Akrapovič Magazine vol. 15 by Akrapovič

The AkrapoviÄ? Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust system for Ducati 1199 Panigale.

Winner of the 2014 prestigious award Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Product Design category

The AkrapoviÄ? Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust system for Ducati 1199 Panigale.

Winner of the 2014 prestigious award Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Product Design category

Contents

05 letter

AKRAPOVIČ Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 15, April 2014 Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8 a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Managing Director: Mateja Kos ID No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Editor-in-chief: Miran Ališič Photo editor: Bor Dobrin Art directors: Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Contributors: Alenka Birk, Jasmina Dvoršek, Gaber Keržišnik, Primož Jurman, Mitja Reven, Julian Ryder, Tina Torelli Contributing Photographers: Ivo Pervan, Alex Štokelj, Bor Dobrin, Fulvio Grissoni Translation: Matjaž Horvat Lectorship: Michael Manske Client Editor: Primož Jurman On the cover: Akrapovič Slip-On Line exhaust system for Harley-Davidson Sportster Photo by: Alex Štokelj Printing: Florjančič Tisk d.o.o. Nad izviri 28, 2204 Miklavž, Slovenia -

// Si

NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine

will include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

Contents

06 akrapovic news

Letter

10 Car Action

14 5 Minutes before

18 On the Track

22 Custom Star 05

28 INTERVIEW

40 Visit with us

60 ORIGINAL

34 Race Day

46 Adventure

Everything is in the details!

36 Winners

I’ve recently joined Akrapovič and was brimming with enthusiasm when it came to writing my first editorial. I had a number of ideas on what to write about, but the end-result was never quite there, leaving me unsatisfied with the final text. It just felt stale, unimaginative, as if it had all been said and heard before. Well, this is my third and final version and in it I will attempt to draw your attention to something that might sound easy but is actually not and that is: Attention to Detail!

52 GO WILD

What sets the champions and successful companies apart? Surely motivation, the desire to succeed, the urge to be the first, the best, to walk on the edge. But there is one more characteristic and that is “attention to detail”. Many people and businesses possess at least three of the above-mentioned traits, but it’s the details that separate champions from everyday folks, the best from the merely good. Why details? Because not everyone can spot them. Because I feel most of us don’t give them the attention they deserve. And because details require time, patience and an open mind to be able to see them and understand why they really count. In the end it’s always that millisecond, millimetre, that one decision that separates complete success from utter failure and disappointment. Like victories, defeats are also a part of life and true champions come out of them stronger and hungrier for success. But why write about details and feelings?

66 HIGH GEAR

Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The articles contained herein do not necesseraly correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d. the publishers of the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2014 in 5.000 copies.

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I`ve spent my entire career in the telecom sector, where I had the opportunity to meet numerous successful people and companies. Guess what! All of whom had one thing in common. All of them paid serious attention to the details. Motivated by curiosity and a bit of online searching, I checked out our competition, got to know Akrapovič in detail and found the answer as to why we are so successful. I spend a lot of time talking with our employees and cannot but marvel at the energy and pride they invest in their work. I’m still astonished at the amount of sleepless nights and labour they put into projects, whether it be a new exhaust system, a presentation at an industry fair, or getting ready for a race. The making of a new exhaust, from the initial idea and its computer-aided development, to the prototype, which then undergoes thousands of hours of road testing and, finally, serial production, happens in front of my very eyes. In all these I see a tremendous amount of energy spent on details, from the first curve to the last weld, which is why a seemingly simple product is in reality so detailed and complex. Everything is important, but success is in the detail. Dear readers, I’d like you to take a thorough and detailed look at the new issue of our magazine to see exactly what I’m talking about. Miha Drganec Marketing Director

Warning

Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law.

pecially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.

Warning / USA

Warning / California

Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-

California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts

unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

Contents

05 letter

// Si

NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine

Contents

06 akrapovic news

Letter

10 Car Action

14 5 Minutes before

18 On the Track

22 Custom Star 05

28 INTERVIEW

40 Visit with us

60 ORIGINAL

34 Race Day

46 Adventure

Everything is in the details!

36 Winners

52 GO WILD

66 HIGH GEAR

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Warning

Warning / USA

Warning / California

Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-

California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts

06 / 09

Akrapovič with Alfa Romeo and Abarth Foto: Abarth

The amazing 695 biposto was given the Akrapovič treatment with a lightweight exhaust with two titanium tailpipes. Based on the Fiat 500, this Italian Supermini will further benefit from an Akrapovič premium exhaust system that will improve performance and again add to its unique sound.

