https://www.danscomp.com/

Kilian Roth - Dealing With It

ACL hell...

3 Aug 2015

Kilian-Roth-fakie-bars-to-street

Kilian Roth - fakie bars through the branches and into the street a few months ago from the Eclat In Cyprus trip.

Photos by Fred Murray

It's the classic age-old BMX horror story - blown out knees. A lot of us go through it and some multiple times but to have it happen at the young age of 18 is pretty unfair. That's exactly what happened to Eclat, Cult and Vans team rider Kilian Roth though while out in Seville, Spain after a big half cab turned sour. We caught up with him a few weeks after his first ever knee surgery to see how he is coping...

https://shop.digbmx.com/collections/all-clothing
Kilian-Roth-ledge-ride-180-bars

This ledge ride to 180 bars took a couple of attempts and even a bloody lip (see photo below) due to the high speed 180 and an awkwardly placed curb out of shot to the left, but Kilian wasn't flustered.

How's it going? You just had knee surgery on your ACL and meniscus right?

I´m feeling good. Yes that's right, I had surgery two weeks ago. There are various methods to replace the cruciate ligament. I chose the hamstring method. The ACL gets replaced by a piece of the hamstring. The new ligament is pulled through the upper and lower leg bones and secured with screws. The meniscus was torn so they have cut the broken piece out.

How did you blow it out?

I tried a halfcab down some stairs on the 3 Day Metro Pass trip, but I was way too fast and jumped off a little bit too late. I came down too nose heavy and put my foot down. When I landed the whole weight was on it and my foot went in a different direction than my upper body. I just remember that my whole knee hurt so much, especially in the popliteal fossa (pit of the knee). It was a feeling I have never had before, I knew that something was wrong. When I lay on the ground heaps of local kids came around and looked after me if everything is fine. Fred and Diogo went to pick up the car and Anthony and Hadrien waited with me and then we drove straight back to the apartment. Thanks again guys! Luckily it was a three day trip and it happened on the second day so I decided to chill in the apartment the following day.

Another day another bust lip. No missing teeth this time though!

Moments after the halfcab gone wrong. © Red Bull / Fred Murray

Was this your first major injury?

It was definitely the biggest injury i've had so far, but I've already lost a tooth and one time I was in hospital for three days because of slight internal bleeding.

How long will you be out of action? How have you been keeping yourself busy?

I can´t say exactly but it will definitely take a while. I hope to be back on the bike beginning of next year. Right now it's still kind of difficult to do anything but when the crutches are away I can do more than just lying around. First the important thing is to put my leg back in good shape, and that will take a lot of time. I'm going to buy another motorcycle and restore it for something to focus on and then of course a little bit of work to make some money.

Is there any advice you would give to anyone else going through their first knee injury?

At the moment I can not say that much because the hard work is still to come, but especially because it's the ACL I've done a lot physiotherapy before the surgery. What you do before helps afterwards.

Kilian-Roth-luc-e-crank-180

Kilian Roth - Luc-e to crank 180 with some car protection aid from Eclat teammate Bruno Hoffmann. Funny fact: a man was so enraged at me taking photos on the street he took off his belt in an attempt to beat me with it like it was the 1950s.

Have you been given any advice from other riders?

It´s crazy how many riders went through that shit. Everyone I have spoken to said the important thing is not to stress it and take a good long recovery with a lots of physio.

Have you got any trips planned for when you're healthy again?

So far I have nothing set in concrete.

Have you been watching a lot of BMX videos since you've been injured? Does it help or make you more frustrated?

Yeah I watched a lot of videos. I have the time I guess! On the one hand it´s a bit frustrating, especially when you see the good weather outside, but I think it helps more because it motivates you and keeps your mind creative.


Kilian-Roth-nose-luc-e-180

Another photo from a few months prior to Kilian's knee blowout, this time a nosebonk luc-e 180 for an audience of drunk people hanging in the square, including most of the Eclat team.

Kilian-Roth-nollie-truck

Kilian can sling the bars in any position. Nollie truck first T.

Related Video

Éclat In Cyprus

Hoffmann, Kennedy and Roth - More Info

Related Video

Red Bull: Three Day Metro Pass - Seville

Diogo Santos, Kilian Roth and Anthony Perrin - More Info

Related Video

In The Cut: Behind-The-Scenes with Eclat in Cyprus

Street donkeys - More Info

Previous

The Jimmy Levan Podcast

First up in our new Collaboration with Snakebite

Related Content

cult-crew-killian-roth-culbhouse-session
Play Button

KILIAN ROTH CLUBHOUSE SESSION

Fresh off the plane and into the Clubhouse

10 May 2015
Cult-Kilian-Roth-2015
Play Button

Cult - Kilian Roth 2015

Kilian is simply killing it!

