About Jean-Michel Casanova

Also Published in UC MAG #05:

Long before climbing found its way into the public eye through Sylvester Stallone's bolt-gun in Cliff Hanger and Cruise's iron cross in Mission Impossible, Jean-Michel Casanova stood out as a lone figure, introducing, like no one ever did, the sport of rock climbing into the mainstream media.

In the late 1980's, he was at the cutting edge of climbing, free-soloing 5-12, onsighting 5-13, and even red-pointing 5-14. He was part of the elite, zhe French way; they were pro climbers, they were the best in the world and they competed fiercely - not just for ranking, but for the only way they could make a living... media exposure by any means necessary. On a windy spring day in 1989, "JM" pulled out his trump card and did the unimaginable - an on-sight free solo ascent of the 900-foot icon of Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower.

Jean-Michel started as a rock climber and a martial artist at the age of five. In his 20s, he went on to pioneer some of the most difficult routes in Europe, made countless ascents in the Alps, was a top-competitor, and also helped improve safety products and gear for the climbing and mountaineering industry.

Self-managed during his explosive five-year sports career from 1986 to 1991, JM was sponsored by Oakley, Suzuki, Asolo, Beal, Petzl, Nike and Nikon. He went on to study architecture and design at Les Beaux Arts of Toulon, in France, and with his partner Philippe Poulet, created a revolutionary technique for rock climbing photography that became immensely popular. He subsequently designed new advertising campaigns and directed commercial films with climbing as a focus.

Although early assents of the great rock faces such El Cap and Eiger received media attention, his Eiffel Tower exploit was one of the first times that the world's eye would be captured on such a large scale by a climbing spectacle. The event was a milestone for climbing in the media because never before had one climber, along with the products he endorsed, found his way in to such diverse mainstream publications around the world.

A year later, after climbing the Brooklyn Bridge while being dressed like Spider-Man, JM reached a turning point in his life. It marked the end of his pro-climbing career and the beginning of his life as a producer and a stuntman. He went on to become a stunt coordinator / 2nd Unit Director for major TV shows in France. During that time he was often offered climbing-related stunt gigs, but totally burned out, would continually pass them on to his friends. "The constant pressure from my sponsors ended up taking the fun out of it" he said, "then I saw myself getting caught up with unmanageable duties leading to accidentally having to become a better businessman than a climber and could not stand the idea." Some ten years past and Jean-Michel would not touch rock, expanding instead his career to journalism and photography, and publishing as such countless exposes in the sport, action and fashion world.

His inspiration for climbing returned when he moved to the United States to write and direct, Pajama Man, an action/comedy feature film, which involved a natural-born climber who gets caught in his bright-red underwear above New York City when his skills wind up saving someone's live and he is mistaken for a super-hero. "Everything is a stepping stone," says Jean-Michel, "and going back to my roots and connecting with climbing again has been my wings." The youth that he still coaches have also been a tremendous source of energy for him. He has combined his renewed love for climbing with the stylistic eye of a fashion photographer, creating powerful images using the "magic light" to illuminate not only his subjects but also his own soul.

Jean-Michel's Corporate bio:
Click here or skip it...