Interview Elias Schwärzler: Bike influencer on a big journey in "Bike the World"

FREERIDE: What's the strange paintwork on your bike?

Elias SchwärzlerThis is my "Bike the World" paint job. The basic design is pied black and white. But each country has its own symbol, a landmark. There is a red shrine for Japan. Bolivia is represented by a llama. And so, over the next few years, 20 symbols will come together, because I want to travel to 20 countries.

And then you auction off the bike for a good cause?

Good idea! Until now I thought I'd hang the frame on the wall in the living room afterwards and look at it with satisfaction and think of all the adventures in foreign countries. But an auction would be fun too.

Which countries are you travelling to?

We are behind schedule. Turkey is on the programme for October. After that, I want to go to Korea.

What is the idea behind the country trip?

The idea for "Bike the World" came to me because although I've travelled a lot, I've seen very little. Yes, I was in Canada. Did I see anything of Canada because of that? No, because I've only been to the Whistler bike park. And that's how I feel about many countries. With "Bike the World" I want to change that, I want to meet people, get in touch with their culture, eat their food and experience their customs. Of course I also want to go biking, but the focus is not on extreme stunts.

How do you choose the countries?

Choosing the countries was easy, we sat down as a team and thought about which corners of the world we wanted to visit. We used Google for inspiration. When we saw the volcanic slopes in Bolivia, we said: That's where we're going. Booked a flight, flew there. Or Japan with Tokyo, the largest city in the world.

I thought that was Mexico City.

No, Tokyo with 37 million people. You can't imagine what it's like there.

Was that your first time in Japan?

Yes, the first time.

What impressed you most about the country?

I was deeply impressed by how nice, friendly and courteous the people are. That's unique in the world. It's amazing! In the largest city in the world, not a single car driver honks. I was doing a wheelie at the biggest junction in the world. For every green phase, 3000 people cross the road. Hectic? Stress? Being annoyed? No, not at all. That's where I lost my new Oakley. Minutes later, someone taps me on the shoulder and says: "That could be yours."

Perhaps it has something to do with Buddhism.

You say something! This religion fascinates me. I enjoyed the country so much, I could hardly believe how tidy and clean it is and how disciplined the Japanese are about keeping it that way. Nobody throws an old mattress into the forest. Japan is the most beautiful country I have ever travelled to in my life.

More beautiful than Austria?

Austria is home, it's out of competition.

You'll soon be travelling to Turkey. To where? To Cappadocia?

That's right, to Cappadocia. I know, Korbi Engstler beat us to it.

Not just Korbi, many others too. Cappadocia is anything but an insider tip.

That's right, but it's a dream landscape - and I wanted to see it with my own eyes. Of course I want to ride down these bizarre rock formations on my bike, but we have something else in our luggage besides bikes: parachutes.

You bastard, that's been on my bucket list for a long time: Jumping out of a hot air balloon with a parachute.

(Laughs.) Then come along! It's easy, then you'll experience it!

I recently saw Fabio Wibmer's edit, "Behind the Scenes in Valparadaiso". It made me realise just how much effort goes into a video clip like this: the logistics, the scouting, the stunt building - it all takes up days. There's hardly any time left for the country, people and culture.

That's right. That's the crux of the matter. Fabio is known for doing the craziest stunts and he really lives up to this reputation. It's different for me. I want to tell a story. Of course I also want to ride a bike and do a stunt from time to time. But I don't want to have to build ramps, I want to take the country as it is and show how beautiful cycling is and where it can take you. I take people on a journey with Tiktok.

What do they learn?

They experience what it's like to be on a trip like this and the problems we have to overcome. For example, how we try to do the world's coolest descent in Bolivia. An eight kilometre long downhill. The finest gravel slopes, which I was able to power through like deep snow skiing. No quad bikes go up there, no, you have to trudge up yourself. Up to 5000 metres. It makes your lungs wheeze and your head explode. And people get to experience that up close.

