exciting. When something feels forced, it’s not as motivating as finding your own way to do it. When I had to prove myself, by myself, it became easier for me. I snowboarded less, but when I did, I was so excited.”

Five years after the expulsion, Arthur went on to represent his country at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and has since become one of the most revered riders of our time. 

An absence of pressure might be the key to accomplishment in Arthur’s world. His innate talent, extrinsic drive and versatile nature have propelled his snowboarding career from his teen years to his 30s, from halfpipe podiums to magazine covers and more than a dozen exemplary video parts. A perfect blend of aspirational and awe-inspiring, Arthur exudes capability honed through years of competitive commitment mixed with an expressive, desirable fluidity that he employs on everything from euphoric side hits to poised park runs, backcountry booters and beyond. By seamlessly channeling his varied skill set into an array of terrain, Arthur uses small hits to go huge and makes huge hits look easy, thus emanating style sought after by newcomers and seasoned snowboarders alike. This combination of ambition and casualness can also be seen elsewhere in Arthur’s approach to life, and finding a good balance between them has proven paramount to his success. He’s shown he can put in the work to compete and film with the best, but it seems that some of Arthur’s biggest breakthroughs come when he isn’t working too hard at all…

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