Foto: Alfa Romeo

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New Website A few months ago Akrapovič presented its completely new website, made in accordance with the newest standards and chock-full of multimedia content. The easiest way to experience is to visit it, which is why we cordially invite you to go to www.akrapovic.com.

Yamaha’s team in the MotoGP series has got a new title sponsor. Apart from new livery, the team has also got a new name: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP. The partnership between Movistar and Yamaha and the new YZR-M1 bike were unveiled in Qatar just before the opening round of this year’s season. Yamaha added quite a number of partners prior to the start of this year’s season and Akrapovič is proud to be among such notable company.

Hirscher on a KTM

Marcus Walz

Best Brand since 2006

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Akrapovič and Monster Energy X-raid Team

For years, readers of various magazines have been giving us great pleasure as they continue selecting Akrapovič as the best brand for car and motorbike exhausts. Since 2006, Akrapovič has been voted as the top brand by readers of Motorrad magazine. We’ve finished first for nine years in a row; in 2014 with a whopping 75% of the vote. Our closest competitor managed 20%, even with readers selecting from more than 30 brands. The awards by Motorrad provide additional motivation to develop and manufacture the best exhausts, since they prove that our products are very much appreciated. We would like to use this opportunity to thank you, dear readers, as well!

Akrapovič is not idling in the car market. It continues to enter into new partnerships, with the latest one concluded with Cross Country Rally specialists Monster Energy X-raid Team. Akrapovič sponsors the team, whose race crew of Nani Roma and Michel Périn drove the MINI ALL4 Racing race car to victory at the Dakar rally, the first such victory for a car with Akrapovič exhaust. The fourwheel drive race cars of the X-raid Team will this year also take part in Cross Country Rally races.

Alpine skier Marcel Hirscher enjoyed numerous successes in this year’s season, but winning the overall World Cup title is probably the most important. His new KTM 250 SX-F will definitely play a role in allowing the Austrian ace to take his big crystal globe anywhere. The bike breathes through Akrapovič pipes with a unique engraving on the muffler. If you get overtaken by a bike like this with skis – that’s Marcel. Here’s to many more kilometres! Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Despres. We finished the 2013 season with an attention-grabbing presentation at the Custombike Show in Germany’s Bad Salzuflen, which allowed visitors to not only see our entire exhaust line-up for the custom segment, but also feast their eyes on the unique bikes Adrenaline Varg, Brown Sugar and King of Madness. Visit www.akrapovic.com for videos and photos from the shows and check where you can meet us in 2014. Perhaps at the Daytona Bike Week, Geneva Motor Show, Festival of Speed California, GTI Treffen, SEMA Show, Intermot, or elsewhere...

Antonio Cairoli, Giacomo Agostini, Igor Akrapovič and Uroš Rosa

Photo: KTM

Photo: Yamaha

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Last year’s season of events and shows finished on an upbeat note and now we’re already in the midst of 2014. Last year’s autumn tour took us to the World Motorcycle Expo EICMA in Milan, where we unveiled novelties for the 2014 season, including new exhausts for the Ducati 1199 Panigale, Yamaha MT-09, Honda CRF250R, BMW R 1200 GS and others. The visitors could moreover marvel at racing motorbikes of various series and Akrapovič’s unique exhibition space was visited by numerous athletes, such as Christophe Nambotin, Juliette Berrez, Chris Pfeiffer, Klemen Gerčar, Antonio Cairoli, Rok Bagoroš, Marco Melandri and Cyril

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Photo: X-raid

Amongst the numerous novelties at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider and Abarth 695 biposto, with exhausts systems made by Akrapovič, definitely stood out. The new 4C Spider is one of the most important Alfas in years, and Akrapovič has teamed up to produce a lightweight titanium exhaust system with carbon fibre tailpipes that will increase both power and performance as well as add that unmistakable Akrapovič sound to an already captivating machine.

