Marius Dietsche - 'Roaming' Video Part

Holy guacamole, a la 'hombre loco'. 

Tonight, I have the pleasure of sharing a truly remarkable video part, titled 'Roaming' and featuring German biker Marius Dietsche absolutely hurling himself for his bike sponsor United. The following piece is also supported by a series of images (primarily shot by Ricardo Silva) as well as reflections from Marius himself. 

Having premiered on DIG BMX on 3 May, there has been a few weeks distance between first watch and now, leaving a suitable amount of time to properly absorb and appreciate the different elements of the 'Roaming' video part. 

Let's start by highlighting that this video part is no doubt 5 minutes of straight up brutality, hospital-avoiding savagery, roll-the-dice accuracy and a raw display of hardened mental resilience. The video follows Marius as he fulfils his adventurous disposition throughout various European nations, a 2 year multiplicity of trips documented by the lovely dudes from Nuts & Bolts BMX. The video is also edited by David Schaller.

So who is this German biker with the name of Marius Dietsche? Boy is a 30 year old BMXer from the black forest area of Germany, you know, that country in Europe with the black, red and yellow flag, a weird penchant for sausages and a cute little accent. Marius is a great guy, he's below average in height, above average in looks, is party hardened, intelligent, curious, caring and a good listener, pretty insightful stuff ey. I've been lucky enough to have met and hung out with Marius over the years and can personally attest to his character and riding abilities. I will say, my take on Marius' riding abilities was that he was really good, a proper shredder. After having watched 'Roaming', my take has changed and I now think that Marius is an actual psycho. 

As a close friend of the LUXBMX crew, having been a previous member of the Tempered Goods brand and in residing in Australia a number of years ago, there are a bunch of connections with Marius and the Australian BMX scene. The situation then presented itself, in speaking with Marius about 'Roaming' and showcasing the video part with supporting images. Let's get it.

 

My first experience watching 'Roaming' was met with a feeling of pride and tension, it is quickly evident that Marius put his heart and soul into the project which then translates into being unable to take your eyes away. I reckon most viewers would share a similar take as well as form the view that the dude is horny for huge setups. From Marius' perspective, this seems like a change to how he used to ride:

"I don't do a lot of different tricks or technical riding anymore, partialy because learning new tricks slows down as you get older and partially because riding flatledges isn't as much fun to me as it used to be. What gets me excited is searching for new spots, exploring, travelling."

Classic european spot, totally badass, colourful and unique. Marius hits it at full speed

Highly picturesque locale. That scene looks windy, not ideal for focussing on a rail ride with a drop

Having a search and destroy mindset has certainly put Marius onto the path of an attraction to unique, big boy spots. Coupled with a natural stance, finely honed bike skills and a physical toughness, the dude is perfectly positioned to size up and take down what may come before him. Another factor which comes into play is Marius' smaller stature. It would seem that being lower to the ground, thinner and agile, you're able to better absorb the impact of a large drop:
 
"I agree, although there are people like David Grant who do not obey this rule. One additional thing I have observed (and its usually more common in smaller people) is how flexibility also plays a role. If you're the kind of guy who can bend his fingers way back you are much less likely to hurt yourself. For example, my friend Ellis from Switzerland is super tall and his ligarments are short in relation to his body, making him super inflexible. When he rolls his ankle on a stairset he is out for a few months and walks on crutches. When I roll my ankle, I walk back up the stairs and try the trick again because it doesnt impact me. We had this situation multiples times. Ellis calls it cheating."
 
Speaking of Ellis, I'm reminded of the 'Nuts & Bolts BMX' boys, to which these guys are a part of. Having been lucky enough to have met and rode with the crew a few years back in Berlin, it was awesome to see that the connection is still strong. It is often crews like this that drive and motivate different local BMX scenes, case in point, the 'Roaming' project. I asked Marius about his relationship with these dudes and what it was like filming a video part with them:

"'Nuts & Bolts BMX' is basically Yves, our filmer (and the guy who started it) and a couple more dudes from Switzerland. We have all known each other for over ten years, go on trips, organise jams and film together. As for this video part, the clips filmed by Yves where meant to go toward a 'Nuts & Bolts' full length video, but I ended up moving to Portugal for a year and the dudes also slowed down a bit which is why we decided to split it all up into seperate parts. I also continued filming for 'Roaming' with other people. I wish I could have filmed it all with them to have the same cameras and filming style." 

Marius with the Tempered Goods crew in Berlin 2019, chilling with the 'Nuts & Bolts' boys - shot by Yves

Massive roof feeble to drop with that beautiful sunlit afternoon atmosphere

Having worked on video parts myself, I agree in that it often results in a better end product when you're able to maintain a consistent filmer and filming style/equipment. Although in saying this, I don't think that 'Roaming' suffers from multiple filmers. The editing goes a way to provide uniformity, however for the most part, the dedication of Marius is mind-blowing which trumps any visual inconsistencies. When I say dedication, I'm talking to the fact that the video part is essentially a series of clips through which Marius gambles his wellbeing. The clip is either landed and enjoyed with sheer elation and fulfilment, or alternatively, the kid goes to hospital. Working through this scenario on a regular basis, without being forced, is BMX as it gets. Marius comments:

"Up until about a year ago I would have told you that it's all calculated risk and that I never really hurt myself. That would have been true for the most part. However, this winter I had a crash in Lisbon that made me re-think the risk involved and now when I look back I see more than one situation that could have ended badly. There are two crash clips on my computer that I didnt want in the video (or the internet). I have a scar on my forehead from one of them and cannot remember an afteroon in Lisbon from the other." 

Marius dwarfed by his surroundings, a common sight

This is the kinked ledge ride clip mentioned below, hold on and hope

Perhaps one of those situations that could have ended badly included the Mt Everest level ledge feeble at 1.51 or the kinked ledge ride at 4.13. On close inspection, both clips reveal that Marius' front tyre was merely centimetres away from tanking and likely ending in oblivion. One might be thinking, heck, a helmet would come in handy here. What does Marius think about helmets:

"Wear one! If you need motivation to do so send me a message and I will show you the crash clips on my computer."

Friends & pain

Whilst working on this piece, I did just that and Marius obliged with the videos. It is not pretty, however does continue to build my awe around this project. 

Before this piece ends up being longer than any BMXer would care to read, let's reach a conclusion assisted by Google translate and a comment on the 'Roaming' Youtube clip:

"This boy has control of where he falls, he is very fine and he throws himself from anywhere, he does atrocities, bravo Marcus."

Lastly, in truly top notch form, Marius ends with a sentiment for our Australian audience, a very wise comment coming into the State of Origin period:
 
"Queensland man. Qeensland is good."

Bravo Marcus, bravo.