Origins

After the first third of the climb in a rocky bar, we entered a very steep ice gully, and then 400m above it, a huge rock avalanche occurred, we were right in its path...

After having taken so many risks and disregarding this kind of eventuality, I knew I was going to die and...

... We went through each other!
Bruno would have gone on, as if nothing had happened, I couldn't, I was afraid and I didn't know if I was alive or dead...

We escaped from this gully to find a shelter, bivouac, storm, lightning not far away. The next day at dawn, soaked and frozen, we abseiled back down and the helicopter came to make sure we didn't need help. We were in the middle of a wall, the pilot was 10 m away, an infinity separated us.

I never climbed again after that, I wanted to experience other ages of life, have children, grow old.

Practically everyone I met at the time died prematurely.

A month later, I left for military service in the Marne, a journey by a special "bidasse" night train, which left us in the middle of the countryside, a truck was waiting for us.

I "committed suicide" one hour after my arrival in the camp of Suippes, transferred to the infirmary, gendarmes, then to the military hospital of Nancy, where I was reformed P5 after having told a thousand nonsense with conviction.

All this required a very strong commitment from me.

When I came back, I was completely disturbed by these two successive episodes: the acceptance of imminent death, and then the fake suicide. I no longer knew what meaning to give to my existence.

One day, at the beach, I followed with fascination the evolutions in the waves of one of the first windsurfers equipped with a "sinker", we used to say "waterstart" at the time.

When he got out of the water, I went to see the object and my decision was made in an instant: I had to design this kind of thing, maybe use it, but above all make it! I think it was at that moment that the sculptor in me woke up.

After that, there were a lot of rumours that I couldn't sail and it was true! I created a customs company without ever having been on it.

My motivations were of another order, a little less anecdotal than what Planche Mag said in 1987 !

	Nothing predestined me to become a shaper... At the beginning of the 80s, I was 20 years old, my passions were high level climbing and skiing. I saw my life like that, it never occurred to me that one day I would have to work! In 1981, under the pretext of studying at the IUT in Aix-en-Provence, I fled the Lyon region to head south to the sun and the Sainte-Victoire mountain. I spent most of my time on its cliffs. There I met Bruno Gouvy, who shared the same passions and we quickly became inseparable, intimately linked by the same excesses: it was indeed daily that life was put in the balance. Our friendship turned into a fusional delirium and our duo became known as "Farigoulette Connection".

François : solo in"6ème métatarsien"	In monoski, with the very first Duret "Pierre Poncet", in costume if you please!	Bruno in"OVNI"
	In 1983, we tried to open a new route on the north face of the Droites, in the Mont Blanc massif...

	After the first third of the climb in a rocky bar, we entered a very steep ice gully, and then 400m above it, a huge rock avalanche occurred, we were right in its path... After having taken so many risks and disregarding this kind of eventuality, I knew I was going to die and... ... We went through each other! Bruno would have gone on, as if nothing had happened, I couldn't, I was afraid and I didn't know if I was alive or dead... We escaped from this gully to find a shelter, bivouac, storm, lightning not far away. The next day at dawn, soaked and frozen, we abseiled back down and the helicopter came to make sure we didn't need help. We were in the middle of a wall, the pilot was 10 m away, an infinity separated us. I never climbed again after that, I wanted to experience other ages of life, have children, grow old. Practically everyone I met at the time died prematurely. A month later, I left for military service in the Marne, a journey by a special "bidasse" night train, which left us in the middle of the countryside, a truck was waiting for us. I "committed suicide" one hour after my arrival in the camp of Suippes, transferred to the infirmary, gendarmes, then to the military hospital of Nancy, where I was reformed P5 after having told a thousand nonsense with conviction. All this required a very strong commitment from me. When I came back, I was completely disturbed by these two successive episodes: the acceptance of imminent death, and then the fake suicide. I no longer knew what meaning to give to my existence. One day, at the beach, I followed with fascination the evolutions in the waves of one of the first windsurfers equipped with a "sinker", we used to say "waterstart" at the time. When he got out of the water, I went to see the object and my decision was made in an instant: I had to design this kind of thing, maybe use it, but above all make it! I think it was at that moment that the sculptor in me woke up. After that, there were a lot of rumours that I couldn't sail and it was true! I created a customs company without ever having been on it. My motivations were of another order, a little less anecdotal than what Planche Mag said in 1987 !

	With Bruno, we decided to create a snowboarding equipment factory, and the name came straight to us: Farigoulette Connection. I then returned to Lyon to work for Patrick Mazerot at Sogésurf. I made my first boards there for a few months. In June 1984, Farigoulette was created !

	First ever Jaï beach trip on the Etang de Berre
	The early days were hard, getting known, finding clients, negotiating constantly with the bank... We were banned from the checkbook in less than two months... Bruno was almost never there, I found myself alone to deal with everything. Our relationship deteriorated and separation became inevitable. Bruno then embarked on increasingly crazy challenges, making a tragic outcome more and more likely...

	Bruno Gouvy died on 15 June 1990 on the Aiguille Verte, after a 1000 m fall. He was 27 years old. Biography Vidéo "Drus express"