Akrapovič Magazine vol. 7 by Akrapovič

DRESSED TO IMPRESS. There’s always a way to kick it up a level. And one of the best is the Akrapovič silencer. It gives the K 1300 R everything it needs to stay king of the urban jungle: a full sound, reduced weight, plenty of power and looks that take the breath away. To ﬁnd out more, visit bmw-motorrad.com

K 1300 R WITH AKRAPOVIČ SILENCER UNSTOPPABLE URBAN.

BMW Motorrad

K 1300 R

The Ultimate Riding Machine

Contents

Letter

A Spectacle with Akrapovič

Close racing, a number of spectacular passes, and attractive cars such as Ferraris, Porsches, Corvettes, and Aston Martins are the perfect recipe for excellent races. In the Dutch Supercar Challenge and BelCar series, Akrapovič also plays its part. The company that produces top-quality exhaust systems for sports and other cars has been actively involved in sponsoring two extremely attractive car racing series in Benelux: the Dutch Supercar Challenge and the Belgian BelCar. These two series offer thunderous racing duels on famous race courses such as the Silverstone, Nürnburgring, Spa Francorchamps, Zandvoort, and Zolder, where both true and amateur car racers compete against one another. If you wish to enjoy car racing and see the best cars in the world, the BelCar and the Dutch Supercar Challenge are the best choices for you. For more on both series, go to www.supercarchallenge.nl and www.belcar.com.

Akrapovič Windows 7 Theme In mid-2010 the Akrapovič company, in cooperation with Microsoft, readied ten pictures that can be downloaded by Windows 7 users and used as a Windows 7 theme. The project was a huge success and the Akrapovič Windows 7 theme was downloaded by over 1.6 million users around the world by mid-August. The theme has been among the top three downloads in the category over the last few months. If you want to join the ever-growing number of users of this theme, head over to: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/ downloads/personalize

Photo: Marko Tončič

Mini Alpe Adria Summit 2010 The irst Mini Alpe Adria Summit, organised in the summer under the patronage of the Akrapovič brand, brought more than 180 lovers of the iconic car from 12 countries to Slovenia. Over 100 Minis took to the scenic roads of the country on the sunny side of the Alps, starting at Lake Bled, crossing the Vršič mountain pass, following the low of the emerald Soča river and then inishing at the Slovenian seaside. The superbly executed event attracted Mini owners from Slovenia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia and Great Britain.

Riders for Health Day of Stars at Laguna Seca MotoGP The USGP at Laguna Seca kicked off on Thursday for the Riders of the Health Day of Stars. One of the highlights of the day’s events was the signing of a Rossi Yamaha M1, equipped with Akrapovič exhausts. A project conceived by Daytona 200 winner Don Emde, this one of-a-kind street bike was signed by Valentino Rossi and will be auctioned this fall with all proceeds from the sale going to beneit Riders for Health.

06 / 07

Akrapovič Named as a Best Brand

After winning a number of Best Brand awards in the exhaust systems category of well-known motorcycle magazines, Akrapovič has now made its mark on cars. The Best Brand 2010 award, announced by Sport Auto Magazine, is a great honor for the company because its readers voted Akrapovič the best brand in the category of exhaust system manufacturers just two years after it entered the market. This clear recognition by Sport Auto readers (the Akrapovič brand outscored the runner-up by nearly twenty percent) conirms the quality of Akrapovič (car) products.

MotoGP Riders Capirossi and Bautista Visiting Akrapovič After their demanding racing weekend at Czech GP in Brno, both racers from the Rizla Suzuki team, Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista, who compete in the prestigious MotoGP class, paid a visit to Akrapovič. They were enthusiastic about everything they saw. In addition to the good experience they’ve already had with the Akrapovič exhaust systems on their Suzukis, they especially praised the company’s high level of technological development and its innovative approaches to developing exhaust systems. During their visit, the multiple world champions enjoyed chatting with the management and employees, and also gave out quite a few autographs. Akrapovič is the Rizla Suzuki team’s oficial exhaust system provider for the MotoGP class in the 2010 season.

Akrapovič America

Photo: Jernej Prelac

Photo: Bor Dobrin

The Akrapovič Company is continuing an extensive growth phase. In just a few years, the company has developed from a small workshop with just a few people to an industrial plant with around 440 employees, now active in four separate divisions: motorcycle exhaust systems, car exhaust systems, composite-based products, and a recently launched titanium casting facility. The company is now preparing itself for further growth and business development. One of our most important activities is establishing various distribution concepts, which also ensures a strong market presence. Thus, a new branch ofice in the USA was opened. It is located in located in Irvine, CA. The ofice will initially focus on North America, but later also build links with Central and South America. The ofice will mainly focus on: • Improving brand availability & awareness • Improving knowledge of our products and thus recognition • Implementing business intelligence to improve monitoring, planning, and coordination • Taking advantage of available business opportunities • Improving after-sales service Akrapovic America LLC 36 Waterworks Way Irvine, CA 92618 Tel: 949) 679-3491 Fax: (949) 679-3546

Sharp details I

We are the (World) Champions

by Peter Kavčič photography Aprilia, BMW, Peter Kavčič, Ray Archer, Jonty Edmunds

 Max Biaggi

 Carlos Campano

 Ayrton Badovini

08 / 09

 Tony Cairoli

Sharp details II

The Akrapovič company enjoyed numerous successes in this year’s motorbike racing season, which is slowly drawing to a close. We were successful in a variety of categories, including road racing, motocross and enduro. The number of individual victories and titles in national championships and international races is too big to list, so we will focus only on the top level: world champions. We won the World Superbike championship for the second year in a row. Last year we did it with Ben Spies and the Yamaha team, this year we are celebrating together with Max Biaggi and Aprilia, who clinched the title in the penultimate race. We have proven to be without rivals in motocross: the prestigious world champion titles were won by Tony Carioli with his KTM in the MX1 class, Marvin Musquin (also KTM) in the MX2 class and Carlos Campano with his Yamaha in the MX3 class. The legendary David Knight won the title in Enduro3 and Stephanie Laier became the women’s motocross world champion. Both ride KTMs. We would also like to point to the convincing

overall victory by Ayrton Badovini in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. This title is additionally important as it is the irst cup where victory was achieved on a BMW S1000RR. There are a couple of races before the close of the season, so we still have a chance to win more titles. Sports provide a reference framework that knows no compromises and helps promote a brand. We are therefore extremely proud of the titles and also grateful to all the riders who help to increase our brand’s visibility, as well as keep proving the quality of our exhaust systems in the toughest racing conditions.

 David Knight

 Marvin Musquin

Moto Action / 5 minutes before the race

DANCES WITH BIKES CHRIS PFEIFFER

THINGS CONSIDERED IMPOSSIBLE BY THE AVERAGE BIKER ARE, FOR HIM, A MERE WARM-UP. HIS STUNTS DEFY THE LAWS OF GRAVITY AND PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE. IN FACT, WHAT CHRIS PFEIFFER DOES CAN SIMPLY BE CALLED ART: AN URBAN DANCE WITH BIKES. APART FROM VICTORIES AT THE EXTREMELY TOUGH ERZBERG RODEO, HE ALSO CLAIMS FOUR EUROPEAN CHAMPION AND FOUR WORLD CHAMPION TITLES.

By Peter Kavčič photography Predrag Vučković / RedBull Photofiles

YOU ARE KNOWN FOR TAKING YOUR BIKE TO THE MOST UNUSUAL LOCATIONS. WHICH ONE WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE CRAZIEST ONE?

There’s one achievement I’m especially proud of. At the start of my career I scaled a very demanding, 250-meter natural climbing route with a trial bike in Italy. This record stood unmatched for a total of 10 years, before it was repeated. DO YOU THINK THAT STUNT RIDING IS A DANGEROUS SPORT?

No, not so much at the professional level, because those of us who do it train a lot, ride our bikes a lot, and have sharpened our instincts to clearly see when we’ve reached the limit before something goes wrong. But, unfortunately, I can’t say that for beginners or riders who want to copy the pros. For them, riding on the rear or front wheel can be very dangerous.

BUT WHAT’S MORE DANGEROUS THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THE MOST DANGEROUS TRICK?

I hone my skills several hours daily when I’m not travelling and that’s not dangerous. But I sometimes have a feeling that the most dangerous thing that I do is drive my car long distances – things can quickly go wrong if you’re tired behind the wheel. OK, BUT THE MOST DIFFICULT TRICK?

Deinitely my last one: the 180° brake slide & wheelie. It’s a 180° brake slide turn and ends with me riding on my rear wheel in the direction I came from. Also very demanding are the ‘no hand sit down wheelie circles’.

of the buildings from the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, across the Galata Bridge in Istanbul … but being able to ride on the platform at the top of the BMW Tower in Munich was a lifelong dream come true. If I have to choose one place, then the BMW Tower would be it. AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AKRAPOVIC EXHAUSTS THAT YOU USE?

I simply adore the build quality and the looks. I’m also very enthusiastic about the exhausts’ development. Akrapovič has an amazing brand image, nothing comes close to them.

AND THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE PLACE YOU’VE RIDDEN?

There’ve been many, it’s dificult to choose. I rode my bike in amazingly beautiful places: the sand beaches of the Caribbean, the Sahara, the remains

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Moto Action

MIGUEL DUHAMEL IS A 42-YEAR-OLD CANADIAN MOTORCYCLE RACER, THE SON OF CANADIAN MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAMER YVON DUHAMEL. HE IS THE SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL RIDER IN THE AMA SUPERBIKE SERIES, WITH 32 WINS, WHILE HE HAS THE MOST WINS IN THE AMA SUPERSPORT SERIES. HE BEGAN HIS PROFESSIONAL RACING CAREER IN 1988 AND WON HIS FIRST AMA SUPERBIKE RACE IN 1990 – THAT YEAR HE WAS AMA SUPERBIKE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. HE IS A 5-TIME AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPION, A 5-TIME DAYTONA 200 AND 600 SUPERSPORT WINNER, A 2-TIME AMA FORMULA XTREME CHAMPION, AN FIM ENDURANCE CHAMPION AND AN AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION AS WELL. HE HAS ALSO COMPETED IN THE FIM 500 CC AND MOTOGP CLASS.

MIGUEL DUHAMEL By Primož Jurman

photography Bor Dobrin >> YOU HAD BEEN RACING FOR 20 YEARS, THEN YOU STOPPED, AND NOW YOU’RE BACK AGAIN. WHAT’S THE REASON FOR YOUR COMEBACK?

There’s still a lot of racing inside of me I am still in great physical shape. I’m not done racing yet. I know I still got it inside to win! WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IF YOU WEREN´T RACING?

I would have found something I enjoyed and done it well and been successful ... WHO WOULD YOU PICK AS YOUR TEAMMATE IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE?

My dream teammate would be Valentino Rossi – awesome personality, very fast, & I could learn something from him. But I’m not picky when it comes to teammates. WHAT WOULD CHANGE IN THE SPORT THAT YOU’RE COMPETING IN?

Ban Traction Control… no hesitation! I would take bikes back to when the pilot had to ride them, not the computer. WHO IS YOU CHILDHOOD HERO?

My Dad! He raced it all – dirt track, snowmobile, NASCAR, dirtbike ... WHAT WOULD WE FIND IN YOUR GARAGE?

3 mx bikes , 7 bicycles, a few cars, a scooter, and my street bike - an MV Agusta F4. WHERE´S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?

Las Vegas is where I live. I also like Hawaii a lot. Generally, I think that America is the greatest place to live. But you also ind great people in Canada, especially in Montreal. My favorite race track is Castanue, where the Bol D’Or 24 Hour race used to take place. YOU´RE USING AN AKRAPOVIC EXHAUST SYSTEM – WHAT´S YOUR OPINION OF IT?

Bike worked good except for the rod-bearing engine problem. Great power delivery from the Akrapovič system. WILL YOU CONTINUE TO RACE IN THE FUTURE?

Yes… Absolutely!!! YOUR ADVICE TO MOTORCYCLISTS AROUND THE WORLD?

Find a good local dealer that can work with you! Have fun doing it. This is what I did with Moto Forza… You should also ind a small dedicated shop to go racing with, just like any other privateer.

Revolution

Car Projects at Akrapovič

by Mitja Reven photography Bor Dobrin

In the four months that it usually takes the Akrapovič team to develop an exhaust system for a car, you will see a technologically perfected process rather than some old-school metal tube bending. And how could it be otherwise: the company’s exhaust systems for sports cars combine enormous know-how, expertise, top-notch technology and the use of modern materials. Many people are interested in how an exhaust system is made. The process begins when Akrapovič selects a car and it arrives at the testing plant, where the R&D department thoroughly examine the factory exhaust and its surroundings. This is carried out with the help of a portable 3D camera that sends its digital readings to a digital world, allowing the engineers to see the available space on the vehicle’s underside, while performance data on the factory exhaust gives them the basis for assessing the potential for improvements. Nearly all of Akrapovič’s departments meet in this initial phase to decide which exhaust or exhausts will be produced after going through a wide range of sales, marketing and technical information. There is no set rule: the selected cars could be decidedly sporty like the Ferrari 458 Italia or comfortable fast rides like the Porsche Panamera. This means that the starting requirements differ as well: will the end product be used on the track, meaning as much power and as little weight as possible, or should the engineers focus on the sound? It is dificult to imagine a Panamera driver listening to the racing roar of its eight-valve engine throughout his 500 kilometre trip. And on the other hand, it would be a sin to bind the ‘black prancing horse’ to silence. The visual design of Panamera’s exhaust is also more discrete than e.g. the four tailpipes of the Nissan GT-R “Godzilla”, which shout out power. The use of the exhaust – whether it does its work around a track or on roads – also determines

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Revolution

whether it requires homologation. Once the priority requirements are set (power, torque, weight, sound, material, type approval), the products gets the go-ahead. Developing a car exhaust system can be divided into three largely complementary stages – development, technology and production. Engineers working on the technology part and their R&D counterparts never rest and constantly monitor their progress. The technology department takes up the largest chunk of time, about 2 months, while the other two stages last roughly one month each. The project is completed after the irst kit passes a comprehensive quality check-up before being shipped to the client. At the same time as 3D modelling begins, the prototype department also rolls up its sleeves. Its employees test various options and conigurations within preset parameters, like in the more romantic world of yore, but now in cooperation with a digital design team. When developing exhaust system prototypes, Akrapovič uses the best of both worlds: the real and the digital. But the goal of both departments is the same – the inal prototype (or prototypes) has to look exactly like its 3D model. The prototype department is like a mini factory in itself and has all the tools of the production department. It is able to replicate mass-produced exhausts, manually of course, while 3D modelling is primarily used to determine the product’s shape and dimensions. The development stage also includes numerical system analyses, which determine the loads on the exhaust system and provide answers to construction questions. And then there is the 3D printer, which is used for printing a physical model. This allows the prototype department to assess a component’s aesthetic appeal, especially exhaust tips. Opinions as to which tip looks better could well change after it is seen live as opposed to photos. After the prototype is completed, it is placed on the test vehicle and put through a battery of dynamometer and realworld trials, with the latter also used for measuring noise levels in motion or when stationary.

