Down by the River: DIY in Southern France with Bastien Marlin

Down by the River: DIY in Southern France by with Bastien Marlin
Photos by Loïc Benoit. Bonus photos from Valentin Klinger.
Video filmed and edited by Bastien Regeste
Additional filming by Valentin Klinger and Jefferson Cuvillier

I’ve never been satisfied to just skate the surrounding spots in my area. I’m always looking for new places and when I can’t find something I’d like to skate, I build a new spot or change one that needs fixing to make it skateable.

My idea is to build something different to the spots we already have. I’m not a bowl skater, but I like it. Some people complain to me that I build unskateable spots… But I don’t want to build a skatepark. I much prefer that a spot gets the feel of a real street spot with all it’s own difficulties and challenges.

I always build stuff in hidden areas to not catch people’s attention and get problems. I love building by the riverside because it’s very easy to find sand and water to make concrete.

Most of the time I work alone. I’m a very impulsive person. From one day to the next I launch a new DIY project and spend three days by myself making concrete. Fortunately, I have very helpful friends who join in to give me a very precious helping hand.
When I build a spot I have some ideas for the shape. In the process of building I gradually change that initial idea and finally the spot turns out way different to the original plan. It could be that I see a magazine and think that it could be better to have something that I saw in there and change my plan.

All the spots I built are really close to my town Beziers, in the South of France. The tunnel spot is in the middle of the vineyards, close to the motorway. It’s unusual to meet people there, only some hunters and rabbits. L’écluse 1927 was my first big project in this zone. It was the best place to go for a sesh, the spot was by the riverside in the middle of the wild! Unfortunately that spot got destroyed… The bridge spot is my latest project, it’s by the riverside under a bridge, a perfect place for swimming, fishing, and making some BBQs. – Bastien Marlin

L’écluse 1927