Timothé roch

"Breaking into freestyle skiing is the number 1 thing"
If his name doesn't ring a bell yet, it shouldn't be long... When Timothé Roch donned his first pair of skis at the age of one and a half, he was bombing down the slopes alongside older kids and adults only a few months later.

Because there's no required order when it comes to learning to walk or learning to ride in this family of passionate ski instructors!

A member of the La Plagne Sports Club from the age of 6, Timothé’s interest in alpine skiing was quickly replaced by a passion for freestyle.

"I loved freestyle straight away. And they also told me I was good at it," explains the young athlete. Good? That's the least you could say... alongside Tess Ledeux, Timothé Roch is the only skier to have joined the club a year ahead of schedule.

Nicknamed the "Marmulle" by his trainer Timothé Hagnerelle, the exceptionally gifted little skier made quick progress before entering his first competitions. Now, at the age of 14, he's full of chatty energy and pulls off impressive tricks that have earned him recognition from his peers as well as wins on the big stage. In the 2021 World Rookie Tour, an international circuit for young riders, held in Hintertux in Austria, Timothé finished second in the final round and doesn't plan to stop there.

**His goal? To take part in the Olympic Games but first and foremost to win the X Games, the sport's flagship competition. "The X Games are THE freestyle event," he says, his eyes full of wonder.**

The trick he's most proud of is his 1260 mute, shot while filming with Julbo (at 2:00 minutes into the video). His signature trick is still the front flip, which he does whenever he gets the chance. "Whenever there's a little jump, I'll do a front flip, whenever there's a little ledge, I'll do a front-flip. I do them all the time, I love it."

Of the athletes who inspire him, Timothé names the Swedes Henrik Harlaut and Jesper Tjäder; the first for "his style, with his low-riding pants and super-long tops" and the second for "his insane tricks". On the French side, the young skier admires Vincent Gagnier for "his out-there ideas" and Antoine Adelisse who he's already had the opportunity to ski with in Austria on the Air Bag at Banger Park Scharnitz in Innsbruck.

"I saw him do some tricks, it was really awesome." And he was the one who made Timothé want to try the pre-nose grab switch triple cork 1440, which means jumping facing backwards, while grabbing your ski with your hand and then doing four full rotations.

In the summer, when he's not training, Timothé spends his time mountain biking and rollerblading, because freestyle isn't just a sport but a way of life for this teenager who lives at 100 mph. When he's not in action, he shares his passion on social media with his growing community, mostly on Instagram (@timotheroch) but also on Facebook (Timothé Roch) with the #SkiIsLife gang.

When in 2018 he posted a video imitating "One of Those Days", a video made by pro skier Candide Thovex, he couldn't imagine the impact it was going to have. "When the newspaper L'Équipe posted the clip, I was super happy because I never thought it would create such a buzz." The video now has over 800,000 views!

A member of the La Plagne Sports Club from the age of 6, Timothé’s interest in alpine skiing was quickly replaced by a passion for freestyle.

His goal? To take part in the Olympic Games but first and foremost to win the X Games, the sport's flagship competition. "The X Games are THE freestyle event," he says, his eyes full of wonder.

Other articles

How to Take Control of the Ventilation of Your Goggle?

The sunglasses solution

Le port du casque est-il obligatoire à vélo ?

**His goal? To take part in the Olympic Games but first and foremost to win the X Games, the sport's flagship competition. "The X Games are THE freestyle event," he says, his eyes full of wonder.**