Getting to Know Steffi Marth
With a background on two wheels that started in BMX racing some sixteen years ago, Steffi's career as a professional cyclist has taken many twists and turns over the years. After graduating to mountain bikes, Steffi soon found her BMX roots coming to the fore as she battled it out on the 4X World Cup circuit. With 4X somewhat fading from the limelight, Steffi soon turned her attention to the greater world of mountain biking, racing both enduro and downhill, at the highest level. But there's far more to Steffi than just racing and as a rider with the creativity and rounded skills to turn her hand to any challenge, she now mixes things up. But above all else, Steffi's contagious enthusiasm sends a positive message to anyone who wants to get into this great sport and experience the thrills and spills of what riding bicycles off-road has to offer...
Who is Steffi Marth?A professional female freeracer!
Where are you from and where do you live?The flat east of Germany is where I was born and still go back to in-between travels. Life is mostly on the road, but the last few off-seasons, I spent a bit more time in Saalbach, Chamonix, and Squamish.
Who do you ride for?I ride for the love of it and I am supported by Trek, Schwalbe, Dakine, iXS, Shimano, Adidas Sports Eyewear, Fox Shox, SDG, HT-Components, Renthal, Muc-Off, DT-Swiss, Atlas, Jaybird, and Lifefood.
Shredding some freshly shaped berms at Steffi's home spot in East Germany.
Where are you happiest?Playing at home with my little nephews or on the road travelling through amazing landscapes. Or wherever I happen to be after an awesome race.
What’s been your favourite race venue?Fort William because World Champs in 2007 was my first international MTB race and since then I've been back almost every year.
Where are your favourite trails?There is nowhere I’ve found that compares to the diversity of the trails on La Palma in the Canaries. You can ride about 2500m down from the top of exposed calderas, through rainforest and banana plantations before finishing at the beach. The trails are all very rugged and natural. Recently though I was blown away by the massive trail network of Squamish with all those amazing features to be found deep in the forest. Thanks, Trailforks!
Steffi with her father after winning a bronze medal at the 4X World Champs in 2014.
Living the Utah lifestyle out in the desert.
What are your strengths?Organisation! Haha, it’s true I do like to make a good plan. Maybe ambition and willpower? In terms of riding it is probably my BMX background - it taught me a lot about bike riding.
What are your weaknesses?Decision-making is always a problem, especially when it comes to food... I always end up ordering what I don´t want! I would say I have also struggled to really let go and ‘YOLO’ in my DH race runs lately.
What’s been your worst crash over the years?It happened on my first practice run on finals day at the Lourdes WC last year. The track was really slippery early in the morning and I got thrown off on the nasty steep chute section and injured my shoulder badly. I went to the hospital and nobody even knew I was gone, so had to take a taxi back to the track later that day. The not-so-happy life of a privateer!
What’s been your luckiest escape?Not becoming an architect after finishing my master's degree... I don’t think my poor friends I studied alongside have left their desks since!
Which bike from over the years, conjures up the best memories?It has to be my Trek Ticket hardtail. I’ve had so many awesome sessions over the years on my home BMX track and also a couple of great races with it, especially back in the 4X World Cup days.
What bikes are you riding right now?The Trek Session 9.9, Trek Slash 9, Trek Ticket, Trek Ticket S and a Trek Madone road bike.
Anonymous mirror mode for some DH training at the Leogang bike park.
Who’s your favourite rider?Greg Minnaar simply because he’s the GOAT, Bernardo Cruz for his massive whips and style and Stevie Smith for his attitude to life and dedication. Also Caroline Buchanan and ACC for their insane power and the ability to win big at BMX, Fourcross, and Downhill Races!
Who or what inspires you?My little 3-year-old nephew and his care-free lifestyle. Amazing artwork, beautiful sunrises in the high alpine and Shiva Rae Yoga DVDs. And sick bike and ski movies of course!
What do you enjoy doing away from bikes?It´s super nerdy, but I enjoy crosswords, sudoku, drawing, analysing the supermarket bill and lately I have enjoyed making my own dream-catchers.
Yes, that is the Great Wall of China...
Up on the Highlands of Scotland, racing Fort William World Cup.
What are you listening to right now?Lorde and a lot of mainstream stuff that I didn´t realize were mainstream until I switched on the radio the other day haha! Mash-Up Germany for training days!
What’s your favourite movie/ TV show?The O.C. (I'm still in shock that it ended ten years ago) and Germany´s Next Topmodel.
What’s your favourite non-bike website?Does my own website count? It was a lot of work....
What’s your favourite motto or saying?"Shreaddy!" as in "Ready to shred".… I must admit to also being a big fan of "YOLO" too...
