Guillaume Herpin, the snowboardcross rider shaped by family mountain weekends

Les Menuires as a formative base

Guillaume Herpin is not from the Belleville valley, but Les Menuires has been central to his story since childhood. His family owns an apartment in the resort, so he travels there every week to ski and snowboard. This regular rhythm, maintained season after season, laid the foundation for his sporting career.

A memory carved into the slopes of La Masse

Among his most vivid memories of Les Menuires, Guillaume Herpin singles out an area near the former Rochet Gris chairlift, on the La Masse massif. On days of heavy snowfall, he would head there with his father to ride through the trees, sometimes for a whole morning. He still names this spot as one of his favourite places for fresh snow.

Snowboardcross, a discipline built on direct confrontation

Guillaume Herpin's attraction to snowboardcross comes from the intensity of the format. Several riders race head-to-head on the same course, fighting directly for the leading positions. This direct engagement, combined with race-reading skills and the event's physical demands, matches the competitive spirit he looks for.

A career built from club level

Guillaume Herpin joined a sports club at the age of nine, the starting point for a progression that took him onto the international circuit. His record includes eight French championship titles, an overall European Cup win in the 2020/21 season, and a team world runner-up title won in 2021. This journey has been matched by mental resilience built up season after season: Guillaume Herpin says he has always managed to overcome setbacks and return to training after defeats, an attitude he shares with his sister Margaux, also a top-level athlete.

Influential coaches, and sights set on the World Cup

Two coaches have shaped Guillaume Herpin's career: Léo Trespeuch, a key figure from his club years, described as someone who could win him over even when he was reluctant, and David Durand, who now guides him within the Fédération française de ski. In the long term, he is aiming for major international competitions, from the World Cup to the Olympic Games. In the shorter term, his goal is to reach his first World Cup podium.

Key points

1. Guillaume Herpin competes for France's B snowboardcross team, aiming to join the World Cup circuit.
2. His family owns an apartment in Les Menuires, where he has travelled every week since childhood to ski and snowboard.
3. His record includes eight French championship titles, an overall European Cup win in 2020/21, and a team world runner-up title in 2021.
4. He joined a sports club at the age of nine, the starting point of his progression onto the international circuit.
5. His short-term goal is to reach his first World Cup podium.