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Photo: Aleš Rosa

Round and Round

Akrapovič News

06 / 09

Akrapovič with Alfa Romeo and Abarth Foto: Abarth

Foto: Alfa Romeo

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Hirscher on a KTM

Marcus Walz

Best Brand since 2006

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Akrapovič and Monster Energy X-raid Team

Antonio Cairoli, Giacomo Agostini, Igor Akrapovič and Uroš Rosa

Photo: KTM

Photo: Yamaha

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

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Photo: X-raid

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Photo: Aleš Rosa

Round and Round

Akrapovič News

06 / 09

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Aston Martin Racing is celebrating its centenary with the most extensive motorsports programme in its history so far. Like last year, Akrapovič will offer its support to the British team in the FIA WEC series, where Aston Martin Racing will take part with four Vantage GTE race cars, and field three more for the Le Mans event. Vantage GTE with the starting number 97 will be piloted by old acquaintances Turner and Mücke, while #99 will be driven by newcomers Fernando Rees, Alex MacDowall and Darryl O’Young. The third Vantage GTE (#95) will be sporting the completely Danish line-up of David Heinemeier-Hansson, Kristian Poulsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Nicki Thiim. The remaining drivers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans have yet to be announced by Aston Martin Racing, but will surely include Bruno Senna.

Revolution for the Golf GTI (VII)

First 2014 Title After a successful appearance at the Dakar Rally, where Marc Coma came in first on a KTM motorbike, the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer had another reason to uncork the champagne. This one was courtesy of Taddy Blazusiak, who won his fifth straight SuperEnduro World Championship title. Akrapovič also took part in SuperEnduro by sponsoring the qualifying rounds: the Super Pole.

Akrapovič, renowned all over the world for its durable titanium exhaust systems, has prepared additional novelties for the Hot Hatch segment, becoming the first company to unveil aftermarket exhausts for the Golf GTI that are made of the same materials that are used on the exhaust systems of race cars in 24-hour races and sports cars. The available exhaust systems for the iconic German hot hatch starts with the Slip-On Line, made completely out of titanium, and continues with the Evolution exhaust, which

08 Taddy Blazusiak

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combines the light titanium parts with stainless pipes and a sports catalytic converter. Making sure that Akrapovič’s novelties for Golf GTI really are unique is the carbon fibre diffuser.

Akrapovič Going Direct

Photo: Future7Media / KTM Images

Photo: Mo Satarzadeh

Valerie Thompson

into minutes: “This helps you find the perfect flight position and hold it for longer periods of time. When you do this you create muscle memory and so it’s easy to transfer that back onto the jumps.” All the jumpers agreed that training at Akrapovič’s facility really helped them improve. “Before I went to the wind tunnel I expected it would just be getting into your flight position and adjusting yourself to find what’s most comfortable. What really happens is that you find the most effective take off and transition into your flight, which is super important for those far jumps. Also, it’s really easy to find the best flight possible because if it’s not good you fall over,” Bickner explained.

the little flaws I had with my flight. You could tell when your position was effective because you were able to lean all the way forward without falling forward, the wind was still able to hold you up. “The experience was very helpful. I’ve gone about 8 times and ever since I started going my flight position has improved dramatically. It’s so much more effective and my jumps have been a lot further as a result. Not to mention better style points for having a better looking flight,” he said. We were of course curious as to how different or similar practicing on a hill is compared to the dyno. Kevin says you only get five or six chances to jump on a hill to try and improve your result. But the wind tunnel changes the jumps

Photo: Bor Dobrin

Akrapovič’s exhibition spot stands out from the rest – both in terms of design and other elements. Things were no different at the most recent SEMA Show. The novelties were displayed on floating carbon frames and placed on stands, dressed in white. The main attraction was undoubtedly the Audi R18 ultra, the car that raced in Le Mans and Sebring. Amongst the guests were Audi Sport driver Oliver Jarvis, winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring in 24 Hours of Daytona 2013, and land-speed record holder Valerie Thompson.

On a usual day, you can hear various cars roar from the Akrapovič dynamometer, including a BMW M3, Porsche GT3 RS, Chevrolet Corvette, Audi R8 ... But there comes a special day when the device only produces the sound of wind. That’s what happened before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, when the dyno was used by the U.S. and Canadian ski jumping teams for training. The guys were practicing several elements of ski jumping, from the position in the air, take-off and the like. So, why Akrapovič’s dyno, which was nicknamed the “wind tunnel”? “In the wind tunnel I almost felt like I was in my flight on the ski jump,” young hopeful Kevin Bickner explained. “There was just extra pressure, which helped show all

Photo: Aston Martin Racing

Unique at the SEMA Show

Photo: Audi

Audi unveiled a race car for the 2014 DTM series and the drivers who will be sitting behind the wheel. The Audi RS 5 DTM, with the starting number 1, will be piloted by defending champion Mike Rockenfeller. Mike’s teammate in the Audi Sport Team Phoenix will be former champion Timo Scheider. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline will employ the services of Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara, Adrien Tambay and former champion Mattias Ekström, for whom this will be his 14th DTM season. Audi Sport Team Rosberg will meanwhile field Jamie Green and 21-year-old rookie Nico Müller. All Audi drivers have successfully completed their testing at Hungaroring.

