Elie - A Confidential Triumph: discover the spirit of Telemark Skiing in a remarkable documentary

At just 26 years old, Elie Nabot has established himself as one of the leading figures in the Telemark skiing world. With a series of exceptional performances on the World Cup circuit, he has twice finished as runner-up to Swiss champion Bastien Dayer. The 2023/24 season will be Élie’s golden opportunity to claim the top spot as his rival steps away from competition.

The new documentary Elie – A Confidential Triumph offers a rare glimpse into the life of the French athlete and the vibrant community that surrounds him.

A journey beyond competition

The film immerses viewers in the intense journey of the French Telemark team during a pivotal season, showcasing Elie’s path to the top. It also explores the deep connection between Telemark skiing and its roots, focusing on the Jura Telemark community—a passionate group that nurtured Elie’s love for the sport and helped shape his career.

Through breathtaking visuals, the documentary ventures beyond the race gates, capturing the essence of Telemark as a celebration of freedom. Elie and his team take us to majestic open spaces, offering a fresh perspective on a discipline that blends competition, culture, and camaraderie.

Behind the documentary: exclusive interviews

On the occasion of this documentary’s release, we asked Elie Nabot, Antoine d’Ythurbide (founder of ALBA recovery drinks), and Djayan Chiboub (filmmaker) about the genesis of the project and their idea of the spirit of Telemark skiing.

Elie, it’s not often we see a documentary about a Telemark World Cup racer. How did this project come about?

It's true that it's quite rare to see a documentary on telemark skiing in general! The idea came from Antoine, who is the founder of ALBA, a recovery drink brand that sponsors me. His goal was to highlight Telemark skiing in all its forms, especially since the sport gets so little media coverage.

The documentary also highlights the community and mentors who helped you grow. Why was that important?

It was vital to show Telemark from all perspectives. It’s not just about competition. The idea was to highlight the Jura Telemark community in particular as they played a big role in my journey—they got me hooked on this sport! It was also important to show my region, where I come from and why this environment fits so well with our discipline.The documentary also celebrates the solidarity of Telemarkers and the pleasure of skiing together, especially in freeride destinations like La Grave.

The title is quite fitting. Is everything really done with confidentiality and humility when it comes to Telemark in the World Cup?

It is! I think telemark is a very humble discipline. The international teams all have very limited budgets, which means that we athletes have to fend for ourselves in many areas (finding sponsors, preparing our skis, etc.). You have to realize that each of us is working or studying because it's impossible to make a living from telemark. In a way, this helps us to keep a cool head!  What's more, telemark skiing is confidential because it's a discipline that's not very well known by the general public, and the number of people practising it is much lower than that of alpine skiing, but the advantage is that it brings people together and creates a big family, whether you're a competitor or a weekend skier!

Antoine, how did the idea for this documentary come about?

It was a year ago that Elie agreed to represent ALBA, our young French recovery drink brand. The year we met, for the second year running he finished second behind Bastien Dayer (SUI) in the overall World Cup standings. When Bastien Dayer retired, I believed this could be Élie’s year. I wanted to capture his journey and also showcase the Jura community that shaped him.With his agreement, I asked Djayan Chiboub, a talented videographer and co-director of the film, to follow the FIS Telemark World Cup season. This project is a tribute to Telemark’s competitive spirit and its roots in freedom and camaraderie.

You support athletes across various sports. What does supporting a sport like Telemark mean to you?

I'm passionate about sport, and I'm especially passionate about sports that people are passionate about. That's what a friend said to me after seeing the documentary: "It's good to see a film about a sport that people are passionate about", and he was right. To put so much commitment into preparation, to make so many sacrifices, to live one's practice with so much passion to achieve nothing at the end is fascinatingly pure. It's the very essence of sport. I pay attention to media sports where money is involved (I'm a F1 fan, that's saying something...) but to plunge into the heart of a world competition with such a high level and so few resources is an incredible experience and we're proud to make it accessible to everyone through this film. As for the season itself, we've been spoiled. We'd never have bet on it being so competitive.

Djayan, You've had an outside view of the telemark community and one of its most radical aspects, competition. What did you get out of it?

Even in competition, in a 'professional' environment, I really had the impression of following a big family, or even between competitors, between nations, the understanding and mutual aid was present. Despite the stakes, everyone remained humble. Perhaps because of the lack of media coverage and the financial stakes, but perhaps also because of a state of mind linked to the sport.

Did the experience inspire you?

Yes, discovering a new environment and a new practice (even if it's still skiing and mountain sports) is always inspiring. But I think that talking about a confidential environment with the aim of helping as many people as possible to discover a sport makes the project even more interesting.