29 Jan 2015
Snapshots - Eclat in Cyprus
Snapshots - Eclat in Cyprus
Snapshots - Eclat in Cyprus
Snapshots - Eclat in Cyprus

Snapshots - Eclat in Cyprus

35mm kebab life with Bruno Hoffmann, Alex Kennedy and Kilian Roth

3 Apr 2015
killian-roth-cult
Play Button

Kilian Roth SoCal - Cult Crew

And on the seventh day...

18 Jun 2015
kilian roth eclat Screen Shot WM
Play Button

Kilian Roth - Welcome to Eclat

Street moves from the spots of Germany...

14 Nov 2014
eclat team ECLAT Chile RS

Tales from the Front Line with Eclat in Chile

AK, Bruno, Burns, Stevie..... and the story behind those Riots...

16 Jun 2015
Kilian-Roth-180-bars-gap
Play Button

Red Bull: Three Day Metro Pass - Seville

Diogo Santos, Kilian Roth and Anthony Perrin

24 Jun 2015
eclat-mercury
Play Button

Eclat Mercury Stem - Featuring Kilian Roth

A closer look at Eclat's top loader

10 Jul 2015
image001
Play Button

Vans - Kilian Roth

Kilian Roth killing it in Cologne

15 Sep 2014
kilian-winter-escape
Play Button

Kilian Roth - Winter Escape

Schools out!

26 Jun 2015
https://www.profileracing.com/

Latest Content

Q6j r35drxchqdefault
Play Button

SEOUL BAP

With Mir Ng and locals

18 Apr 2025
4 Ot YI9v Tf Zkhqdefault
Play Button

BILLY PERRY - "BMX HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD-WIRED INTO ME"

BMX Direct interviews Billy Perry

18 Apr 2025
Qr LDL Lr3zighqdefault
Play Button

'CHECKLIST' | THE CUT BMX

BANGERS!

17 Apr 2025
6 Ai GO7 Gs MU Qhqdefault
Play Button
Q6j r35drxchqdefault
Play Button

SEOUL BAP by Mir Ng

A BMX Travel Video

17 Apr 2025
X6i7kxw65i Yhqdefault
Play Button

RED BULL 'FEATURED' | MENS HIGHLIGHTS

Big air in Manchester

16 Apr 2025
Hk IZN Oy KRP Ahqdefault
Play Button

WAR PARTY - WEBEFILMING - 008

The latest from down under

15 Apr 2025
Kqxd06e Cr6chqdefault
Play Button

FRACTURE - 'FERIAS'

On the loose in Lisbon, Portugal

15 Apr 2025
0 C Hsc8 Uww D Ihqdefault
Play Button

RED BULL FEATURED STREET JAM

Presented by BNG BNG MCR in association with DIG

14 Apr 2025
6ir G r40 Ishqdefault
Play Button

Joe Smith- Watch This

Raw, real, and all Joe

14 Apr 2025
X9 Zb A6 Qj Mghqdefault
Play Button

WISE UP | Sunday Bikes

Brett Silva, Diego Bravo, Jared Duncan and more

11 Apr 2025
S Mbs W5hj44hqdefault
Play Button

Joel Bennett - 2025

PHX represent

11 Apr 2025

DIG Partner stores

More Dig This

RIXIN BIG APPLE ANGLE RAW ON WHITE 2500

PRODUCTIVITY - RIXIN Big Apple Frame

Billy Perry's signature frame - Built around what he needed.

8 Apr 2025
Rad teaser

Rad Day 2025

Anniversary movie screenings and RAD documentary release.

18 Mar 2025
Expert Top 3 Roll On crop

REPO: Keeping it local at the UK 'ROLL ON' Flatland Jam

"My desire was to give something back" – Mike O'Connell

5 Mar 2025
Snow Fight – Naoki Gaman2

20 Tips For Surviving Simple Session 2025

Check yourself before you wreck yourself!

20 Feb 2025
SS finals samples 4

SIMPLE SESSION 25 WRAP UP

Highlight videos, results and more

19 Feb 2025
Street station graphic

STREET STATION RETURNS for 2025

"Not your average BMX jam"

18 Feb 2025
Stack

DIG BOOK #2024

AVAILABLE VIA THESE BIKE SHOPS AND DISTROS

30 Dec 2024
New dig apparel main image

NEW DIG BMX APPAREL

Available now

27 Dec 2024
30 YRS POSH BOOK MNTN V V 004

(Almost) 30 YEARS OF POSH WOODS

Now available

24 Dec 2024
BSD Grime Safari Reed Stark Austin 6

Reed Stark - A Photo Safari

Safari Forever...

6 Dec 2024
Et FW24 Dig Magazine Collab Shoot 031

Introducing the DIG X ETNIES Collection

Celebrating a 25 year partnership

7 Nov 2024
24 photo comp web leader

THE 2024 DIG PHOTO COMP IS NOW LIVE!

OVER $1000 WORTH OF PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

15 Oct 2024