Romain De Marchi is a pretty unique character. He lives life in the fast lane (sometimes too fast) and puts 100% into everything he does. Some people call him eccentric or insane, but it's just that Romain doesnt know any other speed than mach 10. We caught up with RDM whilst touring with Absinthe and YES for their new movies. He took us back to the good ol' days and let slip what made him into the man he is today, read on...

When did you FIRST strap-in to your shred stick?
Actually I didn’t strap in, I clipped in, haha. I was wearing hard boots and Clicker bindings when I tried snowboarding for the first time at my aunt's cabin in Nedaz, Switzerland.

What was your FIRST snowboard and how did you get it?
I rented my first board and it was a Crazy Banana.

Which was the FIRST snowboard VHS/DVD you ever watched?
I am pretty sure it was "Road Kill" with Jamie Lynn, Chris Roach and Circe Wallace.
Who's film part did you FIRST froth over and inspired you to shred?
I've definitely got to say I used to froth over Jamie Lynn or Peter Line, they were the first ones to get me wet, haha.
Where was the FIRST time you got drunk and how old were you?
Waah, shit, that was a long time ago... I think it was probably at home in Switzerland when I was like ten or eleven.

Was your FIRST time with a woman special?
Nah, it sucked. She made me dump the girl I was with at the time and then she just fucked me and immediately dumped me. She just abused me and made me feel really bad!
What was the last thing you did for the FIRST time?
Forgetting.

When was the FIRST time you ever got to ride in a helicopter and how was that feeling?
It was in Alaska with Justin Hostynek (Absinthe films), about 10 years ago. I was also with Iker Fernadez at the time and it was pretty crazy because it was all so new to me. I was so shit scared for sure, especially when the heli dropped us on those gnarly ridges.
When was the FIRST time you went to jail and for what? 
It was in Germany. I forged my passport birthdate the previous summer to be able to get into bars in the US and forgot to change it back when I went back to Europe. When the cops pulled me over for a speeding ticket they realized that my passport and driver's licence birthdates didn't match. So they took me to jail and I had to pay a huge fine to get bailed out.

What was it like to have your FIRST child?
It was the craziest and most wonderful experience of my life, all rolled into one. From that moment on you don't care only about yourself.

What was it like to see and ride the FIRST YES boards?
Well, it was super fun, it gave us a lot of new energy and to this day we are still very proud to have achieved so much in such a short time.

When will be the FIRST day you will ride this year and where and what are you going to do?
It will probably be in Whistler, Canada. We are waiting for the first snowfalls to drop and then we are going to try out all of our new promo gear for the next selling season, can't wait!
What was the FIRST thing that made you want to become a pro shred?
I would have to say definitely the freedom of the sport and the culture of snowboarding.

What is the FiRST thing that goes through your mind before you hit a monster cliff or jump?
It has always been the same for me and still is: It's going to be fine and have fun!

What has been the most memorable part YOU filmed and why?
I would have to say the most memorable part for me would be with Absinthe films in "Vivid". I was on fire that year.


Which film and whose part are you most looking forward to this year?
I am for sure interested to see Travis Rice in "The Art of Flight" and Kazu Kokubo in Standard Films' "TB20". Also Benji Ritchie's part in the YES movie is awesome.

 

Big ups to Russell Dalby for badass backcountry snaps, check out more of his work at russelldalby.com