In the thriller The Third Twin by Ken Follett, the plot goes something like this: There are two identical men who, as it soon transpires, are not actually twins but clones. However, the guys are involved in so many incidents at the same time that at some point you realise that there must be a third twin. But not enough. In the end, there are about six identical-looking cloned men.
Even for "just" a pair of twins, Mario and Manuel Stecher have organised so many SUP adventures, expeditions, river descents, trips, races and lake circumnavigations in recent years that you'd think they were half a football team too.
Last winter, local television became aware of the Stecher escapades and filmed the two of them on a flowing water SUP. The 33-year-old brothers seem to prefer to be photographed with icicles in their beards, judging by the broad grins on their faces. On the verge of chattering, the brothers from the Allgäu region talk about their love of SUP - especially white water and surfing - but also about hiking in the mountains. "Deeply in love with my country!!!" Manuel recently enthused on Facebook, looking at a snow-covered landscape in front of the Grünten summit in the Allgäu.
These are guys who like to be described as "close to nature". In their own short film "Winter SUP", they glide almost synchronously across crystal-clear mountain lakes in their home region. And they also slide down the slope on a SUP board for a change. Their idea is to show the whole spectrum of the sport, which is all too often only associated with beaches and bikinis. "We are not professional athletes. We wanted people to see where we come from, which is why we filmed in the Allgäu region," says Manuel.
They live about half an hour's drive from each other, in Kaufbeuren and Kempten, but the Stecher Twins are practically always perceived as one unit. Seemingly unconsciously, they switch between "I" and "we" even when talking. Occasionally they also use "I/we" in conversation.
Mario was an ambitious kitesurfer until a serious accident forced him onto a SUP board as a rehabilitation measure. He made his first circumnavigation of Lake Constance alone in 2013. He has since become a river specialist and has made it his mission to explore all Bavarian rivers on the SUP. Mario won the title at the 2015 German SUP Whitewater Championships on the Saalach in Lofer, Austria.
Manuel used to be a mountain biker with heart and soul. Now surfing is his great passion - surfing with or without a paddle - and river surfing. "River wave" is the name given to surfing more or less on the spot in a rolling river wave. The twins are regulars on Munich's Eisbach wave. You can usually find them there on Mondays, even when it's below freezing.
It is precisely the media attention that allows less experienced athletes to attempt similar crazy things. "We are sometimes criticised for quite daring actions. There are always imitators for every action," says Manuel. "It's like all sports, when you've mastered it, it looks easy, but there are certain risks involved." Then he adds. "We have learnt everything by doing. We are imitators ourselves!" However, the Stechers do not see themselves as extreme athletes who expose themselves to high risk, such as with "base jumping or cliff diving". And with whitewater SUP in particular, they have respect for the danger, emphasises Mario. "Of course I've made a few mistakes on the river, but I'm trying to feel my way up slowly. I started on tame meadow rivers and only then slowly tackled other rivers like the Loisach, which others have already paddled for a long time."
Both emphasise that there is no competition between them, but having a twin brother is an incentive. "If one can do something, then the other is keen to learn it," says Manuel. Of course, Mario agrees: "Of course you want to reach the same level and do something about it. We push each other." The training programme includes SUP, surfing, strength training, swimming, cycling or running or "something" almost every day of the week.
Of course, the Stecher Twins are delighted that they can at least partially cover the costs of their adventures thanks to partners and sponsors. Mario grins. However, dedicating themselves entirely to the sporting life and making a living from it is not the goal. Everyone likes their job. Manuel is a nurse, Mario works with addicts.
With training, perseverance and a little planning, anyone can achieve the unusual, is their message. "There is a lot to experience and there are many excuses not to do something," says Manuel. "Sometimes you need a kick up the arse, but everyone can make a difference. Just go out and experience something."
Incidentally, crime writer Follett had already written a children's book about an enterprising duo: The Power Twins. Fits just as well.
Stecher SUP Chronicle
- 2013: - Circumnavigation of Lake Chiemsee, 80 km in 11.5 hours (Mario) - Circumnavigation of Lake Constance, 160 km in three days (Mario)- 2014: - Circumnavigation of Lake Garda for the rescue of dolphins, 160 km in 28.5 hours paddling time (together with Arnd Dünzinger & Andy Dressler)