He was born in Les Ponts-de-Martel and lived in Peseux, where he was a member of the gymnastics club "La Société des Amis gymnastes de Neuchâtel". In 1893 his father was hired as a trainer in Panachaikos Gymnastikos Syllogos and Louis became a member of the club. After his success in the 1896 Olympics, he was honoured in Patras with the Greek athletes by the city. The Zutter family left Greece due to the Greco-Turkish War (1897).