Visiting the Dominican Republic with Thibault & André Magnin

Inspire Happiness

Family We Admire: Thibault + André Magnin

2025 / 10 mins

For any skier, a basic knowledge of balance is essential. Understanding the ups just as much as the downs. Where your body lives for a moment in space and time. The yin yang between air and earth. And for the Swiss-Spanish professional freestyle skier Thibault Magnin, life has always been about this duality.

Born and raised in Fribourg, Switzerland, Thibault spent much of his childhood amongst the snow. His father, André Magnin, a former professional soccer player, owned a small ski shop in the medieval town located in the foothills of the Alps. It was here, nestled above the rocky Sarine river, where André bought Thibault his first pair of skis and gave him his first lessons. Together, they learned an early passion for movement as meditation, and a way to spend time together.

Thibault
On His Father, Andre

I'm just so inspired by his positivity. No matter what happens, to always keep going forward and take the negative and turn it into the positive.

But unlike many other skiers his age, Thibault also spent much of his childhood in warm coastal Spain, where his mother grew up. With dual citizenship, their family often traveled back and forth between the two countries, establishing a life-long love for Thibaut of surf and snow.

“We never had a normal life growing up,” said Thibault. “In Switzerland, you can really get stuck in following society, but we never really followed that. We always went on our own, traveling and doing sports. And that came from my parents for sure. From my dad and my mom.”

Andre
On The Beauty Of Fatherhood

“For me, being a dad means giving life. Continuing the life of my life through my children and teaching them to make this world a better place. To get up every morning doing what you love and to make this world continue and become a better place.”

In 2008, Thibault’s mother passed away when he was only eight years old. Despite the darkness that can come with losing someone at such a young age, André’s support only strengthened Thibault’s love for his family, and his resolve to always live in the light.

“She was my sunshine,” says Thibault. “I feel like I’m living this life for her. It was so hard for him [André] with an eight-year-old kid. And my brother was four. When she passed away, I don't know how my dad did it, but he just took us to this new place in life and always inspired us to keep going.”

To celebrate and honor their special relationship and Dads of every type this Father’s Day, we traveled with Thibault during his off season to visit André, in the Dominican Republic. During days filled with sunshine, surfing and beach yoga, they reconnected about all things skiing, and their shared family values of chasing big dreams.