Photo: Marko Ocepek

10 Years of Aston Martin Racing

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Photo: Alex Štokelj

Audi’s Names

North America in the Air

Akrapovič News

Akrapovič is pursuing a new strategy in interacting with its motorcycle dealers in Germany. Part of this transformation will involve changing its logistical infrastructure to create a direct distribution supply chain to its trusted network of retail outlets. The switch to an uninterrupted route from Akrapovič, straight to the dealer’s premises, will take away the need for independent importers and give a cleaner, more transpar-

ent and easier way for the end user to obtain the best service and unrivalled support both from their local motorcycle store and – more importantly – Akrapovič itself. This move will create a network family and make the whole process of ordering an exhaust system much easier and efficient for the customer. It’s not just about the ease of supply and demand though, because Akrapovič has created an information portal that its entire family of

motorcycle dealers will have access to, giving them the latest updates on new and existing models, a full product overview with complete documentation and a host of other features. These are aimed at giving the dealer as much assistance as possible so they in turn can give the purchaser the most informed and customer-friendly service available, all aimed at making the selection and purchase of a new Akrapovič exhaust system a thoroughly re-

warding feeling. Akrapovič is taking this step because its motorcycle exhaust systems are not only some of the best in the world, but it wants to make its customer service perform at an equally high level. With Akrapovič exhaust systems you have always been able to ‘Experience the Power.’ Now, with direct distribution, you can also ‘Experience the Service.’

06 / 09

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Revolution for the Golf GTI (VII)

08 Taddy Blazusiak

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combines the light titanium parts with stainless pipes and a sports catalytic converter. Making sure that Akrapovič’s novelties for Golf GTI really are unique is the carbon fibre diffuser.

Akrapovič Going Direct

Photo: Future7Media / KTM Images

Photo: Mo Satarzadeh

Valerie Thompson

Photo: Bor Dobrin

Photo: Aston Martin Racing

Unique at the SEMA Show

Photo: Audi

Photo: Marko Ocepek

10 Years of Aston Martin Racing

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Photo: Alex Štokelj

Audi’s Names

North America in the Air

Akrapovič News

10 / 14

Car Action

24 Hours of Le Mans / FIA WEC

Back to the Future This year’s rendition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race will see the endurance classic return to the forefront of races you simply have to see. At best live.

by Mitja Reven photography Audi

The Gladiators

Tom Kristensen

Audi Sport put together two teams of drivers for its two Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars. The car with starting number 1 will be piloted by Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen and Lucas di Grassi; the other one by Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer. But Audi also registered a third car for the Spa and Le Mans races. Filipe Albuquerque and Marco Bonanomi will share driving duties in Belgium and will be joined by Oliver Jarvis at Le Mans.

Perhaps you’ve seen the classic 70s movie, the wonderful Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen, which features an epic duel between German and Italian race cars. Fast forward 43 years and the track has mostly remained the same. Some of the straights and turns have been modified to curb excessive speeds, but we’re still talking about a mixture of proper race track with neighbouring roads, a more than 200,000-strong crowd. The town of Le Mans breathes racing fumes and hands out coveted laurels, which are only lavished upon the fastest. To win at Le Mans is the aim of every racing driver. The prelude to this year’s mother of all races, where

hybrid Audi R18 e-tron quattro race cars, fitted with Akrapovič exhausts, will face stiff competition in the form of LMP1 racers by Toyota and Porsche, happened on March 25, when Audi Sport used Le Mans itself to present its FIA World Endurance Championship model for the 2014 season. Tom Kristensen, the first man to win the classical French race nine times, had the honour of driving the Audi R18 e-tron quattro from the Saint-Julien du Mans cathedral to the race track. In everyday traffic! This was not the first feat of its kind for ‘Mr. Le Mans,’ who drove the Audi R10 TDI around the streets of Paris some years ago. Truth be told, long

ago, drivers drove their cars to the race track, as did Tom, and then raced them at the 24h endurance event. “I’ve been competing at Le Mans since 1997 but this was absolutely new for me too, and very exciting,” Kristensen explained. His exceptional history did not grant him immunity to the numerous novelties this year. To start with, he had to pilot a completely new Audi R18 e-tron quattro with a larger, 4-litre V6 TDI engine. Audi Sport also redesigned the hybrid powertrain from scratch, eliminating the restriction of front wheel drive not allowed below 120 km/h. Audi tried different solutions, in the end opting for

competing in the class of up to two megajoules of recuperation energy at Le Mans. The energy exclusively flows through a motor generator unit (MGU) at the front axle and is stored in a flywheel energy storage system. “We opted for this concept following extensive testing,” Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich said. “In our opinion, it provides the optimum balance between efficient energy use, size, weight, energy conversion efficiency, responsiveness, drivability and a favourable operating strategy – combined with durability, which is the basic prerequisite for success at Le Mans.” Tom Kristensen’s co-pilots in recent years were