Detail check in the prototype workshop.

Apart from measuring the loudness, a special group of engineers also assesses its tone. Is the car too loud, too silent? When do sound vibrations appear? It is the human ear that counts here, as well as vast expertise and know-how! The dynamometer plays a crucial role in developing a car exhaust system, as it allows testing under equal conditions. Akrapovič then compares and analyzes all the results obtained under the same temperatures, wind and other conditions and decides whether any alterations should be made. In order to provide for optimal conditions in the dynamometer, where wind speeds can reach up to 160 km/h, the air inside is heated or cooled. The test results determine the inal coniguration(s) for the exhaust. There are several options available: the company makes exhausts that have to undergo type approval and those that do not (the latter are used on the racetrack). Or the company can decide to build basic versions that can be upgraded with additional pieces to change a type approved system into one that can be used on a track. The R&D department reaches one of the product’s main milestones by handing over the 3D model to the technology department. This department, which spends the irst month designing and deining the technological processes, also in a 3D environment, then prepares the tools that will allow the production department to replicate the 3D model and create a system as envisaged by the R&D engineers. The requirements regarding materials and product numbers play a huge role here. Pre-series products, made in the prototype department with the same tools and processes as used in the production department, have to be the same as the mass-produced ones and present another important milestone for the project. The ball is then passed back to R&D, which replaces the prototype exhaust with the pre-series one and reports to the technology department as to whether it meets the requirements or not. This is followed by the transfer of processes and tools to the production department, where manufacturing the irst product series can last weeks as technological processes are checked before inally coming to quality control. A thorough check veriies the quality of all elements, including packaging and details. After the completion and conirmation of the quality of the irst batch, it is the time to start mass production. The fruits of this labour are shortly thereafter in the hands of record hunters on race tracks as well as all those who enjoy the sound of Akrapovič’s products so much they leave the radio off when driving.

3D model is a heart of development.

Testing of various solutions.

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Revolution

Hand welding of the prototype system.

Cherry on a cake.

// Si

Tretja dimenzija V štirih mesecih, kolikor pri Akrapoviču približno traja razvoj izpušnega sistema za avtomobil, se izvedejo operacije, ki bolj kakor na tipično delavniško krivljenje cevi spominjajo na tehnološko izpopolnjen proces. Kako bi bilo drugače, saj so izpušni sistemi za športne avtomobile plod ogromnega znanja in izkušenj, vrhunske tehnologije in uporabe sodobnih materialov. Postopek se začne, ko avtomobil, za katerega bomo izdelali izpušni sistem, zapelje v testirnico. Takrat razvojni oddelek natančno prouči tovarniško vgrajeni sistem in njegovo okolico. Pregled poteka s prenosno 3D-kamero, ki v digitalni svet pošlje tridimenzionalni računalniški pogled sistema. Inženirji na računalniškem zaslonu vidijo, koliko prostora je pod avtomobilom, ocena tovarniškega sistema pa daje podlago za oceno izboljšav. V tej začetni fazi se srečajo skoraj vsi oddelki podjetja Akrapovič in po medsebojnem usklajevanju na podlagi širokega nabora prodajnih, marketinških in tehničnih podatkov določijo, kateri sistem se bo izdeloval.

Hot stuff

Hot Stuff from Akrapovič 16

Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, and of course increased engine performance. The change is also visual, as our muflers perfectly it the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing Ducati Monster 796 image. +5.3 HP/4360 rpm

Kawasaki Z1000 SX +16.2 HP/10400 rpm -9.85 kg

-1.94 kg

Honda VFR 1200F +5.5 HP/9700 rpm -2.94 kg

Suzuki RMX 450 +5.1 HP/7730 rpm -1.87 kg

Yamaha FZ 8 +7.5 HP/5450 rpm -4.53 kg

Suzuki GSX 1250 F/FA +8.8 HP/8870 rpm -4.0 kg

Car stuff

Car Stuff Welcome to our range of aftermarket exhaust systems for cars. We offer complete, partial, open or street legal products that signiicantly improve performances. We use only the best and exclusive titanium and stainless steel. We combine these two materials with high technologies and craftsmanship of our welders that divide this exhausts systems from anything else on the market.

Ford Mustang GT + 14 HP/5250 rpm + 48 Nm/1600 rpm - 21 kg

Nissan 370Z + 18 HP/7460 rpm +19 Nm/4500 rpm - 3,8 kg

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 31 HP/6660 rpm + 36 Nm/3100 - 16 kg

Porsche 911 Turbo (997 FL) - 7,7 kg amazing sound and appearance perfect basis for increased power when used in conjunction with an ECU

Sharp World

Antonio Cairoli - Focus on Winning

d u M , d e e Sp y r o l G d n a , g n i h t y r e v e s i g n i n Win , t n a v e l e r pain is ir ! p u e v i g never

by Peter Kavčič photography Redeye

The words Velocita, Fango e Gloria, which are inked on Antonio Cairoli’s back, tell a lot about him. It’s not some ornamental tattoo made for its own sake. This bold phrase is tattooed in his heart as well. What separates the best athletes from world champions? Is it luck? Absolutely not! Luck can only play a small role in overall success. The rest is total dedication to the sport. Dedication that makes every breath count towards the supreme goal – winning the world championship title and proving to yourself and your competitors that there are currently no better motocross racers in the world! Tony, as his friends and people in his Sicilian hometown of Patti call him, has bagged the title four times already, with the latest coming at the end of August this year in Brazil -- two races before the end of the season. The victory brought his number of titles on par with motocross legends like Harry Everts, Torsten Hallman and Heiki Mikkola and leaves him on track to catch the best rider in the history of the sport – his boss in the KTM team Stefan Everts, who has notched up a total of ten titles.

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Sharp World

Photos: Ray

Archer

While this number is undoubtedly a huge challenge to Tony, he keeps his feet on the ground and remains humble in his statements. His thoughts are already on the next season, which will feature an even longer list of competitors ready to take his crown. He surprised everyone this year by opting for the completely new and untested KTM 350 SX-F bike with a 100cc smaller engine, which compensates for its size by being lighter and boasting a less tiring ride on the bumpy tracks. But his decision was far from rash. After a long and hard winter training session at various hidden motocross tracks between Sicily and Belgium, Tony knew he had a winner on his hands even before the season’s opening race in Italy’s Mantova. It’s highly likely that KTM’s amazing, revolutionary motorbike, which allowed the company to win the world champion title after 25 years, will see competition from similarly designed bikes in the 2011 season. But at the end of the season, there can still only be one number one! During his nine-year career in the top light and by the young age of 24, Antonio had already joined the sport’s legends. In 2002, he took part in his irst GP race as a 17year old youngster who had been in love with motorbikes since his early years. This love was sparked by his father Benedetto, who ferried the boy around on his Vespa. His irst top podium position came only two years later at Belgium’s legendary Namur track, one of the toughest

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Sharp World

circuits around. He inished the 2004 season in third place, drawing attention to his talent and, especially, his dedication to the sport. The next season belonged to him. Despite an injury, the 19-year-old youngster fought his way through tough battles, becoming the youngest Italian motocross rider to be crowned champion in the MX2 class. His exceptional ighting spirit was proven in the following season, when he tenaciously duelled with France’s Cristoph Pourcel to the very end, scoring a double victory at the last race of the season, but inishing just short of the title. The determined nature of the ight can also be seen in the standings – the battling duo built up a more than 100-point advantage over the third-placed rider by the end of the season. Tony did not have to wait long for his next title. He had already sealed his second overall victory two races before the end of the 2007 season. He was prevented from repeating that feat in the 2008 season after suffering a serious injury to his left knee during a race in South Africa, forcing him to drop out of the season after only nine races. This was also when he made his decision to move to the MX1 class for the next year. The move to the royal division with its more powerful and heavier 450cc bikes meant that he had to tone up his muscles. But Tony never had problems with stamina building, as he is a itness workaholic who still wants to have as much fun as possible between sessions. If he didn’t have so much fun riding, he would never have been able to achieve such amazing results or be able to inish each of the 40-minute races with the seeming playful and easy-going manner he displays.He became world champion in his irst season in the MX1 class in 2009, bringing his title tally to three. And his overall victory in the 2010 season also broke the ‘curse’ that had prevented him from winning two titles in a row before that. He had been prevented from doing so before by injuries. Of course, the next challenge is securing three titles in a row, which means there is no rest for Tony. The preparations for the 2011 season start now and his chase for title number ive has already begun.

// Si

Hitrost, blato in slava S črnilom zapisane besede »Velocita Fango e Gloria« na hrbtu Antonia Cairolija veliko povedo o njem. To ni le navaden tatu, ki je tam bolj zaradi šminke, tako za okras. Te močne besede so vtetovirane tudi v njegovem srcu! Kaj loči najboljše športnike od tistih, ki na koncu postanejo svetovni prvaki? Sreča? Ne, nikakor! Sreča je lahko le majhen del uspeha. Drugo se skriva v stoodstotni predanosti športu. V tem, da vsak vdih in izdih pomenita korak bliže najvišjemu cilju, osvojiti naslov svetovnega prvaka in dokazati sebi in tekmecem, da ta trenutek ni boljšega motokrosista na svetu! Tony, kot ga kličejo prijatelji in someščani v domačem mestecu Patti na Siciliji, je z naslovom najboljšega kronal že svojo četrto sezono v motokrosu, nazadnje letos konec avgusta, dve dirki pred koncem na dirki v Braziliji. S tem se je izenačil z legendami svetovnega motokrosa, kot so Harry Everts, Torsten Hallman in Heiki Mikkola, hkrati pa je na dobri poti, da ujame najboljšega vseh časov, svojega šefa v ekipi KTM Stefana Evertsa, ki je v svoji karieri dobil kar 10 naslovov.

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Ride With Us

Michael Pribil & Helena Schwarzkopf

ON THE TRACK! / MADE TO AMAZE by Primož Jurman, Mitja Reven photography Bor Dobrin

IMAGINE THAT YOUR GARAGE HOLDS A THING OF BEAUTY WITH SOME 500 ‘THOROUGHBRED’ HORSES UNDER ITS BONNET. ALL THESE ‘EQUII’ WOULD LOVE TO STRETCH THEIR LEGS, GALLOP FREELY, NEIGH BOISTEROUSLY, COMPETE AGAINST OTHERS AND GIVE YOU PLEASURE. PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE. TAKE YOU TO A WORLD WHERE ADRENALIN FLOWS LIKE AT THE FORMULA 1 RACES – A WORLD OF ACCELERATION, BRAKING, SQUEAKING TYRES AND, YES, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS AS WELL. The place to be pampered in such a way, the place to test the limits of your vehicle in controlled circumstances, is a racetrack. Let’s say, for example, on track days, when numerous speed enthusiasts can spread their wings in an organised event. The Akrapovič company lent an ear to its potential customers (and anyone who loves thundering through curves) and this year organised its second track day, coming on the heels of last year’s premiere event in Monza. This time we pushed it back into the summer and to the renowned Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola. The heat pushed both people and machines to their limits. But the high temperatures could not spoil the enjoyment of numerous participants, mainly from Central Europe, who drove their cars to the event.

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Ride With Us

Kurt Kitzberger

Dimitris Antoniadis

Porsches, Ferraris, American valve-packing beasts, sharp-edged Lamborghinis and classically-shaped English machines orderly took to the track in the early summer sun and sought the ideal line in groups under the guidance of experienced instructors. Maybe the participants weren’t Schumachers or Hamiltons, but they came here for the sole purpose of having fun. To let it rip. To cause goose bumps by using their 6-, 8-, 10- or 12-valve engines to create noises that cannot be experienced in everyday trafic. And Akrapovič exhausts were certainly there to help create a better and more effective soundscape for Porsches and BMWs – and will certainly be seen on other brands next year as the company relentlessly widens its range. The track is a perfect environment for the company’s titanium exhaust systems, which are lighter and provide more oomph for your engine. There are no compromises here, there is no room for error and only the best is good enough. And this is the home of Akrapovič exhaust systems. But the company’s products perform great on the road as well, as proven by the racers, who returned home with new racing skills and with Akrapovič exhaust systems on the backend of their fourwheel beasts purring gently... for now.