How did your sponsors react when you said: "I want to travel to 20 great countries, experience adventures and send you the bill?"

(Laughs.) The sponsors thought it was great. Because it's really difficult to get attention at the moment. Scroll through Insta! What do you see there? Always the same: tricks you've seen a thousand times before. Yes, it's cool when someone does a doubleback flip. But sorry: I've already seen it! So if it's not a double over steps in the middle of the city, it's not going viral. It used to be different when we did the Sick Series. Now, on the other hand, so many people are doing classic content on social media, i.e. building stunts in the forest and doing tricks. You can't get anyone out from behind the stove with that anymore. Fabio and I have always been a bit different in that we do things differently.

How different?

For example, by making people dream, telling stories, being funny instead of serious. If I ski down the most beautiful slopes in the world, I will inspire people because beauty fascinates. When I told Insta 360 about our idea, for example, they were immediately enthusiastic.

Why don't others do the same?

I don't know. But there's nothing new on social media. The same bikers have been at the top of the reach list since 2015: Lukas Knopf, Erik Fedko, Fabio Wibmer, me... and recently Korbi Engstler and Gabriel Wibmer have joined them. But it's actually a shame that new ideas aren't being born.

Be happy, then you'll have it easier. Are you happy with your output from the "Bike the World" tour so far?

I'm very happy with how Bolivia and Japan went with Tiktok and Insta. Some posts went really viral there. YouTube is a bit difficult. But our focus is on short clips anyway. Because that's the future.

Why?

People's attention levels are falling rapidly.

I'm surprised that many clips seem sterile. Gee Atherton in the Dolomites, for example, even Kilian Bron. Great action, but "humanise" it does nowhere. Not much humour and "Schmäh" as you Austrians say. Why is that?

I see it 100 per cent the same way. We bikers have the opportunity to go viral and make a living from biking, but nobody does it. Why is that? Because people don't want to tell stories. It's still all about riding the steepest line and doing the sickest trick. Fabio and I realised early on that it's much better to include a story. Even if it's just a short storyline like in my clip: "My Dreamgirl". I tell a story that everyone can identify with, add a bit of humour and the clip appeals to a lot more people than a high drop in the forest that nobody can really appreciate.

What is your explanation that the bikers are so serious, there is little joking and silliness like Fabio and you did.

I know the answer, because I hear it all the time at my Sender's Academy. For the young bikers, it's all about getting respect from the hardcore types with their clips and not appearing childish under any circumstances. According to the motto: Erik Fedko has to think the clip is cool and Eric Fedko doesn't celebrate stories. And I keep hearing: It's all about how good the riding is! - Yes, that's true, but it's even better if you tell a story with the riding. It's the combination of both, otherwise nobody will watch your film. And I don't give a shit whether Erik Fedko likes my video or not. What matters to me is that other people like it and that I reach a lot of people with it.

I would guard the recipes for success and not tell anyone.

I want to give them away. That's the idea behind my Sender's Academy. That's where I explain these strategies and recipes to young riders. Like Luis Freitag, for example, who is now much better at making successful clips. My goal: I want bike sport as a whole to take off more, become more successful and attract more sponsors. My dream would be a bike high school, but that won't happen until the sport of biking gets bigger.

Until then, I'm looking forward to seeing a funny little film about your Turkish adventure, because you're unlikely to ride any better than Kilian Bron in Cappadocia.

That's right. But you see me drinking coffee with Turks, getting up too late and sweltering in the midday heat, slipping off the rocks, discovering caves....

... and you jump out with a parachute. There's a clip of someone swinging out of a hot air balloon with a rope, letting go and falling into the depths in a stretched Auerbach. Super cool.

That was probably Marco Fürst. Marco makes such a fool of himself. I did my skydiving training with him in Hohenems. I'm currently planning a stunt where I ride my bike on a flying aeroplane over the wings and then drop into the depths.

Good luck!