Dindo Capello and Allan McNish. The Italian retired after Le Mans in 2012, and the Scot after the 2013 season leaving Tom with two new teammates. Loïc Duval can boast of victory in last year’s Le Mans and the title of FIA WEC champion (done together with Kristensen and McNish), while the newest member of the trio, Lucas di Grassi, is constantly increasing his level of experience with a LMP1 race car. If we wanted to list all the differences between this and last year’s R18 e-tron quattro models, we would likely run out of space soon, so let’s stick to the basics. The drivers will probably be most pleased

with the completely redesigned cockpit, for which engineers have rethought the positions of all buttons, switches, etc. “Our objective was for the driver to be able to reach all the functions he frequently uses as easily as possible without having to take his hands off the wheel,” explains Chris Reinke, Head of LMP at Audi Sport. One of the new features is a multi-functional rotary switch for selecting tasks. Two push-buttons make it possible for the driver to easily change individual functions to adjust the car’s balance, for instance through traction control or brake force distribution.

10 / 14

Car Action

24 Hours of Le Mans / FIA WEC

Back to the Future This year’s rendition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race will see the endurance classic return to the forefront of races you simply have to see. At best live.

by Mitja Reven photography Audi

The Gladiators

Tom Kristensen

10 / 14

Car Action

Limitations for Greater Freedom As balance changes when the fuel load decreases, the driver can quickly readjust the set-up of his race car this way. The new R18 e-tron quattro also lost its third pedal. The clutch has been moved behind the steering wheel, not exactly a novelty for Lucas di Grassi: “This is a principle I’m already familiar with from other race car categories, and makes it easier to operate the clutch.” Drivers used to almost be in a lying-down position in the monocoque during the race, that’s how low and level their seats were. The new rules have made it a lot straighter, which increases their safety. “This enlarges the forward angle of vision,” a pleased Lucas di Grassi says. “And visibility through the side windows has notably improved as well. This clearly helps us in the on-track battles with our rivals.” But despite the improved cockpit’s ergonomics, the drivers’ task will be far from easy, as a new era dawns over Endurance racing. Even for veterans like Tom Kristensen, the limited use of energy at FIA WEC races will be a big novelty. Only a limited amount of energy per lap may be fed into the car’s powertrain through the hybrid system: 2, 4, 6 or 8 megajoules per lap at Le Mans, depending on the class. If these limits are exceeded, 10-, 40- or even 60-second stop-and-go penalties can be levied in case of repeated violations. The same penalties apply if the permissible amount of fuel per lap is repeatedly exceeded. The winners of the 2014 Le Mans and the FIA WEC 2014 championship will therefore be both the fastest and thriftiest drivers. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a new age of racing. And hurry on over to Le Mans. Maybe you’ll run into Tom by the cathedral!

The technical restrictions for the 2014 LMP1 race cars in the shape of a limit to the maximum energy used might seem to be a step backwards, but they really aren’t. Instead, they’re a fundamental change of thinking in motorsports, by limiting energy use but increasing freedom in other areas. This way, technical creativity can be rewarded, so that the most efficient race car can win at Le Mans on June 15. “In 2014 the thinking has fundamentally changed,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Traditionally, technical regulations in motorsports have been focused on limiting engine power output – for instance through factors like cubic capacity limits, relatively tight constraints on turbocharging systems, or through air restrictors. By contrast, the absolute amount of fuel available for a race has typically been unlimited, and this was the case in LMP1 racing as well. But now, a maximum amount of energy per lap is specified. And we need to make the best of it. By taking this step, the FIA, the ACO and all the parties involved have managed to get a set of regulations off the ground with a straightforward focus on efficiency while continuing to make thrilling sport and entertaining races possible.”

The more demanding technical rules, which are in many ways revolutionary, have also contributed to Audi Sport’s longest ever homologation report for its 2014 Audi R18 e-tron quattro race car: a whopping 75-page read.