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KURT KITZBERGER, AUSTRIA z Why track day? Such events are a hobby for me, so I decided to take part in it with some friends. z Is this your irst event of this kind, are you a regular on the track? This is my third or fourth track day, but I mainly took part in events organised by us, so this is my irst Akrapovič track day. Would you recommend track days to your friends? Of course. The participants come, drive and have fun. z You mentioned that your KTM motorbike is itted with an Akrapovič exhaust. Are you familiar with the company? I know that the company comes from Slovenia and I also know that its exhausts are light and generate additional power – in short, they are perfect products. z Do track day experiences make you a better road driver? I think so. At the beginning I attended BMW and Audi practical courses, but when me and my mates bought a Porsche, we decided to take to racetracks – and not only Austrian ones. MICHAEL PRIBIL and HELENA SCHWARZKOPF, GERMANY z You brought your lady friend to Imola in a Porsche Carrera GT, but you drove a Ferrari 430 Scuderia on the track. The silver Carrera GT is like wine. I arrive, park it and admire it. The Ferrari is more tailored for the track. Both cars have been modiied and the Scuderria includes a different suspension proile, a modiied exhaust system and slicks. z You drove from Germany. How did you ind out about the Imola track day? I come

from Munich and was told about the event by the a-workx company, which I’m a customer of. z Do you know the Akrapovič company? Yes, I do. Akrapovič makes excellent exhausts for sports cars, but I unfortunately cannot use one as the company doesn’t have a product for my car yet. But I’d deinitely use it if the company made it! z Do events like this give you an opportunity to look for your vehicle’s limits and improve your road driving? Yes, sure, you can deinitely learn a lot on the track that’s useful for real life driving. You can’t drive as fast on the road as on the track. z Is this also a reason for coming here? Of course, you can’t reach the same speeds on the road, but I can deinitely play with the car on the track. z Do you feel anything special as you race your Ferrari around the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit? The car is perfect, and driving it on this famous track is a match made in heaven. DIMITRIS ANTONIADIS, GREECE z You use an Akrapovič exhaust on your BMW. Are you pleased with it? Yes, very much so. z Why did you opt for this exhaust? I checked the internet for aftermarket products for my car and discovered that Akrapovič’s exhaust are the best – and I bought it. z What advantages did it bring to your car? I like it because it boosts the engine power and improves the sound, giving it a racing edge but not making it unpleasant. I also like the exhaust’s quality and looks. z What are the characteristics of a quality exhaust system in your view? Is it the sound, power…? A mix of everything. The exhaust must

Franz Wieth

offer the best performance and should be light. But the sound is important as well, because I don’t only use the car on the track, I drive it to work and take my family out in it -- I don’t want the sound to be unpleasant. The Akrapovič exhaust its the bill perfectly in all categories. z Were you familiar with the brand before? I actually knew of Akrapovič from its motorcycle products, but didn’t know that they also did car exhausts. z You own a BMW M3. Do you take part in track days regularly? I usually take part in two track days a year. I have to travel outside of Greece, though, as my country only has small racing facilities near Athens and they are often crowded. I already drove on the Salzburgring, the Nurburgring, and now I’m at Imola. z Why do you take part in such events? To improve my driving and to become an even better road driver. And it’s a good experience that makes me happy. z What do you think of the Imola track day? It’s very good, good organisation, lots of quality cars and everybody is very nice. I’m very pleased. FRANZ WIETH, GERMANY z You organise track days all over Europe. Apart from managing a racing team, this is your second major job. Why do you set up such events? I demand a lot from cars, not just race cars but also others, and testing production cars on the racetrack upgrades the experience of driving them on the road. Apart from the additional work that comes with organising track days, such events are also just a lot of fun.

z What’s the biggest challenge in organising track days? People. They mostly say they’ll all make it, you book a day and then something goes wrong. “I don’t have the time, my kids, wife, work, car …” Those are the most common excuses. You set the day and pay for the event and then 20 people show up out of the planned 30 or 40. Other things, especially technology, usually don’t cause any problems. z Do you believe that track days help improve everyday driving skills? It seems likely that you get to really know the limits of your car on the track and not on the road. This is very important. The more you’re used to your car on the track, the easier and more stress-free you’ll handle driving on the road. You have to be careful on the road, a lot of people don’t have a clue what speed means. During the weekends, you’ll often come behind a driver in the left lane who’s doing 120 km/h, doesn’t use rear view mirrors and doesn’t consider the possibility of faster vehicles. z You have been building closer ties with Akrapovič over the past couple of years. How would you rank the cooperation? This is the second track day that you’ve organised together. Yes, the irst track day took place last year in Monza, this year it’s in Imola. What was essential in our cooperation was that the Akrapovič exhaust could be itted into a Porsche as the irst choice. If the customers see such a product as a standard option, they begin to think that it must have been tested and has to be good. z And what is your personal opinion about Akrapovič exhausts? I’m a machine

machine engineer by profession, so I’m well aware of the advantages of titanium. If we scrutinise the exhausts, we see that the buildquality is lawless. z You will likely organise more track days in the future. Where do you usually organise them? In Italy, France, Germany? Italy is the best, because it has the nicest weather, Germany isn’t bad either because we come from there and the racetracks are not too far, so many people take part. z You and Julian Dercks won the Porsche Sportscup championships in 2009 with your Akrapovič exhaust. Does such a success also impact business? Of course, always. People remember the name and look for it on the internet. Without marketing nobody would know it, so we need to maintain our presence in racing. While you cannot measure the impact immediately, you can see it after a while. A person from Austria approached us today and said he heard about our successes and that he will visit our company and check out our products. He works at a company where ten people drive Porsches and two of them are here today. They don’t race -- they’re just having fun.

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Ride With Us

HISTORY OF THE IMOLA RACETRACK -

DECADES OF FATES he Enzo and Dino Ferrari, named ater the famous constructor and his untimely deceased son, who died of leukaemia, was built in the early 1950s ater a push by car enthusiasts. Alfredo Campagnoli, Graziano Golinelli, Ugo Montevecchi and Gualtiero Vighi thought that the local economy in postWW2 Italy could be boosted by building a circuit through public works. he venue would also give Italian car and motorbike companies a place to test their products. he idea was endorsed by Enzo Ferrari, who wrote in his book that he wanted Italy to get a small Nür-

burgring. he track received worldwide acclaim ater hosting its irst Formula 1 race in 1980 – the Italian Grand Prix on that occasion, whereas usually the track hosts the San Marino Grand Prix. But the queen of motor sports came to Imola in 1963 when an unoicial race was won by the legendary lying Scotsman Jim Clark and his factory Lotus. Ferrari did not take part then. Motorbike races started in Imola at the end of the 1960s, when the circuit – one of the few where drivers and riders go anticlockwise – hosted a world championship race. he Imola racetrack was continuously upgraded and it became a proper circuit with a closed loop and all necessary infrastructure before the irst oicial F1 race. Over the past 60 years, the circuit has smelled racing

fuel, seen shattered brakes, overheated tyres and witnessed six decades of happiness, sorrow, victory and tragedy. Gilles Villeneuve, Gerhard Berger and Nelson Piquet all had horrifying accidents here, but luckily escaped alive. Alas, that was not the case for Roland Ratzenberger and the legendary Ayrton Senna in 1994, the last drivers to die in F1. On 19 November 2006, at 4:14 PM there was a loud bang and 700 sticks of dynamite turned the paddock into rubble. his new milestone for Imola, which saw the track along the Santerno creek being upgraded by track design master Hermann Tilke to meet the most stringent standards, was watched in silence at the Rivazza hill by an astounding 3,000 spectators. Imola’s story goes on.

Dan na progi Predstavljajte si, da je v vaši garaži jekleni lepotec, ki pod pokrovom hrani tam okoli 500 iskrivih »konjičev«. Vsi ti »konji« bi radi raztegnili svoje noge, si rezgetajoč dali duška v diru, se pomerili z drugimi in vam prinesli užitek. Nasmeh na obraz. Vas popeljali v svet, kjer adrenalin pljuska podobno kot na kakšni dirki formule 1 – v svet pospeškov, zaviranja, cvilečih gum in, da, tudi lepih deklet. V družbi Akrapovič smo prisluhnili našim potencialnim kupcem in vsem onim, ki jih navdušuje dirkaško obiranje zavojev, zato smo tudi letos po lanski premieri na dirkališču v Monzi organizirali »track day«. Tokrat je bil časovno zamaknjen v poletje in je na svetovno znanem dirkališču Enzo in Dino Ferrari v Imoli minil v

vročini, ki je izčrpavala tehniko in ljudi. A kljub temu je dan minil v uživanju nad množico udeležencev, ki so s svojimi lepotci prišli iz vse Evrope, največ, razumljivo, iz njenega osrednjega dela. Porscheji, ferrariji, ameriške večvaljne zverine, ostrorobi lamborghiniji in klasično ustrojeni angleški stroji so se v zgodnjem poletnem soncu v urejenem ritmu in pod vodstvom izkušenih inštruktorjev po skupinah lotevali iskanja idealne linije. Morda udeleženci na zunaj delujejo kot »wanna-be« Schumacherji ali Hamiltoni, a v resnici so prišli samo zato, da bi uživali. Da bi si dali duška. Da bi ob naježeni koži in kurji polti ustvarili zvočno kuliso šest-, osem-, deset- ali celo dvanajstvaljnih strojev, ki jo je na cesti v vsakdanjem življenju le težko slišati.

Don't bother. We are booked anyway ... Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomsiceva 1 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia tel: +386 1 4269600 fax: +386 1 4269601

www.korpmedia.si

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Fantastic

Caran D’Ache Pen 1

Mercedes-Benz Folding Bike Compact, lightweight, and stylish, the MercedesBenz folding bike offers a high-end option for people looking for style and functionality. The convenient framework allows the bike to be broken down with two simple folds, taking only a few seconds. Additionally, the bike seat can effortlessly fold down onto the frame, making it easier to roll through cramped environments. Understand, though, that this is no kid’s bike. Rugged, continental tires, an 8-speed shift, luggage rack, a set of disc brakes, bolt lock, and protective covering make this $2,400.00 bike worth every penny. www.mbusa.com/mercedes/

Exquisite and unique, the Caran-d’Ache 1010 edition consists of only 510 pens. The 1010 Limited Edition pays homage to Swiss watchmaking by demonstrating expertise, creativity, and mastery of technique. Inspired by watches with skeletonised case backs, it proudly reveals its interacting functions, sophisticated assemblies, and perfect mechanics. A rarity even within the collection, just 10 of these writing instruments have been produced in gold and set with a Top Wesselton WS diamond of 0.11 carats with 57 facets, running at $120,000.00. www.carandache.ch/m/index.lbl

Richard Mille RM 027 Tourbillon Watch The number one ranked player in the world, Rafael Nadal, wears a Richard Mille watch during his matches. The “King of Clay” participated in designing the timepiece as well as testing it in real-world conditions. Made of titanium baseplate with bridges of lithium aluminum, the RM 027 Tourbillon weighs only circa 13 grams (without the strap). Titanium, a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22, is as strong as some steels but 45% lighter; whereas the Lital® alloy – high lithium containing aluminum, copper, magnesium and zirconium – provides a more lexible and greater shock resistant movement of the RM027 Tourbillon. The weight of the movement is 3.83 grams. www.richard-mille.com

The Golden Gameboy A tribute to the inner child: behold the solid 18K gold Gameboy along with a screen lined with Pave diamonds. This truly one-of-a kind model, commissioned by Aspreys, comes with the standard cables and game cartridges, although it has never yet been used. The serious collector can contact Swiss Supply Direct Inc. for availability, but expect a price tag around $30,000.00 for this unique classic. www.swisssupply.com/nintendo.php

The Garia LSV

THE GARIA LSV IS A STREET-LEGAL VERSION OF THE GARIA GOLF CAR. LSV is short for Low Speed Vehicle. Equally suited for the golf course or the road, The Garia LSV is the ideal partner for an active lifestyle. A street-legal multi-purpose electrical golf car, The Garia LSV is the perfect match for short commutes or recreation. The Garia LSV is currently only available in the U.S. www.garia.dk

Asprey Leather Poker Set The 200-year-old London luxury goods irm Asprey has been making some of the world’s most exquisite games for decades; the sort that wouldn’t look out of place in a palace. One of their latest offerings is a beautiful handmade gentleman’s poker set in black polished genuine crocodile skin with ceramic poker chips and royal purple Asprey playing cards (above). Priced at about $8,000 it certainly brings new meaning to the words “poker night.” www.asprey.com

Montegiro Lusso Turntable Spectacular and extravagant, in a breathtaking, unheard of design, the Lusso is built upon alternate layers of aluminum and black acrylic, including a topsy-turvy cone for the aluminum platter itted with an acrylic plattermat. The Lusso is driven by a newly developed, extremely precise, high-end synchronous motor suspended within one of the cones. The cones, not connected to each other, embrace height-adjustable feet that serve the perfect set-up. Be the envy of all of your DJ friends for a mere $47,000.00. www.montegiro.de/

Interview

Dieter Burmester

The Essence Lies in the Music Not every wall has its own Picasso and not every living room has its own Burmester. Those that do, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wall or a room, should be considered among the lucky few. Both are sophisticated masters when it comes to quality, beauty, and perfection...

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Interview

by Gregor Ĺ ket photography Bor Dobrin

The history of the Burmester brand can be summed up as a giant love for music married to an endless sea of technical knowledge. It began almost by accident, when Dieter Burmester made his irst preampliier for his own use in the mid 1970s. He had no inkling at the time that he would one day play in the top leagues. The banks pretty much laughed at him when he presented his business plan. Because he could not get a loan, he advanced with small steps, learning as he went, and inally reached the top. In 1977, he broke the ice with the 777 preampliier, his irst marketed product. Since then, audiophiles from all over the world have been able to experience the pleasure of using his legendary creations. His audio systems also delight the drivers of Bugatti

Veyrons and both Porsche Panameras and Cayennes. Burmester is a guarantee, and clear proof, that even tiny steel enclosures can be turned into concert halls with amazing acoustics. Meeting people like Dieter Burmester is a irst-rate pleasure. When his hand touches the massive remote, his face lights up with boyish pleasure and teenage passion. He grew up with rock, as seen by his collection of over 40 guitars. But he does not separate music according to genres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he does it according to quality. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite logical, really, because for a long time he has been a master at distinguishing between good and excellent.

You used to be a professional musician: a rock guitar player. Were you a Beatle or a Stone? In the beginning I liked the Stones more, especially their early music like Little Red Rooster, Around and Around, and Time Is On My Side. I think their irst LPs, when Brian Jones was still in the band, are excellent. They contain a lot of rhythm and blues elements. But we later also played songs by the Beatles.

You probably also listen to classical music? Of course. I actually listen to all kinds of music: as long as it’s quality.

where pianist Yeim Bronfman played Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3, which is considered to be one of the most dificult piano pieces there is. I haven’t seen or heard a better pianist since.

How about rock concerts?

I attended them in my youth and I still do so now. I just recently set up my new band. We stopped performing with my previous group, Past Perfect, three years ago after playing for more than seven years. We had a jam session every Monday and organised about ten concerts a year. That was a bit too much. We mostly play our own pieces with the new band and we will also record a CD. I still play the guitar, but grab the mike sometimes as well.

Do you have a favourite symphony? Uh. A tough question. I love some of them a lot, for example the Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov. But I prefer chamber orchestras. That’s why I adore Johann Sebastian Bach or George Philipp Telemann. I’m not really a fan of modern composers, with the possible exception of Estonia’s Arvo Pärt.

