60 Seconds with... SVEN MARTIN
Fans of mountain bike racing wouldn’t get the up-to-date coverage, reports and gossip from the trackside and pits if it weren’t for photographers like Sven Martin. He’s one of a tribe of snappers who travel the world, following the racing and documenting the drama that unfolds between the tape. Fuelled by a passion for the sport (and coffee), Sven spends countless hours in the mud and dust of remote mountainsides to capture those thousandth-of-a-second snapshots of our favourite riders. We salute him!
Who is Sven Martin?
A diehard bike fan, photographer, storyteller and husband.
How did you get into bikes?
I used to race BMX as a kid, then switched to skateboarding. My wife Anka got into MTB as something to do while I was off skating. I then followed her to the mountains and eventually bought a bike, when I was about 28, and got hooked on DH and racing. Since then it’s widened to all sorts of bikes and disciplines.
Where do you call home?
Nelson, New Zealand, but we’re only here four or five months at a time. Otherwise, we base ourselves in Molini, Italy – our HQ for the northern hemisphere’s summer events and jobs. Also, we spend a month or two each year in Cape Town, South Africa, to visit family.
What was your first bike?
I bought a Specialized FSR Expert, put a RockShox Pike fork on it and thought I was a downhiller. My first real bike was a Chumbawumba DH bike I bought off Maxine Irving, an amazing British DH pro based in California.
What’s your current ride?
I only get to travel with one bike, my Santa Cruz Megatower. It needs to handle any enduro stage for covering the EWS. In NZ, I ride my Tallboy. It’s good for overnight adventures and still descends well. I have a Bullit e-bike in NZ and Italy, which is good for when you need to carry a heavy camera bag or keep up with much fitter pro riders.
What gets you excited to ride?
Long descents on new trails. Ideally ones that end with a swim and a beer or two!
Favourite rider to watch?
There are so many. I like the rough-and-ready approach of Amaury Pierron – he puts 100 per cent into every run.
Favourite bike film?
I always enjoy Clay Porter films, or how Joe Bowman showed the riders in Gamble. The loose web edits put out by Vanzacs, 50to01 and the like get me pumped. I mostly watch skate and surf videos because I see enough biking in real life!
Best trail you’ve ridden?
The next one is always the best! The Nelson area here in NZ has amazing trails, as does Molini in Liguria. There are a couple of tracks Ash Smith (of Trans-Provence fame) took us on last summer – you’ll be able to discover those yourself in the not-too-distant feature.
Scariest thing you’ve done on a bike?
Breaking my neck in an OTB at Whistler in 2005. It wasn’t scary at the time, just a bad outcome from a silly crash, but I now have a titanium rod in my neck.
Worst crash you’ve had?
I broke four ribs in Whistler. That was the most pain I’ve ever been in. They’d made changes to Dirt Merchant, and I didn’t know. They put signs up after! You should always look first before riding a trail blind.
Your biggest ride?
There’ve been a few hut-to-hut rides here in NZ we’ve done in one day instead of two. Proper singletrack with big climbs and techy descents. Anka is way gnarlier than me – she did a 3,000km, 14-day off-road, self-supported bikepacking trip fresh out of surgery with a pinned, broken hand.
How far can you wheelie?
I max out at about a tennis court’s length.
What would you do if you weren’t a pro snapper?
A team owner/manager, if I won the lottery. But I’d still want to take photos and stay up late – it doesn’t feel like a job. If I wasn’t a pro MTB photographer, I’d definitely be in the bush in Africa shooting wildlife.