10 / 14

Car Action

14 / 15

Before The Race

5 Minutes before the race 14

Na n i Ro m a

F u n wi th Pa in by Mitja Reven photography Monster Energy X-raid Team

“You work for this, you fight for this, to finish this challenge. That’s the fun. But it’s fun with pain.”

Only three people on the planet can boast of winning the famous Dakar Rally on both a bike and a car, but only one of them did it with an Akrapovič-equipped vehicle. We spoke to Nani Roma, the winner of the 2004 (KTM) and 2014 (Monster Energy X-raid Team) Dakar Rally, who sees challenges as “fun with pain.” He will apply for his 20th Dakar next year. Besides you, only two people have won Dakar on a bike and with a car: Hubert Auriol and Stephane Peterhansel. You are one of just three people on the whole planet. It must be a special feeling... It’s amazing. When you do something that has only been achieved by two people before you, you know it’s something hard. Maybe in the future I will realize this, now for sure it is good for me, that not many people won like that. I am sure in some years I will realize more what I have achieved.

You know the African Dakar very well and have been at the South American Dakar every year. When it comes to South America versus Africa, where do you feel better in terms of adventure, racing and the challenge itself? In terms of challenge, it’s Africa. There you’re alone in the middle of the nowhere, and you feel so much different than you do in America. For me, South America is a nice place. It’s a Spanish speaking area, so I feel at home. But it’s more fast now, it’s a sprint rally. You go up and down from 4,000 meters, you race in the dunes. It’s amazing. Also, the people, and the passion of South Americans, is amazing. In Africa there’s a different style of driving and the challenge is bigger. You’re alone and you have to arrive at the end of the stage through your own hard work. You don’t get any help from anyone, so it’s a different challenge. It’s nice in both Africa and in South America, but the places are quite different.

“With both two and four wheels, I have great memories.” When you’re alone with your bike, you can feel the air, and you don’t spend 2 hours getting out of dunes, like what happened to your car in Mauritania in 2005. How different is it tackling Dakar on four versus two wheels? It’s a different challenge. Like you said, with a motorcycle you’re alone. Sometimes you get up early in the morning and arrive at the finish very late. You’re on your bike for six, seven, nine hours, alone, with no-one in front of you. And when you arrive at the finish line, you have to figure out the navigation for the next day. It’s a really difficult, day-long job. With a car you have a co-pilot and there are two people in the car. It’s different. It’s also hard inside the car: I’m tall and the car cabin isn’t so big. For me it’s hard. But anyway, it’s completely different. It’s harder with a bike when you crash, and the bike also demands more mental work. With both two and four wheels, it’s very nice. I have great memories with both motorcycles and with cars. It’s amazing to have this possibility. You mentioned once that you were having fun competing at Dakar. Describe this “fun”... The fun is something difficult to understand and to explain. The fun...sometimes it’s fun with pain, you know? It always feels fun, but at the same time you have these hard moments during the day. That’s why I say it’s “fun with pain.” When you win, you win, and it’s amazing; it’s the best. But when you finish your first Dakar, no matter which position you finish in, everybody is happy. When you go to the podium, from the first to the last, everybody is happy to finish the Dakar. You finished a really hard race. There are definitely bad moments, but you push and push, you try to fight until the end of the stage. This everyday challenge is nice. You work for this, you fight for this, to finish this challenge and this amazing feeling. That’s the fun. But it’s fun with pain. What has been the craziest thing you’ve done at any of the Dakars? Crazy moments? There have been too many of them. Maybe the craziest was in the past with some stages in Mauritania with 700, 800 and 1,000 kilom-