Has any musical experience left an indelible mark on you?

I remember a concert where the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performed pieces by Anton Bruckner. Also incredible was an open-air concert

What brought you to the world of hii? Was it the love of music or an interest in technology? Both. I actually think that having knowledge in both ields is one of my comparative advantages. It’s interesting to note that with me, music and technology always went hand in hand. It started when I was 15 years old, when I started playing in a rock band and also started working as a radio and TV technician. So everything was happening in parallel.

In the beginning, did you think that

one day you would be producing highend components? No, not at all. I didn’t give it a second thought, initially. It actually happened by accident. After inishing my electronics studies in 1977, I owned a pretty good hi-i system. When my preampliier broke I wanted to buy a new one. But back then the choice was far more limited than today. It was dificult to ind a product that would employ the latest technology, select parts, superb materials... I already had my own engineering bureau then, creating computer interfaces and measurement devices for use in medicine. I had enough knowledge and experience to start working on my own preampliier. After all, a precise medicinal apparatus and a top-notch preamp aren’t so different fundamentally. That’s how it started. But back then I was only thinking about making one preampliier. For personal use. I wasn’t thinking about setting up a company, because that would cost so much, and I simply couldn’t imagine anyone buying my product.

How dificult was it to crack open the audiophile market, then ruled by English and American boutique manufacturers?

At the end of the 1970s, Germany couldn’t really boast of a rich tradition in producing high-end hi-i components. We had the Braun company, not part

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Interview

of the elite class, but sporting very nice designs, courtesy of designer Dieter Rams. On the other hand, mainly UK and US manufacturers such as Redford, KEF, Quad, McIntosh, Conrad Johnson, Mark Levinson, JBL, Marantz and numerous others, were producing irst-rate components. I never expected to be competitive on the market with a single product. But things began moving in the right direction. I advanced step-by-step and slowly created my brand. The funniest thing about it all is that no bank believed in me in the beginning. They simply couldn’t imagine how I could succeed by selling a single product then priced at DEM 3,500. Because I couldn’t get a loan, I had to fork out the money myself, which was far from easy in the beginning. I sometimes joke that the only reason the idea became reality is because I was working like a horse and living like a student.

How much were you helped by your products carrying the label “Made in Germany”-- a pretty important reference for quite some time.

Germany probably has the most demanding customers. They are very critical and have extremely high expectations and standards. All this has its advantages, of course. If you can make it in Germany, you can make it anywhere.

Your products belong to the audi-

ophiles’ most elite group. What are their most important characteristics, what sets the Burmester brand apart from others?

One of my traits is that I was never really interested in what the competition was doing. I always followed my own ideas and beliefs in what the products should look like. This approach resulted in several items that greatly contributed to the creation of our image. For example, the model 808 was the irst modular preampliier on the market. We’ve been making it for the past 30 years and its shape has not changed at all. Even the very irst 808 can be upgraded with cutting-edge technology used in our current line up. A year later, a similar product was made by MBL and Mark Levinson. I invented Belt Drive CD Technology, and the Balanced Single Pass has been a part of our products since 1983. I made it with my own technology, which then garnered acclaim in audiophile magazines. They, especially, appreciated my different approach.

You probably use only the noblest materials. Apparently the screws alone that hold your components together cost more than 20 euros.

True. You know, if you use a gilded front panel, you cannot use normal screws. The two simply don’t match. So you have to use gilded screws, but

they can’t be bought so you have to make them yourself.

Is it true that, in a way, you combine the most current technology with oldschool production techniques and that you swear by extremely precise, even iligree handwork?

Yes, of course. That’s what we call tradition and innovation. Tradition is very important for our customers and they greatly appreciate it. Tradition showcases a company’s stability and while we have to keep producing innovative new products, we always infuse them with all the knowledge that we have gathered in over 30 years of existence.

Do you see yourself more as a musician or an audiophile? In essence I love music. And audiophilia is often linked with technology. But technology can only be a transmitter, facilitating access to the contents: to music. And if it works well, the access is easier and the pleasure from music greater.

Sometimes audiophiles are regarded as people who are afraid to tell their wives how much their toys cost. What’s your take on that? It’s the same everywhere.

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Interview

You once said that your task as a musician and engineer is to make listeners forget that the music is reaching them through electronic equipment. This seems like a very dificult task.

I don’t agree with those who want to create an approximation of a concert hall in their living rooms. I personally prefer studio tapes, be it classical or rock music. Especially rock. Concerts are full of various noises, delays and other disturbances, and the 1,000 or 2,000 listeners react differently to the activities happening on the stage. That’s why I prefer chamber orchestras performing in smaller halls. But even more than that, I prefer to listen to pure music in peace. This nulliies the mood factor. How can I tell what mood I’ll be in for the hour or two that the concert lasts? At home I can choose the music to it my current frame of mind. Of course, people are being advised to attend as many concerts as possible. But as I said before, that’s a whole different case than enjoying music at home. With concerts, the visual factor, to see the performers live, is very important. But the emotional moment at such events is actually coincidental. Concerts are planned ahead and the orchestra doesn’t play just for you and only what you’d like. Maybe it’s a rainy evening and you’re in the mood for a piano recital, but the event’s schedule is completely different. All of the above point to the advantages of a quality sound system in your living room, where you can tailor the music to your tastes, mood and surroundings.

Do you always listen to a symphony from the beginning to the end?

I know that audiophiles often look for the parts of a symphony with quality bass, and high or low tones. But in this respect I’m no audiophile, but rather a music lover. Maybe that’s the main difference. I’m always primarily interested in the

music’s contents. When I listen to it, I let myself go completely. I close my eyes and get a warm feeling. When I focus on a certain piece of music, I feel like I’m taking part in an autogenic training session. I get very warm, my arms seem a bit heavier, I sometimes get goose bumps, I feel as if I’m in a sort of a daze, but at the same time I dive deep into the music and experience a feeling of complete relaxation.

form and sound quite differently in concert halls or in the open. But this is more or less trivial, even for my relatively sensitive and ine-tuned ear. I don’t really see it as having that much of an impact. You know, I don’t listen to frequencies, I’m interested in music. My only criterion is the emotion that it awakens.

Which musical genre do you think is the best to highlight the advantages of highend hi-i systems?

When you compose your music, do you also think about how it will sound on your system?

Some swear by classical music and jazz. Others say that every genre requires a different system. But I believe that a quality system can reproduce all genres in high idelity. I believe that a good sound system must lood the space with music, so you don’t have to sit in the same place every time. You can walk around the room and feel that the music is everywhere. However, I have to say that we often carry out certain tests while playing records by smaller bands, for example jazz groups or just a vocalist accompanied by a single instrument. The fewer the number of instruments, the less technology is needed to make the record and the better the human ear can detect the sound’s quality. Larger bands, on the other hand, include more environment noise, which distorts the quality of the record.

Is your living room tailored to listening to music?

Well, a little, yes. But I don’t want to see all those sound deadeners that would turn a living room into a studio.

Is it true that high-end hi-i components are very sensitive devices and that even different weather conditions impact their functioning? Yes, of course. But a similar claim could be made for the majority of musical instruments, which per-

Of course. This is very important for me. What I hear when I play the instrument and what comes out of a hi-i system must sound as similar as possible. And composition is in this sense the ideal test bed, a sort of basis for everything I do...

What is your take on digital music, all the MP3 players, iPods...? I grew up in the age of the tube radio. I remain convinced that such a radio from the 1960s sounds better than today’s MP3 players. I wish that the youngsters growing up with these devices would have the chance to listen to a truly high-quality system to feel the difference between high- and low-idelity reproductions. Music is much, much more than an MP3 recording, but the young sadly favour thousands of bad records over top-notch high resolution ones. Only good quality sounds normal to the ears and the brain and stirs emotions. MP3s just don’t have the necessary resolution and our ears are inely tuned and are able to detect very small differences. Even a CD-quality record is something completely different and meets my standards; actually the use of the newest recording techniques has brought it quite close to the originals. I very rarely listen to a classical gramophone, which are so beloved by many audiophiles. But I’m sure that digital records are better than analogue. You know, with analogue records

we actually love their weak points - mainly certain noises and lower dynamics, which make such devices seem better tailored for smaller spaces.

You’ve managed to create quite a few legendary components in the last 33 years. Some time ago you ventured into the world of cars as well. How much of a challenge was that for you?

It all started some ten years ago, when we were invited to take part in the Bugatti Veyron project – an invitation we gladly accepted. Some years later we met people from Porsche at a hi-i fair, who then invited us to take part in a project alongside with the majority of big players. Following several months of comparison trials, which featured a few hundred people who were unaware of the manufacturer of the sound system they were using, they decided to cooperate with us. We now produce these systems for Panamera and Cayenne. But we don’t exclusively cooperate with Porsche. We recently signed a contract with another top-tier car brand.

Are Panameras equipped exclusively with your systems? No, there are three different sound systems available – the standard one, one made by Bose and one by us. I’m convinced that almost everyone who hears our product in the Panamera would be willing to dish out the EUR 5,000 price premium for its exquisite quality - especially since the car itself already costs about EUR 150,000. A Chinese buyer once said that this was the cheapest way to get a Burmester audio system -- and you get a car thrown in as well.

How does a manufacturer perceive the differences between car and home audio systems?

I’m often asked about the differences between home and car audio systems. And I always answer that a car cabin is a very gratifying space. We are talking about a very small area with up to 16 speakers generating over 1,000 watts. If I wanted to create something similar in a room, I’d need

between 10,000 and 20,000 watts. It’s not just the power, it’s also the nearness, because in a car you literally feel the music with your whole body. The vibrations are incredible.

With your busy life, how do you ind any time for your own musical enjoyments? I use almost every free evening for listening, playing or composing. I could never give that up.

To somewhat tailor the title of a Rolling Stones song, how much personal satisfaction, pleasure and happiness has your incredible journey given you? Ah, I often say that I only do it because I couldn’t afford such an expensive hobby otherwise. I hope that others also get some beneits and pleasure out of that, too.

Bistvo je v glasbi Vsaka stena nima svojega Picassa in vsaka dnevna soba nima svojega Burmestra. Tiste, ki jih imajo, tako stene kot sobe, so pravzaprav redke srečnice. A so preinjene poznavalke dobrega, lepega, vrhunskega ... Zgodba o znamki Burmester je pravzaprav ena sama ljubezen do glasbe, združena z neskončnim oceanom tehničnega znanja. Začelo se je tako rekoč po naključju, ko je Dieter Burmester v sredini sedemdesetih let zase izdelal prvi predojačevalnik. Takrat se mu ni niti sanjalo, da bo nekoč igral v najvišji ligi. V banki so se mu skoraj smejali, ko jim je predstavil poslovni načrt. Ker ni dobil kredita, je napredoval z majhnimi koraki, se sproti učil in prišel na vrh. Leta 1977 je na trg poslal predojačevalnik 777, s katerim je prebil led. Od takrat avdioili na vseh koncih našega planeta uživajo v poslušanju njegovih legendarnih komponent. Njegovi avdiosistemi razveseljujejo tudi voznike Bugattijevih veyronov in Porschejevih panamer in cayennov. Burmester je namreč jamstvo in dokaz, da tudi male jeklene kletke lahko postanejo koncertne dvorane z neverjetno akustiko. Pogled na ljudi, kakršen je Dieter Burmester, je prvovrsten užitek. Ko se njegova roka dotakne masivnega daljinskega upravljalnika, njegov obraz preplavita deško veselje in najstniška strast. Po duši je sicer rocker, o tem priča zbirka več kot štiridesetih kitar. A glasbe ne loči po žanrih, temveč po kakovosti. Seveda, v razlikovanju dobrega in odličnega je že od nekdaj pravi mojster.

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Go WIld

Go Wild

by Gregor Šket photography Gregor Šket, iStockphoto

LIFE IS A BEACH LIFE IS A The islands peep out from underneath the ocean as if by coincidence. Legend says a Polynesian demigod’s ishing hook got stuck in the ocean loor. And since the demigod possessed divine strength, he pulled with such force that he brought the bottom of the ocean up to the surface. Because the resulting islands were a proper paradise on earth, Maui chose one of them as his home. Soon, vast forests covered the land, thousands of colourful birds lew among the trees and ininite sandy beaches ran towards the crystal clear sea, which was home to innumerable ish of all shapes and sizes. Proof of the demigod’s powers can be seen today in the volcanoes that tower more than 4,000 metres above the Paciic. Mauna Kea is 4,205 metres tall and is the world’s tall-

est mountain, since it’s actually 10,200 metres if measured from the ocean loor. Of course, Maui could not have imagined what a favour his small mistake made for tourists, surfers and other water athletes, biologists, oceanologists and vulcanologists – and everyone who has made Hawaii their home.

Indeed, Hawaii has several faces. The islands are so beautiful that they’re almost kitschy, reminiscent of the Hawaii shirts and other souvenirs sold for a few dollars at the International Market Place on Waikiki. They could represent a typical American plastic fantasyland, a sort of Disneyland in the middle of the ocean. But, above all, the islands are pristine natural botanical gardens, where plants and animals shine

in all their glory all year round. This cannot be taken away from them either by Americanisation, commercialisation or globalisation. Because of their isolated location in the middle of the ocean, it is said that the archipelago’s varied plant- and wildlife is the product of the three Ws – wind, waves and wings, which brought hundreds upon hundreds of various species to the islands. The visitors are also diverse. You may ind the occasional clueless visitor asking whether water really surrounds the entire island or wondering how high above sea level they are while sitting in a boat. But they are far outnumbered by visitors who appreciate the beauty around them.

HAWAII!

Schutz photo / Istock

THE LONELIEST ARCHIPELAGO ON EARTH LOUNGES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACIFIC, OVER 3,000 KILOMETRES FROM THE NEAREST CONTINENT. ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE YOUNGEST US STATE AND THE ONLY ONE THAT IS GEOGRAPHICALLY NOT A PART OF NORTH AMERICA. HAWAII IS SYNONYMOUS WITH A LAIDBACK RHYTHM AND HERE IT FEELS AS IF THE CLOCKS RUN SLOWER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.