Letting the dirt fly in Hood River for a Dakine advert shoot.
What grinds your gears?When people stand too close to the belt at baggage reclaim... Sometimes I feel like stepping up and giving everybody a speech that it’s not helping anyone! Definitely German taxes and ungrateful people as well.
What makes you happy?Sports, Sushi and Sunshine.
If you weren’t a pro mountain biker, what would you be doing?Probably being a hippie living in a beach hut, handcrafting bracelets and selling them to pay for my hippie lifestyle. Or locked up in a high-rise being an architect.
Sending the biggest gap of her career after watching Redbull Rampage for inspiration.
If you were in charge of the sport, what changes would you make?I'd bring back a sicker version of 4X and make it an Olympic discipline.
When you hang up your racing shoes, how do you want to be remembered?Once I stop racing I’m sure I will still be around the bike scene working in the industry or with the media, so I hope there is no need for memories as I’ll be just living in the present.
What does the future hold for Steffi Marth?Better style, faster racing and a whole lot of adventures!
MENTIONS: @trek / @schwalbe / @iXSsports / @shimano / @foxracingshox / @renthalcycling
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Must Read This Week
Best answer to that question I've seen!
its disrespectful to rachel.
So many visits to such great places, surely near spiritual experiences in moments of pure joy and still no clue how this Earth spins around. Oooh yes, behind their desks, they are not having as many extatic experiences as you have, not as many people Like their pictures on instagram, do but it doesn't make them any worse. So please save yourself this "pity", we don't need it, we keep this world running. For good and bad.
Good luck and keep your head up but don't disrespect people who put food on your hands and roof over the head of yours and your family. We share one world, we are one.
I work in a large office, I see all sorts of people. I admire those who are motivated and organized, I pity those who look as if wished to be somewhere else and their desks are a mess, their 3D models are crap and they dress like their fathers chose their clothes. I met enough of such people to realize that no job in the world would ever suit them. Then there is the majority like me who just do the grind.
Well, if you don't find satisfaction in solving a problem for someone, to look at a building and remember how it looked in first sketches, you look at people using it, spending a third of their day in it, then yes architect's job is not for you. Go ahead, quit and encourage others to do it, people with mortgages and families. They should climb K2, drive F1 cars, grow organic coffee, write books, meet Krishna. Get lost in nature and you will Find yourself! (Or rather surely die) i know bike designers who ride less than I do, what the Fk is wrong with you people?! Do you really believe in this instagram happiness bollocks? Would you really take the hardship of the flip side of what pros need to do to make these pics, to stand on those podiums? My brother in law rides in TDF at the moment. I would never EVER trade with him. The reason you are where you are is the average of values, desires and risks you are willing to take, I assure you that you would not be able to walk in Steffis or Brendogs shoes, so how can you claim you envy them?!
What would you really like to do if money were no object, how would you really like to spend your life? f*cking bollocks... the grass is always greener on the other side of the road my friend. You can take this life and live it, or be sour, wishing you were someone else and have this shitty thought on your mind on your deathbed: "if I only rode bikes for living". Do you really want that?
I tell you the key to success: live alone. I will tell it to my som: Never get into any relationships, no kids, and you will achieve a lot. Start by reading "Atlas shrugged" and you may become another Ayrton Senna.
Hero archetype can be a terrible torturer...
I sit here because I like it, it is entertaining to me. Today I will sit in the evening and draw sht, instead of going biking, after my kids fall asleep. I may on the other hand divorce my wife and this way I will have bigger spans of free time, which will allow me achieve more of things that are potentially admirable by people who do pay for bikes. Is that a bad thing? Or did I make mistake be getting kids and mortgage in the first place.
If there is anything that saddens me here is this praise for engaging in selfish occupation and running away with it, and consequent despise for honest, useful work. People simply forget where they come from. I actually like myself and appreciate all I have. If you do like someof my satiric drawings then you have to dig what I write here, because you can't have one without the other. Only a sick mind creates weird sht. Ying and Yang baby, you reach for more ying, you get more yang. No way around it.
But I'm here, now and I can take this life and make my best to make it great or wish I was someone else, based on a few pictures andvideos. The age of heroes is soon to be over. Being a hero becomes cheaper and easier with every day. Sponsorships can be organized via crowd funding. I embrace the future and don't cry that 2016 is a crappy year because legends die, because terrorist attacks happen in public places, because my uncle and grandma died. This is the best year of my life and times will just get better as my kids grow and I gain experience at my work.
Everyone ableto afford a mountain bike is living a dream, want to see paradise, look around and view it