eters. Those have been one of the craziest moments in Dakar. Really, really crazy. Hours upon hours on a bike in the middle of dunes. The X-raid and Akrapovič partnership has brought great results, and you won the first Dakar with an Akrapovič exhaust-equipped MINI ALL4 Racing car. I believe you know that the company produces exhaust systems for all Monster MINI ALL4 Racing cars? “Yes, sure. It’s nice. For me, Akrapovič history started many years ago, when someone from Slovenia came to KTM and told us about this exhaust factory. I had been riding for many years with Akrapovič-equipped bikes, all my years with motocross bikes. Not in the Dakar during those times, but in enduro. And after the motorcycles times I found the same brand on my racing car. This is amazing. Winning the Dakar for a top brand like this is special. It’s nice to be part of history. For me Akrapovič history started many years ago and it’s nice to continue with guys who also work well on cars. It’s a nice feeling. When I visited the X-raid in Trebur and saw my MINI ALL4 Racing with an Akrapovič exhaust it was really nice. Speaking of bikes, you’ve been spending time with MotoGP racing stars like Marc Marquez. Do you ride with him? No, Marc and I train together at the gym. He lives near my house and I have my personal training sessions together with him. In Spain, MotoGP is very popular and I always follow the races. I know also Jorge Lorenzo, but I know Marc more than Jorge. It’s nice. Sometimes I ride with others with enduro bikes. Never on a track. I’m really too tall to use MotoGP and small bikes. What’s in your garage? I have a MINI Countryman and also bikes. Also, some of my old bikes from the days when I was winning in Enduro in 1994, some other enduro bikes, my bikes from the Dakar and the KTM bike with I won the Dakar rally. The garage is pretty much orange. I ‘ve read that your first passion is football. Of course, you’re from Spain. I’m from Barca!

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Before The Race

5 Minutes before the race 14

Na n i Ro m a

F u n wi th Pa in by Mitja Reven photography Monster Energy X-raid Team

“You work for this, you fight for this, to finish this challenge. That’s the fun. But it’s fun with pain.”

B MW D r i v i ng E xperience

No Grip? No Problem!

>>>

Show time

P G o t o M in i t a c u D h it w iC Akrapov >>>

by Primož Jurman

photography Primož Jurman

photography Ducati

The famous Italian brand presented its new MotoGP bikes, rider line-up and new partners for the 2014 season including Akrapovič.

The onset of winter turns roads into skating rinks. Low temperatures, snow, and ice can be a problem for many drivers. But BMW has a solution: it’s called BMW Ice Perfection training. And there’s no better place to experience winter conditions than where winter is at home – Scandinavia. To be more precise: in Lapland, in the town of Arjeplog, just a few kilometres away from the Arctic Circle. Temperatures regularly dip below minus 30 degrees in the winter, making coldness a guarantee. Water freezes and turns beautiful lakes into a perfect playground for cars and

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drivers. BMW maintains a winter test center here in Arjeplog, in order to test their cars in extremely cold weather conditions. Overseen by experienced BMW instructors, the participants are taught the secrets of driving in proper winter conditions while driving the powerful BMW M3. They even discover new dimensions of driving – not to mention drifting. The course is not just educational – it’s also a lot of fun! The over 70-cm thick ice provides a perfect venue for endless fun. Such an experience and adrenaline shot might only be matched by a taxi drive with the

“Ice Racer,” a customised BMW M car that has undergone some weight reduction, been fitted with an Akrapovič full titanium exhaust system and special tyres with spikes. The BMW outpost is also important for Akrapovič, as it hosts an M3 and M6 equipped with a full titanium Akrapovič exhaust system, thereby showcasing the exhaust’s quality as it continues to function without a hitch even in these extreme conditions. Powerful cars with a perfect sound – a great combination to have a great time, despite the lack of grip.

After the Ducati Team press conference in early March at the Audi Forum at Munich Airport, the new Desmosedici GP14’s livery was unveiled to international media and Audi Group management in an evening event, the day before the Audi Annual Press Conference for the Audi Group’s 2013 financial year at Ingolstadt. Two Desmosedici GP14 machines, in an exciting new matte colour scheme, entered the stage, driven by Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, in front of over 300 international members of the press, who were invited to Munich and then to Ingolstadt by Audi for the Annual Press Conference. It was also a night to remember for Akrapovič, since from this season onwards, Italian bikes are being equipped with Akrapovič Exhausts. The night brought back memories from 1991, when Igor Akrapovič was developing aftermarket exhausts systems for Ducati’s models 851, 888 and 926. With those bikes some important racing successes in the history of Akrapovič were achieved and it was a long journey of more than 20 years from that humble start to the present, as Akrapovič is the official sponsor of Ducati Corse for MotoGP programme. Claudio Domenicali (Ducati Motor Holding CEO), introduced the team, represented on the stage by Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager), Paolo Ciabatti (Ducati Corse Sporting Director) and by two riders for 2014 - Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow. The sporting activities for the new season and the technical details of the new Desmosedici GP14 were illustrated, in light of the latest tests and the decision to take part in the MotoGP championship in Open configuration. He stated that Ducati was ready for the new MotoGP season, firmly convinced in the enthusiasm, passion and technical competence of the team, together with the support of sponsors, »tifosi« fans and partners. That includes Akrapovič, which is proud to be with the Italian brand and has high hopes for the best possible results in the 2014 MotoGP season. Founder and owner of Akrapovič, Igor Akrapovič, was on hand at the presentation of the team and said: “We are extremely proud and pleased to have started working with Ducati’s MotoGP factory team, after several years of talks. We feel upbeat, especially with the enormous progress shown in preliminary testing. We believe that our work contributed to the positive results of the tests as well.”