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Go WIld

Schutz photo / Istock

James Michael Kruger

SURFER’S PARADISE HAWAII boasts stable weather conditions

year round. Temperatures remain more or less constant, only varying by a few degrees, and very rarely dip below 20 degrees Celsius. But despite the year-round warmth, the place does have its seasons, which, vary in subtle ways. In the summer the winds are lighter and the sea is calmer. In the winter, the weather patterns hit from the north, causing gigantic waves spawned by storms in the Paciic to crash against the shores. Beaches will post warnings about invisible undercurrents that can be fatal to inexperienced swimmers. This is also the season of an unusual paradox: many beaches in this beloved swimming paradise are closed for swimming. But it’s exactly the weather that surfers dream of. Their season, and their favorite time of year, begins at the end of December. It can be best described by the titles of two songs by the legendary Californian Beach Boys band: “Fun, Fun, Fun” and ”Surin’ USA”. This is when waves can reach up to 15 metres on the northern shores. They are usually the highest in the north of the main island of Oahu. The North Shore there becomes the surfers’ capital of the world. Surfers see life as a mix of the beach and the never-ending search for the perfect wave – everything else is insigniicant, marginal, trivial. “I work in my bar in Los Angeles from April to December, but always think only of the months that I spend every year with my friends on Oahu’s northern shore, the best surf in the world from mid-December to the end of March. If I lose that, I might as well just die,” a tanned blonde surfer was telling me in Haleiwa. He dreams of The Pipe, the legendary Banzai Pipeline, a 200-metre wide zone on Sunset Beach, which is considered one of the most dangerous spots in the world. It got its name in the 1960s by movie director Bruce Brown and the surfers Phil Edwards and Mike Diffenderfer. When you reach the beach on the ‘Big Day’ with the ‘Round the Island Bus’ the sea’s roar can be heard inside the airtight air-conditioned bus. And when you get out, you feel as if the end of the world is very near. The loud hardcore music, emanating from the huge speakers, seems like a Mozart symphony compared to the thundering and crashing sea.

Beach signs proclaim: “Warning! Strong Current. If in doubt do not go out!” Water sports here are meant only for the most experienced and bravest surfers; amateurs are advised to watch and enjoy their stunts from a safe distance. The scene looks like an open-air cinema. The sea indents so violently at this point that the shore falls steeply into the water. Some 100 metres away, a 13-metre wave rises up like a movie screen, with the hero and his surfboard appearing on top, riding until after the wave breaks. The best almost always last until the very end and escape through a narrow hole at the exact moment when the wave crashes. It’s a live, Hollywood-worthy sports and action movie. The beach is full of shapely girls hunting for daring guys with wavy hair and muscular torsos. You will not charm the Sunset Beach girls with poetry and gentle words – only surfers count there. A retired surfer, Michael Holton, tells me: “In the past it was impossible to surf here. The boards were over three metres long then and didn’t leave enough space under these waves. Only when we got more modern gear, did The Pipe become doable. It is without a doubt the most dangerous suring spot in the world. Under the 13-metre waves there’s less than a metre of water and the sand hides numerous rocks. If the wave crushes you, it’s similar to being hit by a heavy truck. I was also at the famous Bells Beach in Torquay on Australia’s southern coast, where an unoficial world championship is held around Easter, but suring there is a piece of cake.” Holton was born in nearby Kahuku who now patches boards and sells the newest gear to the best surfers. It’s literally deadly out there. In the last ive years alone, ive top-notch surfers have been killed here, including Hawaiian-born Jon Mozo, who was also one of the best underwater photographers around. “The natives always win at the competitions held here,” says Holton. “We’re not really afraid of the competitors. You have to grow up on this beach to learn all the secrets about the winds and waves. The Banzai Pipeline is reserved for Hawaiians.” His three-year old daughter Puenani splashed around a nearby pool, conirming his words with her seemingly innate love of the sea.

James Cook

The irst European to set eyes on this magical world was English captain James Cook. He discovered the islands in 1778 and named them after the Earl of Sandwich, one of his benefactors. But he also listed the natives’ name for the archipelago, Owyhee, alongside the coordinates. Cook visited Hawaii twice, irst making landfall in Waimea on Kaua’i and the second time on Big Island’s Kealakekua Bay. His second visit coincided with Makahiki, the Hawaii autumn festival when the inhabitants were honouring their god Lono. The natives were convinced that their god was making a personal visit and gave a warm welcome to Cook and his ship Resolution. After spending a month on the largest island in the group, Cook sailed north but had to return because of a broken foremast. But since the Lono worshiping season had ended by then, his reception was completely different. Because the whites were no longer treated as deities, tensions rose between the two groups. On 14 February 1779, the natives stole one of Cook’s boats. Cook used a tactic learned in Tahiti and wanted to take several natives hostages, including King Kalaniopu’u. The plan was foiled by the Hawaiians, who killed Cook and four of his sailors in the resulting clash. The natives seized Cook’s body, burned it, and cleaned the bones in accordance with ancient rites. They later returned the remains to the English who carried out a traditional burial at sea. Christian missionaries started arriving to Hawaii soon after Cook. One of the most beloved of them was the Belgian missionary Jozef De Veuster, known as Father Damien, who set up and took care of a colony of lepers on the Molokai island in the second half of the 19th century and was thus called the “Apostle of Lepers.” Hawaii, Texas, Vermont and California comprise a small group of American states who were independent before becoming part of the USA. The Hawaiian kingdom existed between 1810 and 1893, before the monarchy was overthrown at the end of the 19th century by American and European settlers who managed to get a hold of several large plantations. From 1894 to 1898, Hawaii was an independent republic, before being annexed by the United States. In 1959 it became the US’s 50th federal state. Even today, the state’s lag includes Britain’s Union Jack in its top left corner, while the eight lines symbolise the archipelago’s eight islands.

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Go WIld

Destin Bradwell / Istock

METROPOLIS AND NATURE

But Hawaii isn’t just famous for stories of incredible water athletes, such as those collected in the book The Big Drop by John Long. Here you can also experience the amazing contrast between the urban, represented by Honolulu or at least its touristy Waikiki area, and the unspoiled nature that reigns on Oahu and, especially, the other islands. The shock is like a cultural one. It hits you as you drive from the airport to Honolulu. Soothing Hawaiian melodies coming from the airport’s sound system lull you into a unique state-of-mind that is quickly jarred awake by the noise of the six-lane highway. Trafic here seems on the level of downtown San Francisco or New York. The car saloons selling Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Lincolns, the outlets of famous designers ranging from Gucci and Versace to Dior and Yves Saint Laurent don’t seem Paciic-like, exotic or romantic. And neither do the high-rises and modern shopping centres, living proof of the Americanisation of the island and one reason why every couple of years voices are heard in support of independence. Every island in the archipelago has its nickname and you soon come to see why Oahu is called “The Gathering Place.” As I was looking through the nicknames of the other islands, I was piqued the most by “The Garden Isle,” the alternative name for Kaua’i. It’s the fourth largest and oldest island in the group. And it is regarded as a veritable pearl. Located some 170 kilometres north of Oahu, it’s also the least developed and the most pristine of the islands. Some 20 kilometres to the west of it lies Ni’ihau, the forbidden island where primal residents of the archipelago live according to their customs, without electricity or running water. Almost in the centre of Kaua’i sits Kawaikini, the roughly 1600-metre high volcano, the top of which is usually shrouded in clouds and is our planet’s moistest point. Despite its primal nature, or maybe because of it, it has also become a Hollywood star -- the location of endless jungle scenes. The list of ilms shot at Kaua’i is tremendous.

Življenje je plaža Havaji! Najbolj osamljeno otočje na našem planetu. Samevajo tam sredi Tihega oceana, več kot tri tisoč kilometrov od najbližjega kopnega. So najmlajša

Hollywood discovered this extremely photogenic island in 1933, when it served as the setting for White Heat. In 1957 it was chosen for the main scenes of the legendary movie South Paciic. In 1977 it served as a backdrop for several scenes in King Kong. And, recently, it was the setting for all three parts of Jurassic Park, Six Days, Seven Nights, Dragonly, Outbreak, and Waterworld... The majority of the ilms were shot on its northern shore, called the Na Pali Coast. These 1000-metre tropical cliffs that drop steeply into the ocean are regarded as one of nature’s wonders. Even though an 11-mile path, often included on the list of the world’s most fascinating treks, winds high above the shore, the coastline itself can only be seen from the sea or air. However, tourists do get one spectacular viewpoint. Close to the Kalallau Lookout, also called the Paciic Bellevue, is the end of the road that leads to Waimea Canyon, the Paciic Grand Canyon and that splits Kaua’i in two. There you are rewarded with a dazzling view of nature’s cathedrals, which are, however, often shrouded in mysterious tropical mist. Kaua’i is also the home of numerous paradise beaches, ranging from touristy Poipu, where muscular lifeguards keep watch over the swimmers, to wild Poli Hale, where you will be kept company by dolphins, seals and turtles. It doesn’t take long before you get used to all this pampering, the caresses of the wind and the sun, the melody of the ocean waves and the songs of humpback whales, who swim by every year between December and February. It hurts to go back to real life. At the airport you want to burst into tears. When you hear the soft voices of the natives and see the soothing moves of the hula dancers just before boarding the plane, you think of giving up your job, loans and mortgages and making Hawaii your home for more than just a week or two. For much more. For forever. You want to give up winter coats and cold for good. You want to just put on your lip-lops and say: “Life’s a Beach!”

Duke

Ukulele

zvezna država ZDA in hkrati edina, ki geografsko ne spada k Severni Ameriki. So nekakšen sinonim za umirjen ritem. Zdi se, da tam ure tiktakajo počasneje kot kjer koli drugje. Iz morja so pokukali tako rekoč po naključju. Menda se je polinezijskemu polbogu med ribolovom trnek zataknil za oceansko dno. Ker je pač imel božjo moč, je s tako silo potegnil za vrvico, da je na površje

potegnil oceansko dno. Kar je privlekel na površje, je bil pravi raj na zemlji, tako da si je enega izmed otokov izbral za svoje kraljevanje. Kmalu so tam zrasli ogromni gozdovi, kjer je živelo nešteto pisanih ptic, v morje so se stekale neskončno dolge peščene plaže, v kristalno čistem morju pa je kar mrgolelo rib vseh barv in oblik. Da je bila njegova moč zares gromozanska, še danes pričajo vulkani, ki se dvigajo

tudi do štiri tisoč metrov nad Paciikom. Mauna Kea se dviga kar 4205 metrov visoko in velja za najvišjo goro na svetu, če za izhodišče vzamemo oceansko dno (10.200 metrov). Seveda si Maui ni niti v sanjah predstavljal, kakšno uslugo je s to svojo majhno napako naredil turistom, deskarjem in drugim vodnim atletom, biologom, oceanologom in vulkanologom, ki so prav na Havajih našli svoje domovanje.

Even though more than 40 years have passed since Paoa Kahanamoku, the Duke, felt the wave for the last time under his feet, his charisma still lives in the hearts of all Hawaiian surfers. The Duke left school as a teenager and joined the Waikiki Beach Boys. His mom kept telling him as a boy: “Go as far out as you want. Never be afraid of water!” When his father and uncle took him out in an outrigger canoe in his boyish years and threw him into the surf in accordance with an ancient custom, an undying love of the sea arose in him. “My family believes we come from the ocean. And that’s where we’re going back. I’m only happy when I’m in the water, swimming like a ish,” he says. He was undoubtedly Hawaii’s most famous resident, the most perfect water athlete of all times. As a real Hawaiian, he respected the ancient island customs and spoke his language as often as he could. Coming from nowhere, he bettered the 100-yard swimming record by four seconds at a competition in Honolulu in 1911. The Amateur Athletic Union refused to recognise his feat for numerous years, noting cynically: “What were you using for measuring times? Alarm clocks?” But Duke was unfazed. He travelled to the mainland and once again proved the power of the famous ‘Kahanamoku Kick’. He qualiied for the US Olympic swimming team and won his irst gold at the Stockholm Olympics, repeating the feat eight years later in Antwerp. He was only bettered at the age of 34 by the famed Johnny “Tarzan” Weissmuller at the Paris Olympics. But Duke was primarily a surfer, who taught riding the waves to Australians, Californians and others... like a suring ambassador. In 1925, while suring with a group of Hollywood friends, he saved eight sailors from a shipwrecked ishing boat in California’s Corona del Mar, earning global fame. He danced the hula with English Queen Elizabeth and counted John F. Kennedy among his fans.

Hawaiians call their guitars “ukuleles.” These were introduced to the islands by the Portuguese in the mid-19th century. The instrument has become synonymous with Hawaiian music thanks to the Panama Paciic International Exposition, organised in 1915 in San Francisco, and reached immense popularity along the entire Western Coast thanks to George E. Awai and his Royal Hawaiian Quartet. The gentle and leisurely Hawaiian rhythms enchanted numerous renowned musicians, such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Beach Boys – not to mention numerous other artists who recorded at least one album in a Hawaiian style. Especially popular is Crosby’s version of Mele Kalikimaka, itself the Hawaiian version of a Christmas carol. Several native musicians have also gone on to international fame. One of the most successful groups is the Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau, which recorded several hit albums, both in Hawaiian and English, with the top spot reserved for Ho’oluana. One of the co-founders of the group was Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, whose gentle voice has made him one of Hawaii’s most beloved musicians. He shot to fame with his irst solo album Ka’ano’i, which brought him the award for best Hawaiian male singer in 1990. In 1993, he recorded his second album entitled Facing Future, including his version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow – What a Wonderful World that made his name instantly recognisable around the world. The album, which became the irst Hawaiian platinum record, also included the hit song Mehameha – White Sandy Beach of Hawai’i. Iz, the nickname of Kamakawiwo’ole, died in 1997, at the age of just 38, due to complications arising from his being overweight. At one point, he tipped the scales at 350 kilograms. The day of his funeral, when his ashes were thrown into the sea, was declared a day of mourning on the archipelago and was attended by more than 9,000 people.

THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2010, SUSSEX, ENGLAND

BEAUTY AND SPEED

Paul Melbert

by Richard Harfood

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Fun, Fun, Fun

It’s the hottest day of the year. Sussex is sweltering; a once peaceful lush ield in the Goodwood estate has given up its beauty and mutated into a motoring nirvana. Dust pours through rows of hot metal, white hot rays of light ricochet off every curve and mirror. The air is thick with the scent of dust, fuel and sun cream, a somewhat festive atmosphere, as people lock in the distance, cameras on their shoulders, their faces revealing a nearly unbearable excitement. Only the majestic green domed turrets of the Goodwood house, peeking over the tree line, give a clue as to what is waiting behind the greenery: Something special is going on. There’s nothing quite like the Goodwood Festival of Speed. You’ll hear this quite often before you go, usually from somebody who found out about it well before Lord March did. You know the type. Tales of 747’s making emergency manoeuvres overhead, bizarre six-wheeled race cars, impossibly styled one-off supercars and legendary drivers....and yet it’s all true. The Goodwood House was originally acquired by the 1st Duke of Bedford in 1697, the son of Charles II and his French mistress, Louise de Keroualle. The Duke acquired the house so he could ride with the local hunt. Lying within this vast estate in the downs is a famous race course, the Goodwood race course, which has entertained wealthy socialites and racing fans with regular meetings throughout the ‘lat season’ for nearly 200 years. Famed around the world is the annual Glorious Goodwood race meeting, irst introduced by the 4th Duke of Richmond in 1814, just 12 years after horse racing originally began

here. The Trundle, a 676-foot hill crowned by the earthworks of an Iron Age fort, is a natural grandstand from which to watch the Goodwood Races. The West Sussex-based Goodwood Motor Circuit originally opened its gates to the public on September 1948, to host Britain’s very irst post-war motor race at a permanent venue. Twelve years earlier, Goodwood’s very irst motorsport event was staged when a hill climb meeting was held for a small group of pre-war Lancia enthusiasts, hosted by the 9th Duke of Richmond, Freddie March. The Goodwood House has been lovingly refurbished by the present Duke, the Earl of March, who together with his family has ensured that the mansion is a fascinating place to visit. The Goodwood Festival of Speed started in 1994, capturing the hearts of all that witnessed the spectacle. The 1.16mile private drive meanders up past the Goodwood house and beyond, a lazy drive that is humble and narrow, perfect for returning calmly to your abode after an evening of ine dining in decadent surroundings. But now, once a year, the surface is smeared a devilish black by 2-foot-wide Pirelli’s, every race car and race bike that you every wanted to see is 6 feet in front of you, over a wooden picket fence. After years of special treatment and comfortable lodgings, racing there is back to what it should be. Heroes of past and present onboard are electrifying the air with the sound of a bygone era, lash-back sponsorships, booze and cigarettes, side burns and attitude. Wonderful! The festival attracts over 100,000 visitors, which is quite a testament to what a special place this is. It’s certainly too much to see

and do in one day alone; you are constantly spoiled by the array of sights and sounds and smells. With the downfall of the 2010 British Motorshow, the number of manufacturers who see Goodwood as a key date in their event calendar has grown, bringing a strong OEM backbone to the show and now a whole extra day! ‘The Moving Motorshow’ allows you to not only see the cars but to drive them too, a wonderful option for both companies and consumers to revel in the product, in these auspicious surroundings. Each year there is a different theme and each new event brings a new spectacular automotive sculpture to the front of the Goodwood house. This year we cry “Viva Veloce!” as we celebrate all that is marvelous with Italian motoring greatness, from MV Augusta to Ferrari, Monza to the Mille Miglia. Alfa Romeo is celebrating their centenary this year and have produced a spectacular display in front of the Goodwood house: a towering iron clad cloverleaf grows from the soil, with each lank holding two classics of their time, a beautiful new 8C Competizione on the right, and on the left something far more special, certainly more than the dull, bruised paintwork suggests -- one of only two P2 racers left in the world, the very car that won the irst championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. Its estimated value is circa £15-£20 million. That’s quite a centrepiece. “Running alongside the 2010 Festival central theme, Goodwood will also celebrate 60 years of the Formula One World Championship, with a gathering of cars and drivers that have shaped the history of

Mike Caldwell; opposite side (clockwise): Jochen van Couwenberge, John Colley, Marcus Dodridge, Andrew Hone, Andy Smerdon, John Colley, Andrew Hone

42 / 47 Fun, Fun, Fun

Fun, Fun, Fun

clockwise: Marcus Dodridge, John Colley, Andy Smerdon

Paul Melbert

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Fun, Fun, Fun

Michel Neven

motor sport’s most glamorous series,” says a Goodwood spokesman. “The 60th anniversary of the epic Carrera Panamericana road race, and 50 years since the RAC Rally took to the forests for the irst time and the legendary Australian Bathurst race began, will all be marked in true Goodwood style too.” There are many different avenues to explore here. If you are a hardened motorsports fan, you can see enough to ill your head for weeks. Obviously the Hillclimb is the main event: you’ll take in wonders from the F1 to WRC, superbikes to LeMans winners, all in glorious Technicolor, all giving it full throttle up the hill with only a few stricken hay bales between you. If you are a fan of concourse and very shiny, rare vehicles, the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours stand offers up some of the inest motor cars on the planet. Franco Lombardi’s sublime Maserati A6GCS claimed top honours, narrowly beating the Fiat 600 Multipla Marinella of Heather Fattorini. It’s a beautiful setting with live music and champagne all around. There is a special rally stage hidden in the woods too that provides a perfect stomping ground for the rally specials from past and present, no need to get

up at 3 a.m. and battle the elements to ind a wet, grassy vantage point to see - not a lot - in deepest darkest Wales. You’re right in the thick of it without even knowing it. Two minutes ago, you were climbing out of an enormous battle tank, playing with the sub-machine gun, thanking God you didn’t actually have to ever use it. Then “Whoosh!” a cloud of dust and stones rises from the back of Loeb’s Citroen and disappears into the woods again. Behind the noise and prestige of the main attractions lie a host of different stands and stalls, I’ve honestly never seen so many model car stands before! A collector’s dream I think. You can happily stroll through the rows of tents, ice cream in hand, and sample a plethora of miscellaneous marvels, clothing, books, souvenirs and more model cars! This is a show in and of itself. Then there’s the action that takes place above your head. Over the years there have been a variety of aviation shows to witness. Obviously Goodwood is steeped in aeronautical history and this plays a key part in making the Festival of Speed so wonderful and unique. There is a regular attendance from the RAF Red Arrows, who manage to make a mockery of physics and give thousands of people a sore neck

all at the same time. Their skill is unrivalled and quite remarkable to behold. Your eyes are spoiled rotten by a swirling dance of attack helicopters and when you think you’ve seen it all, Sir Stirling Moss walks into view… Quick! Think of something clever to say! “Hello, Sir,” I awkwardly blurt out. “Hello” he replies, looking slightly concerned that I may a little bit mental. “Are you having a nice day?” I ask. I’m not really coming over at all well here. “Oh, yes” Sir Stirling replies, so I quickly shake his hand and smile, then wish him well and walk off, only to realise a few minutes later that my hand feels like I have wrestled a torque wrench. What a legend. In short, Goodwood FOS is an automotive, aeronautical, visual and audio extravaganza! And much more...And it hits you as soon as your ticket stub parts company with your clammy grip. Give or take a day (depending on the F1 calendar) The FOS takes place each year around the irst weekend of July. If you’ve never been before, you should buy your ticket now and start wondering what will be waiting for you over the treetops of the Goodwood house.

Lepota in hitrost Zdi se, kot bi bil najbolj vroč dan leta. Sussex koplje v soncu. Običajno idilično posestvo Goodwood je nekaj dni v znamenju prahu, zloščene pločevine, grmenja motorjev, poželjivih pogledov ...

Angleži pravijo, da se prav nič ne more primerjati z »Goodwood Festival of Speed«. To ponavljajo iz leta v leto. In res, Goodwood je festival hitrosti in vsega, kar se premika in bobni ...

Crazy Stuff

THE MERCEDES E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2011 HAS ARRIVED

CASTEL MONASTERO, TUSCANY, ITALY One of the most beautiful stretches of countryside in Italy boasts Chianti vines, corn ields, chestnut forests and long rows of cypress trees: it is the Ombrone Valley in Tuscany – a land blessed with masterpieces of painting and food and the great, unparalleled art of knowing how to live life. Castel Monastero, a fantastic Country House Resort, stands in this unique corner of the world, just 23 kilometers from Siena. The small, but intact, medieval village Monastero dell’Ombrone, from the 11th century, is recorded in the archives of the era. Today, within these thousand-year-old walls, 76 guestrooms and suites combine in a villa of pure elegance. You can sense the glorious past of this village in the air, among the four hectares of unspoilt greenery just a hair’s breadth away. In keeping with the fascination of the hotel, there is a gourmet restaurant, a cellar where guests can sample the best Tuscan wines and a spa where guests can relax and feel at peace. This is a wonderfully enticing place for a holiday, and the perfect place in which to discover Italian culture, enjoy a romantic honeymoon or even host a wedding in the intimate little church within the walls of the resort. Castel Monastero is the ideal starting point for a holiday of art and wine tasting in Tuscany. True masterpieces of Italian painting and cuisine can be found a few kilometres from the hotel. Every day, a different, exciting itinerary is available, based on relaxation, culture and pleasure. You will be enchanted by the beauty of Siena and the energy of the Palio, as well as San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Pienza, Sovana, Pitigliano and Volterra. Then there are the magniicent frescoes of Simone Martini, Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Piero della Francesca, as well as the traditions of high Tuscan gastronomy, which may be discovered in Castellina in Chianti, Radda and Greve in Chianti, and Montalcino. Since the eleventh century, Castel Monastero has shone forth among the most beautiful hills of the Chianti region. Today, this small medieval village is dedicated to the art of Italian hospitality. Located in a strategic position, just 23 km from Siena and 90 km from Florence, the perfectly preserved hotel offers the pleasure of discovering and experiencing an authentic taste of Tuscany. www.castelmonastero.com

What better way to spend your summer road trip than from behind the wheel of a 2011 Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabriolet? The muchanticipated convertible is identical in size to the 2010 E-Class Coupe and packs just as much punch under the hood. Unlike other convertibles in its class, the new cabriolet is not outitted with a retractable hardtop, but rather a 0.9-inch-thick fabric roof that is both water and wind resistant. The unique design of the roof enables the cabriolet to offer additional trunk capacity, with an increase from 3.17 cubic feet to 13.8 cubic feet. Another added feature is the new AIRCAP® system, which is designed to limit the amount of wind intrusion into the passenger compartment up to speeds of 100 mph. The system includes a 2.4-inch wind delector that extends from the windshield, as well as a draft-stop mounted behind the rear seats. The cabriolet also features the Mercedes AIRSCARF®, a luxury that was irst introduced in the SL Roadster, which sends gusts of warm air around the neck of both the driver and front-seat passenger. With these highly-engineered advancements, drivers and passengers alike can cruise the streets in style in all seasons, knowing that each hair on their head will remain perfectly intact. When it comes to safety, Mercedes-Benz has once again pulled out all the stops. The cabriolet is equipped with two reinforced roll-over bars, which include a combination of robust A-pillars and plug-in B-pillars. Detecting potential hazards caused by skidding or impact, the tilting cone sensor automatically locks, causing the pre-tensioned pressure springs to immediately activate. As the irst Mercedes-Benz cabriolet to offer headbags, the convertible comes standard with seven airbags, including front and side airbags, a kneebag on the driver’s side, as well as belt tensioners and belt force limits for each seat. Powertrain options range from a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque for the E350 cabriolet to a 5.5-liter V8 engine with 382 horsepower and 391 lb-ft for the E550 cabriolet. Both models have seven-speed automatic transmission. www.mercedes-benz.com

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FAST FASHION When the all-important ‘home’ round of the Superbike World Championship recently came to the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, the Stephanskirchen-based BMW Motorrad Motorsport team was one of the main talking points – and not because of the factory riders or their S 1000 RR race bikes… Having already created a stir earlier in the year at the Misano and Silverstone circuits with a unique display of gridgirl fashion, the team welcomed back successful Munich-based designer Kinga Horvath, who this time had created special BMW Motorrad Motorsport outits for the two grid girls to wear at the world-famous German circuit nestled in the Eifel Mountains. With the view that high-class couture would bring an added dimension to this prestigious world championship racing series, Horvath incorporated the traditional BMW Motorsport colours in her designs, which were modelled by Latvian beauty Sanita Alexsejevc and Anastasia Guseva, from Russia, who lives in Frankfurt and is 19 years old. With elegant, tailored dresses, contrasting headwear and even gloves featuring the bespoke designs, the two models were among the main talking points in the race paddock all weekend, attracting the attention of television crews from all over the world, not to mention envious glances from all of the other teams. Providing a welcome distraction from their highpressure and adrenaline-charged duties out on the track, BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus were only too happy to be part of the photo-shoot, which successfully captured the glamorous world of World Superbikes. Top fashion photographer Markus Hofmann was delighted with the results of his third assignment, which was aimed at raising the stakes in racetrack couture. “With such favourable reactions to our fashion shoots in Italy and the UK, I

was looking forwards to seeing what outits Kinga would be inspired to create for the team’s important home round,” Markus said. “True to form, she came up with a look that was high-class and undeniably sexy, but still complemented the premium brand image of BMW Motorrad. Our two models looked great in Kinga’s designs, which it the corporate motorsport look perfectly, whether in the team garage, in the pit-lane or on the grid.” For 29-year-old Slovakianborn fashion designer Kinga Horvath, who graduated from Munich’s Deutsche Meisterschule für Mode, the opportunity to create special outits that would be seen globally on television, online and in magazines, was a dream come true. “This kind of exposure doesn’t happen every day,” she said, “so I owed it to myself and the team to create the best designs possible for the girls to wear. I wanted to use a variety of materials and looks that would make the BMW Motorrad Motorsport girls stand out on the grid and in the paddock – but for all the right reasons! Judging by the reaction of race fans, journalists, photographers and even the team itself, I think we’ve achieved this. Our two models enjoyed wearing the outits and all the attention they received, so it was rewarding to conidently show that it’s possible to be sexy and sophisticated at the same time.”

How many different outfits did you take to the Nürburgring for the girls to model? // Kinga: We had six different outits for the models during the race. The clothes were in an elegant black and in the BMW colours: blue, white and red. Can you describe the look you wanted to achieve with the outfits that were created especially for this photo-shoot? // Kinga: It was a long working process and I was thinking about its realization for many nights. I had very much material on the S 1000 RR BMW motorbike and could thus work myself into this project. I think you will recognize a lot of the styles and shapes of the S 1000 RR when you look at my clothes. To integrate the BMW motorsport colours wasn’t very simple. I wanted the clothes to it the BMW motorbike in an elegant and seasonable way.

