Last time we heard from French Olympic hopeful and former TTR World Tour Champion Matthieu Crepel, he was hanging out down under in New Zealand somewhere, trying to nail double corks into an airbag. On the evidence of this video, it seems he’s got them down pretty well.

Matthieu told us: “After the Tony Hawk show [in Paris] I went back on the snow in Laax with the French team, where we have found a pretty good pipe to train far from all the US/Colorado hype, it snowed a lot so we could get a few pow turns and get used to the transition again and test double corks without airbag! Funny to hear how happy is the coach, Stephane, for me…”

http://mpora.com/videos/XaFSLnicc
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By the sounds made by the coach, these Frenchies seem pretty damn determined not to bend over and take it from the likes of Shaun White. No surrender-monkeying here, though there might be a bit of cheese-eating… Matt added: “During my day off I spent couple hours editing a video of the french team riders going to the gym and learning how to strip to finance our trip to Vancouver Olympic Games, check it on my blog. After a 10 day period of training non-stop I went back to France for a week-end, I was supposed to take it easy and I almost did. First I went to Courchevel for “trophée passion” award, kind of the Oscar ceremony for French mainstream sport journalists where best media dudes receive golden microphone. I met up with my friend Bixente who won the newcomer axward for his radio show on RTL.

“After a gala dinner with interesting people I drove the next morning to Avoriaz for the last stage of Rock on Snowboard tour mixed with the opening of the resort. I gave interview for Orange TV, rode with my friend Sylvain Bourbousson and could catch up with the French scene, which is always a pleasure. Now I’m back to Laax till this week end where I’ll be in Domaine du Tourmalet- la Mongie for the Rendez Vous Des Etoiles in my home resort in the Pyrenees to celebrate the World Snowboard Day on December 20th. I’m looking forward to that and to a family vibe Christmas. Most of the resorts are opening now so enjoy your upcoming holiday.”What a nice bloke eh?