What were your impressions of life in the World Superbike paddock? // Kinga: Gigantic. I wouldn’t know where to start… It was simply everything, beginning with the team and the race, as well as the whole atmosphere over there. The tense excitement -- hoping for Troy Corser and Rubben Xaus on the day of the race… It was an adventure. I think I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Were Troy and Ruben easy to work with and were you impressed by their professionalism ? // Kinga: Both of them were really nice and very patient during the shoot. I think they also enjoyed themselves while shooting. I also liked their work during the visit to the pit walk. What did you enjoy most about the weekend at the Nürburgring? // Kinga: Well, I really enjoyed watching the S 1000 RR in action. And also seeing the drivers in their racing clothes.

Cadillac Man

Pushike Cadilac

Even a can be a 50

Electra is synonymous with two-wheel U.S. cruisers with pedals. Electra is a version of the American dream, even though it originates from Berlin.

by George Hilbert photography Electra Bikes

When you activate your imagination, even a bicycle can become a “Pink Cadillac”, “Little Red Corvette”, “Lollypop”, “Hot Rod”, “Harley”, or “Indian”... Just close your eyes suddenly you’re in Venice Beach or Hollywood. And all the world seems like one, big California. You know the saying: “It Never Rains In Southern California!” But the irony is that this oh-so-typical success story, embellished with shiny chrome, originates from Berlin. That was the site of the irst meeting between Benno Bänziger and Jän Erforth. The former is Swiss and found himself in one of the most diverse European capitals by virtue of his father serving at the Swiss Embassy. The latter is an original Berliner. Benno had always dreamt of California and courageously headed there after graduating in graphic design. Being an avid sports enthusiast, he made his dollars in the US version of Utopia the same way that he earned German marks in Berlin: by designing skateboards and snowboards. He even founded Projekt Design, his own studio. However, he soon discovered that he was working in a particularly American ield and that the locals were strong competi-

tors. So he cast his eye on pushbikes. “Bicycles were not hugely popular in America in the early 1990s,” Bänziger says. “Everything related to bikes had to do with sporting – be it road or mountain bikes. People would rarely ride a bike just for fun, of for the hell of it. I began thinking about different bicycles, something that would have no connection to pedal pushing as a serious sport.” It was then that he bumped into Jän Erforth, who made his living in the west by selling pieces of the Berlin Wall. “Back in 1993, there were almost no traditional cruisers available in the US,” Erforth says. “You could buy a $99 Huffy at Wal-Mart, but that only bore a pathetic resemblance to the real thing. Or you could try to ind an old Schwinn – if you were lucky enough to ind one at all – and restore it, which was very expensive.” So they discovered an interesting market niche. They pooled their savings, amounting to some $30,000, and set up the Electra Bicycle Company. They wanted to create comfortable bikes for everyday use that combined old school looks with contemporary technology. “At irst dealers laughed at us. But in time, people realized that they didn’t need a mountain or road bike to go

to the grocery store. Word of mouth spread quickly.” The two German Californians, are still the sole owners of the successful trademark. And all the while, their ‘cruisers’ have been leisurely navigating the roads of Europe, Asia, Australia and, of course, the USA. In 2002, the pair introduced the Stream Ride series. While the new bikes still contained the typical cruiser spirit, they also included a large dose of custom car culture -- especially popular in Southern California. Customised cars reitted in 1,001 ways, where even the most bizarre and unusual ideas are gleefully incorporated, are called hot rods. Even old-timers are given a fresh coat of vivid paint, bonnets are adorned by iery lames, and everything shines, glitters and, naturally, roars. The bikes also borrowed some typically chopper-style elements, like elongated forks, thick tires and leather accessories. Electra’s take on hot rods is represented by the Rockabilly Boogy, Rat Rod, Sparker, Straight 8, Hellbilly, Boney Finger, Ghostrider... And the Rat Fink, actually dedicated to Ed Roth – the Big Daddy of hot rods himself. “Benno and I attended hot rod meetings as if we were possessed,” Erforth remembers. “In time

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Cadillac Man

Electra’s Homage

we nearly became experts and most importantly met a bunch of people who were very enthusiastic about our idea. That’s how we also came into contact with the guys who had the licensing rights to the Rat Fink logo and name. Because we wanted to create a proper community and start a movement of different bike enthusiasts, they allowed us to use the two. The bike’s curved frame in poison green has been a tremendous success. Even hot rod enthusiasts are buying it.” Especially in the western U.S., Electra’s bikes have recently achieved cult status, a sort of a California lifestyle trademark. That is why they are much more than just bike; for some they are fashion accessories. Benno and Jäno have fulilled their original dream. They popularised the bicycle, even among people who had never thought of cycling before. And they seem to be riding on a wave of success that will not end. Their bikes can be found far away from the beaches of California – even in Alaska’s Anchorage. If their story were to take place some 40 years before, Electra would probably be featured in the songs of Brian Wilson & Co. The Beach Boys were surfers, but in an alternate past, perhaps they would have sung ‘Ridin’ USA’ instead of ‘Surin’ USA’!

Alexander Sandro Girard was a renowned U.S. textile pattern designer. Born to a US mother and an Italian-French father, he grew up in New York before his father sent him to study architecture in Rome. After returning to the US, he got a job with the acclaimed furniture maker Herman Miller. That’s where he met, and began cooperating with, famous designers like Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson. Among other things, he created textiles for the famous U.S. restaurant La Fonda del Sol and the exhibition space for Herman Miller. He set up the Girard Foundation in 1962, where all of his works are now displayed. This U.S. design giant was remembered by Electra as well. They put his colourful patterns on two models of their Amsterdam series. Electra’s cruisers are also sought after by photographer Art Brewer, whose works have been published in Surfer Magazine, the Bible of California and Hawaii surfers, for several decades now. Brewer shot a series of photos of unusual and picturesque individuals for this year’s Electra catalogue, collected under the title: ‘The Electra Way To Roll’.

// Si

Tudi »bicikl« je lahko cadillac Če vključiš domišljijo, je tudi kolo lahko »Pink Cadillac«, »Little Red Corvette«, »Lollypop«, »Hot Rod«, »Harley«, »Indian« ... Zapreš oči in na lepem se znajdeš na Venice Beachu, ali pa v Hollywoodu. In vse se zdi ena sama Kalifornija. Saj veste: »It Never Rains In Southern California!« Electra je sinonim za ameriške cruiserje na dveh kolesih in na lasten pogon. Je variacija na temo ameriškega sna, čeprav izvira iz Berlina.

Photo / Copacabana Palace Hotel archive

If you want to see the unreal life for yourself, walk about a quarter of the length of the beach from the Pao de Azucar hill, where you will be presented with the luxurious building that epitomises Cataoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire: the majestic Copacabana Palace Hotel. While Rio de Janeiro hosts hundreds of hotels and the beaches of South America probably have thousands more, there can be only one palace at the

sea, as the venue is also known. After being elected president following WWI, Epitacio Pessoa, who also represented Brazil at the Versailles peace conference, decided to transform Rio into a centre of tourism, glamour and entertainment, a tropical Paris of sorts. Apart from celebrating Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 years of independence on the Copacabana beach in 1922, the city

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Perfect Day

Perfect Day 53

COPACA BA NA PA L AC E HOT EL

TROPICA L PA RIS by Miran Ališič

COPACABANA IS A DIVINE NAME, HARMONIOUS AND LEISURELY, EVOKING PLEASURE AND MYSTIQUE, JUST LIKE THE BEACH IN RIO DE JANEIRO. AFTER ALY AGA KHAN, A PAKISTANI PRINCE, PLAYBOY AND RITA HAYWORTH’S HUSBAND, HEARD THAT HIS FRIENDS LURDES AND ALVARO CATAO PURCHASED A VILLA ON RIO’S ICONIC SANDY BEACH AND ANNOUNCED THEY WANTED TO LIVE THERE FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, HE SAID WITH A LAUGH: “THAT IS NOT REAL LIFE!”

began inviting movie stars for a visit and needed a hotel like no other in the world. Pessoa brought the idea to Octavio Guinle, a son of French immigrants and one of Brazil’s richest people, who already owned the Palace Hotel in Rio and the Esplanada Hotel in Sao Paulo. Guinle wanted to create more than just a hotel – he wanted an entertainment and relaxation centre. Due to many construction

issues, partly caused by the majority of the building materials being transported from Europe, the hotel was not opened in time for Brazil’s centenary celebrations. That, however, did not stop the venue’s rise to the central point of Copacabana.

Nelson Rockefeller

Walt Disney

Bill Clinton & Anthony Hopkins Ginger Rogers & Elaine Stewart

Mick Jagger

Argentina’s Julio de Caro composed the Copacabana tango in 1927, while the hotel’s Golden Book records important guests from the opening day in 1923, preserving numerous stories. In 1946, Octavio Guinle hid the book in his safe because of his experiences during the war and because he feared it might be destroyed. It seemed that the records had been lost forever. When it was recovered in 1965 before Guinle’s death, it unveiled numerous interesting stories that separated this hotel from others. In 1925, Assis Chateaubriand, a media mogul, organised a dinner for Albert Einstein in the hotel. More serious was the fate of President Washington Luis, who was shot and wounded by his French mistress Yvonette Martin as he was trying to force his way into her suite after a quarrel. Because the hotel wanted to cover up the scandal, Yvonette managed to escape to France, but two days later an Italian noblewoman Elvira Maurichi shot herself in the hotel, prompting many to believe even today that she was the one shooting at the country’s president. Despite the scope of the scandal, Guinle only ired the reception clerk who failed to enter into the register the two guests who carried irearms. The shootings were soon forgotten and in 1930 the halls under the Murano chandeliers were adorned by Miss Brazil hopefuls. In

March 1931, the hotel hosted British Prince Edward, who went on to become king in 1936 but was forced to abdicate after marrying American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Another interesting story details U.S. architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s leaving the panel of the irst symposium of tropical architecture in early 1930s to join a strike by architecture students. Wright chose the hotel he was staying at as the centre of the industrial action – and what other place could it be but the Copacabana Palace Hotel? In 1938, the facility opened its Golden Room, with entertainment at Copacabana Palace inally coming into stride with the opening evening featuring 400 guests, a pricey ticket cost of 30 dollars, streams of champagne, and chansons by none other than Maurice Chevalier. The Golden Room club attracted the best artists from all over the world during, and especially after, WWII and became the place that probably saw the largest number of performing global stars in the world between the 1930s and 1970s. The list is certainly impressive: Yves Montand, Lena Horne, Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Nat King Cole, Charles Aznavour, Ray Charles and all of Brazil’s most renowned singers, actors,

Pariz v tropih Copacabana je božansko ime, spevno in ležerno, zabavno in mistično, prav takšno, kot je plaža v Riu de Janeiru. Aly Aga Khan, pakistanski princ, plejboj in tudi mož Rite Hayworth, je nekoč komentiral nakup vile prijateljev Lurdes in Alvara Cataa (Catao) ob peščeni plaži Ria de Janeira, ko sta zakonca nameravala tam živeti vse leto. Smeje je dodal: »To ni realno življenje!« In nekje na četrtini Copacabane, če gledate iz smeri griča Pao de Azucar, kot razkošna utrdba Cataovega sloga in neresnega življenja stoji mogočna palača - hotel Copacabana Palace. V Riu de Janeiru je na stotine hotelov, na plažah Južne Amerike verjetno še na tisoče, a palača ob morju, kot ga tudi imenujejo, je le ena.

Orson Welles

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dancers …. The venue had to do its best especially after 1946, when marshal Dutra prohibited gambling throughout the country, as its casino was for the past two decades at least as important for the hotel as the gambling den in the mythical Rick’s Cafe saloon was for Humphrey Bogart in the ilm Casablanca. And its troubles were in no way lessened despite the venue already becoming a familiar backdrop for Hollywood. It made a star-worthy appearance in 1933’s Flying down to Rio, even though the movie was shot mainly in studios in Los Angeles, with Malibu beach playing the part of Copacabana and only aerial photos showing the majestic buildings in several scenes. As the tempest of war engulfed all of Europe, Asia and, psychologically, North America as well, Rio became an oasis of peace, entertainment and relaxation. No wonder then that Henry Fonda, Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby and Walt Disney stayed there often between 1940 and 1945. Austrian writer Stefan Zweig fell in love with the hotel and the beach, writing: “If Copacabana is not Rio’s heart, it is most certainly its lungs. But all this beauty contains something symbolic: if we stand or sit on this beach, facing the sea, we feel the genuine beat of Rio behind us, while the avenue looks straight towards Europe.” Reading Zweig’s words also had an impact on Orson Welles, who came to Copacabana Palace in 1942 and was just one of the illustrious names in the Golden Book’s record of actors: Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, Anita Ekberg, Ginger Rogers, Yul Brynner, Jayne Mansield, Kim Novak, Kirk Douglas, Brigitte Bardot, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Gina Lollobrigida and many others visited the hotel for business or pleasure, for festivals or shoots or simply to witness the most important event for the hotel – the Carnival! As Rio bid adieu to its status as Brazil’s capital following the construction of Brasilia in the 1950s, Copacabana Palace also

slowly began to fade away. The famous visitors were fewer and fewer, the Golden Room club died down, the owner Octavio Guinle passed away. His widow failed to keep up with the times and the Copacabana Palace was facing its downfall. The 1980s were a tough period for the venue and only after the death of Mrs Mariazinha Guinle in 1989, almost 20 years after her husband, could the successors make a step into the 21st century. For as long as she lived in a luxurious apartment under the hotel’s roof, she did not allow any desperately needed renovations and due to its mounting debts, the hotel could only sell stars on postcards from days gone by. Fresh capital was urgently needed for a new start. This came just under 20 years ago, when a multi-million-dollar investment by the Orient Express Group allowed for a thorough revamping, making the hotel ready for the 1992 UN Earth Summit, where the Golden Book added the signatures of Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng, Bill Clinton, UN Secretary General Koi Annan and French President Francois Mitterand, who followed in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth, Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, Danish Princess Margaret and Indira Ghandi. Glamour new guests included Madonna, Mick Jagger, Valentino, Lenny Kravitz and Paris Hilton, who almost certainly spent a wild night or two there as well. The facts of the latter are not detailed by the hotel, as they do not see it worthy compared to everything else that happened here. Copacabana Palace lived through numerous events, including a road collapsing almost to its very door following high seas in 1925, a world war, economic crises, the prohibition of gambling, the fall of the culture of luxurious entertainment in salons, casinos and at balls, but has nevertheless remains the undisputed queen of this glorious beach. Aly Khan might be right in disputing the reality of life when staying here, but visiting it for a day or two or perhaps a week ills us with a glory that deies death.

photo / page 52: Michel Filho, Manchete Magazine, Evandro Teixeira, Ivo Gonzales, J.P. Engelbrecht; page 53: reproducedby Fon Fon Magazine, Copacabana Palace Hotel archive

Oscar Ornstein

56 / 60 Leon Zakrajsek

Original

Leon Zakrajšek, graphic artist, specialist and painter by Saša Bojc photographs of artworks Aleksander Lilik

A line is a symbol telling the spectator that less is more IT’S HARD FOR THE SLOVENIAN GRAPHIC ARTIST, SPECIALIST AND PAINTER LEON ZAKRAJŠEK TO EXPLAIN THE FASCINATION THAT THE EAST EXUDES. AS AN ARTIST, HE IS DRAWN TO ASIA AND THE MYSTIQUE OF ITS ART, WHICH SEEMS TO SPEAK VOLUMES WITH SUCH MINIMAL EFFORT. ZAKRAJŠEK CANNOT SETTLE DOWN IN ONE PLACE ONLY. HE IS CHARACTERISED BY RESTLESSNESS. HE HAS TO TRAVEL TO ASIA ONCE A YEAR, PREFERABLY MORE. CERTAIN PLACES, FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES AND EASTERN PECULIARITIES INSPIRE HIM, THOUGH HE DOES NOT DENY THAT HE ALSO LIKES TO RETURN TO CROATIA’S CAPITAL, ZAGREB, WHICH HAS BEEN HIS HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS. HE LIKES THE UNIQUE LAWS AND CODES GOVERNING THE DIFFERENT LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES. HIS THOUGHTS AND HIS BRUSH WERE FOCUSED ON CHINA IN RECENT MONTHS – THANKS TO A LARGE SOLO EXHIBITION IN BEIJING’S ART CHANNEL GALLERY. BUT OTHER CITIES WON’T BE NEGLECTED: TOKYO, LJUBLJANA AND ZAGREB ARE THE NEXT THREE STOPS AFTER BEIJING. Leon Zakrajšek, born in 1962, is part of Japan’s Kamakura Print Collection and holds the title of Cavaliere dell’Arte in Italy among others. He attended Ljubljana’s Academy of Fine Arts and Design before moving on to Spain’s Centre Internacional de Recerca Graica. Then he left for Japan, where he studied under Harumi Sonoyama at the Hanga

Kobo-Seya-ku studios, at the Tama Art Academy and under master wood engravers Fumio Kitaoka, Yuki Rei and Seiko Kawachi. His introduction to the land of the rising sun was made possible by meeting Sonoyama, the head of international relations at the Japan Print Association (JPA). >>

Stone Garden, 2006, oil on canvas, 100 x 80 cm

Guanlan No. 3, 2009, original silkscreen ed 30, 103 x 65 cm

The Art Channel gallery in Beijing will exhibit the newest opus by graphic artist, specialist and painter Leon Zakrajšek. Zakrajšek already exhibited in China as part of the Beijing Bienale during the 2008 Olympics. In 2009, he was invited as a guest artist to the Guanlan Original Print Base, China’s most important printmaking centre. In December, Ljubljana’s Atelje Galerija gallery, Zakrajšek’s agent in Slovenia, will launch his solo exhibition. Atelje Galerija Gallusovo nabrežje 29, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia info@ateljegalerija.si www.ateljegalerija.si

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Zakrajšek was enraptured by the simplicity, minimalism and perfection of traditional Japanese sumi painting, which was developed during the Han dynasty in China and brought to Japan by a Korean Buddhist monk around 700 CE. He was introduced to the technique by none other than the renowned artist Rei Yuki and has since increasingly gravitated towards painting with long strokes. A line is a symbol telling the spectator that less is more. He calls his work “leaving traces,” using wood resin charcoal that turns into grey, dark blue and brown shades on white paper. Under the traces, his works include his signature and, sometimes, his red ingerprint and a red seal, a characteristic signature for Asian artists. This seal can only be added if an artist is approved by an oficial institution, in Zakrajšek’s case the JPA. He sees his shift from prints to sumi as an upgrade for his

creativity. “I’m changing and I see that as positive,” he says. “Some artists remain faithful to a speciic technique and sometimes also only one motif, some do the opposite. All artists must be able to recognise when they begin to repeat themselves, when they feel washed out. Art, such as many other things on this planet, is reminiscent of a song or a love affair that has a beginning, peak and end – nothing remains at the same level of intensity forever. This is why my artistic changes are a logical continuation. They are a mix of my desires and my experiences of Japan and its traditions, including what it taught me.” In Zakrajšek, the West meets the East. When the Japanese see his works, they know immediately they were made by a westerner, as they employ a different structure and an original artistic expression, he added.

Composition BRII, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 140 cm

Composition RBW, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 140 cm

Composition No. 13, 2009, sumi on paper, 55 x 79 cm Composition No. 10, 2009, sumi on paper, 55 x 79 cm

— Linija je simbol, ki opazovalcu sporoča, da je manj več

Očaranost nad Vzhodom je težko razložiti, pravi slovenski graik, specialist in slikar Leon Zakrajšek. Opisuje jo kot zaljubljenost, kot iskro, ki preskoči, ko v množici oseb zagledaš pravo. Kot umetnik potrebuje utrip Azije, pritegnejo ga rituali in mistika azijske umetnosti, ki z malo povedo veliko. Ne bi mogel živeti samo na enem kraju. Je človek nemira. Enkrat

na leto mora v Azijo, še bolje je, če mu uspe večkrat. Nekateri kraji, prijatelji in znanci ter vzhodnjaške posebnosti mu dajejo navdih, čeprav ne zanika, da se rad vrne tudi v hrvaško glavno mesto Zagreb, ki je v zadnjih letih postal njegov drugi dom. Na različnih geografskih širinah in dolžinah namreč vladajo svojevrstne zakonitosti in to mu godi. V zadnjih mesecih je bil z mislimi in čopičem usmerjen na Kitajsko – na veliko samostojno razstavo v pekinški galeriji Art Channel.

Primož Korošec

56 / 60 Leon Zakrajsek

Looking back!

The constancy of my works lies in the continuing usage of traditional art techniques. When I was attending the Ljubljana school of design in my youth, I had the privilege of learning the basics of sketches (Prof. Janez Močnik), which originated from Renaissance drawings and thus learnt the basis of a tradition to which I am still bound today. That is also when and where I met my great love – art prints (Prof. Gorazd Šefran). The techniques used in classical prints (etching, dry point, aquatint) left an indelible mark on me. I later delved deeper into my love for these methods, irst at the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and then in Spain and Japan. Classical printing techniques have their own rules that strictly set the how’s and what’s. There rules were made by the guilds and are all similar in their strictness. I have aimed for perfection within this framework, choosing a path that I have never swerved from. I kept looking for new possibilities of expression, but always in connection with the West’s traditional techniques. The appearance of new media that introduced techniques to classical prints that the “orthodox” adherents, including myself, did not feel as equal to the classical techniques, caused my work and enthusiasm to wane. The scope for work and exhibition opportunities were reduced, and the classical prints fell out of fashion as they could not compete in comparison with the relatively painless and quick results of using the new techniques. Also faster today is one’s relection on life: speed is what matters. I only made classical prints to be showcased at rare international exhibitions of traditional art prints, which were themselves becoming increasingly rare, both in Slovenia and abroad. Just as my personal dilemma was reaching its peak, and right when I was wondering what path to choose regarding my work, which had been “harmed” so profoundly by the invasion of new techniques, I received a grant from the Japanese government upon the recommendation of the Japan Print Association. I left for Tokyo, where I encountered

mastery of a speciic kind and soaked in the traditions of the East, which, when combined with my previous experience, allowed for new ways of expressing myself. One of my mentors, the great Japanese master wood engraver Rei Yuki, also introduced me to the sumi technique – I was absolutely smitten and taken over by it. Sumi ink is, of course, used in Japanese wood engraving for classical printing on the master panel, which is always a drawing carved into a wooden matrix. That means you can use the same material for printing on the wood engraving as for painting. I got to know the basics and secrets of this ancient technique, which contains the tradition of Chinese painting. I also found a means for expressing myself, which allowed me to inally ind my own style and mode of expression. After combining my existing knowledge of western techniques with my newly acquired skills, I created a unique combination of skills. All that was required was to work hard and draw kilometres of lines. Sumi painting requires technical knowledge about material, paper and painting skills, but adds a spiritual note, which is unfortunately-too-often linked with religion and other sciences in the West. This technique is about working and dedication to continuous exploration: in my case, the search for the universal stroke and shape. Such strokes and shapes are enriched by countless nuances, from light to dark ones, which are possible in sumi by mixing the material with water. For a westerner like me entering a new mode of artistic expression – in this case one almost exclusively “reserved” for Asian artists – this always includes the possibility of lirting with superbly executed works by Asian artists and an unwanted chance to imitate what has already been created. In my case, however, it resulted in the birth of a new artistic expression, as I combined my previous classical western skills with the newly-acquired classical eastern abilities. Joining prints with painting produces a new expression. The work continues. Leon Zakrajšek, September 2010, Ljubljana

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Column / High Gear 62

MOTO 3 ET CETERA ... by Alan Cathcart illustration NatanEsku

It’s now been confirmed by the FIM and series promoter Dorna that the 125cc class, Grand Prix racing’s last remaining two-stroke category, will be replaced for the 2012 season by Moto3, allowing for 250cc four-stroke singles with a maximum bore of 81mm, like the proposed Moto1 rules for 1000cc GP racing. However, unlike Moto2, the 600cc four-cylinder four-stroke replacement for 250GP which debuted this season with a sealed Honda control engine (whose performance has been held back for reliability reasons) Moto3 will be a free engine formula even at the GP level. This makes the new class set to become the backbone of entry-level motorcycle road racing all over the world, where with 125cc two-strokes now semi-extinct, there’s major demand for such a category at the Club, National and International level in many countries, delivering affordable and accessible performances from any one of a wide choice of engines, housed in an adjustable chassis with race quality suspension, rather than a 600 Superstock’s street forks and shock.

Honda is already known to be developing a 250cc fourstroke single-cylinder motor, which has been itted into a race RS125 chassis for initial testing at the Japanese GP’s Twin Ring Motegi circuit, where it’s rumoured to have already lapped 1.5 seconds faster than an RS125 GP twostroke. There’s already a National domestic series in Japan for MX-based 250cc four-stroke singles itted in a road racing chassis, as typiied by Moriwaki’s turnkey MD250H production racer, which uses a modiied CRF250 Honda engine in an aluminium twinspar frame. And in the USA, promoter Gavin Trippe has been trying for three years to get a similar MX-derived F450 Super Singles category off the ground, with the help of ex-AMA 250GP champion and renowned custom bike builder, Roland Sands. It’s a category whose time has come. That’s a view shared by Swiss engineer Willi Rüfenacht, who together with partner Maurizio Bäumle, has taken the European market’s holeshot in producing a dedicated allnew Moto3 engine under the B&B R-Tech label. First displayed at the inal round of the IDM German Superbike race series at Hockenheim last September, the R-Tech 250 has since shown promise in dyno testing, and is soon to hit the racetrack. The crankcase pickups of the horizontally-split motor have been designed so that the engine will it straight into any Honda RS125 chassis built from 1996 onwards, offering customers an immediate swap with the two-stroke engine from the world’s most plentiful volume production GP racer yet built, with upwards of 3,000 examples constructed each year throughout the 1990s. But frame specialists such as Britain’s Harris Performance, already involved in Moto 2 with Kenny Noyes and Joan Olive, are also considering producing a dedicated frame for the R-Tech motor, which has furthermore been designed with the option to run on E85 bioethanol in those countries where such green fuel is mandated for racing.

to reduce vibration at the high 15,700 rpm redline the engine has proved capable of running at in dyno tests, and has its twin overhead camshafts driven by a train of ive gears directly off the crank, with the four titanium valves operated via tappet cups. Highlow Fallstrom Zylinderkopf The downdraft cylinder head is fed by a single Keihin FCR 39 lat-slide carburetor – fuel injection may well be banned from Moto3, in the interests of simplicity and cost reduction – with the digital ignition package offering a choice of ten different programmes. The six-speed cassette gearbox has a separate lubrication system from the engine, and offers a choice of ratios for each gear. It is matched to an oil-bath clutch with the option of a dry slipper clutch, if preferred. While the acquisition costs of the new engine – for which a price has yet to be set - will be more expensive than the 125cc two-strokes it replaces, it’s claimed that running costs will be greatly reduced, with 15 hours of running time between major engine rebuilds. Extensive dyno testing has so far delivered peak performance of 45bhp at 15,400rpm at the rear wheel (with 27bhp already available at just 7,700 revs, halfway to redline), compared to 38bhp at the wheel for the best of the late RS125 Hondas, but around the same as the factory RS125 Aprilias which do, however, have a very short – and expensive – shelf life...

In addition to being one of Europe’s top historic racers on his Matchless G50, Willi Rüfenacht has worked on several innovative projects requiring a high degree of engineering expertise, including the European title-winning 750cc BMR Supermono single, and most recently the Neander V-twin turbodiesel project, for which he built the original singlecylinder twin-conrod for designer Rupert Baindl, then the twin crankshafts for the four-conrod V-twin version. But this beautifully constructed Moto3 engine is the one that seems likely to bring him commercial success, and it’s going to be interesting to see how many other specialist manufacturers Measuring 81 x 48.4 mm for a capacity of 249cc, the com- for the class will join him in that particular shop window. pact liquid-cooled dry-sump R-Tech single, with a forged Could this be the start of a major re-alignment of road racpiston and titanium conrod, is itted with a balance shaft ing’s class structures at all levels?

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