>>>

“Ducati was ready for the new MotoGP season, firmly convinced in the enthusiasm, passion and technical competence of the team.”

Claudio Domenicali Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso

B MW D r i v i ng E xperience

No Grip? No Problem!

>>>

Show time

P G o t o M in i t a c u D h it w iC Akrapov >>>

by Primož Jurman

photography Primož Jurman

photography Ducati

The famous Italian brand presented its new MotoGP bikes, rider line-up and new partners for the 2014 season including Akrapovič.

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>>>

“Ducati was ready for the new MotoGP season, firmly convinced in the enthusiasm, passion and technical competence of the team.”

Claudio Domenicali Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso

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On The Track

DTM: The BMW Motorsport has made a completely new race car

The BMW M3 DTM race car won four titles in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. So the expectations for the new BMW M4 DTM have already been set.

BMW M4 DTM Dimensions (L x W x H): 4,775 mm/1,950 mm/approx. 1,200 mm Fuel tank capacity: 120 litres Engine: 90° V8 aspirated engine, four valves per cylinder, 2 x 28.0 mm air restrictors (in accordance with regulations) Capacity: 4,000 ccm Output: approx. 480 bhp (with air restrictors, in accordance with regulations) Max. torque: approx. 500 Nm Transmission: Sequential 6-speed sports gearbox

“Even before the BMW M3 DTM completed its final race last season, our development team was hard at work on the 2014 car,” says BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt, pointing out that engineers were already busy with the new BMW M4 DTM while the mass of BMW’s supporters still waited with baited breath for victories in the last season. In reality, work on the new car started far sooner than during the final events of the 2013 season, as the BMW M4 DTM shares numerous characteristics with its civilian brother, the BMW M4 Coupé. The serial production car may form the basis, but it’s topped with elements that in many ways resemble space-age technology. Engineers began working on the BMW M4 DTM before the start of the 2013 season, more than a year before it was scheduled to debut on the track. Its first version was tested in a wind tunnel about two weeks before last year’s first race. Aerodynamics was the most time consum-

ing part of the design. Suspension came into play in the summer and in December the first component parts were tested on the track, packaged under the skin of a BMW M3 DTM. The first time an BMW M4 DTM took to the track was on February 11, 2014 in Spain’s Monteblanco, 300 days after having undergone its first wind tunnel tests. Engineers involved in designing the new BMW M4 DTM place more importance on March 1 than on the first weekend in May. While the season does indeed kick off in May, traditionally in Hockenheim, the March date signifies the deadline after which no more major changes are allowed to be made to the car. What the engineers managed to do by the end of February was all that they could do, as they had to submit all the necessary documents for the 2014 DTM race cars aerodynamic homologation to the DMSB (Deutsche Motor Sport Bund) umbrella association. They probably felt like students after finishing an exam. “We answered all the questions, but have we done enough?” The answers will be revealed in this year’s season, which will again see BMW Motorsport teams competing with eight drivers. BMW devoted the weeks before the start of the season to optimising detailed aspects of the total package and understanding how to realize the full potential of the BMW M4 DTM. In order to do that, they also fitted BMW M4 DTM race cars with Akrapovič exhaust systems, developed in close cooperation with BMW Motorsport and Akrapovič engineers. Like in Munich, many sleepless nights were spent working on the BMW M4 DTM in Ivančna Gorica as well -- but with smiles on the engineers’ faces! The exhaust system for the DTM series race car is one of the areas that is not standardised, unlike the cars’ electronics (Bosch), tyres (Hankook), brakes (AP), fuel (Aral), clutch, gearbox, suspension, rear spoiler etc. and can therefore differ from race car to race car. A DTM car is made of over 5,000 pieces, with more than 50 standardised, the largest one being the carbon fibre monocoque. Naturally, every part of the car must be perfect, so that the entire package, including the driver and the team, can cross the finish line first. Aerodynamics is one of the more important component parts at BMW Motorsports and is given a serious amount of attention. Aerodynamic drag and air flow truly are the holy grails. “In few other series is aerodynamics so important,” Jens Marquardt stresses. “Even the slightest detail can make the difference between success and failure. And the attention to detail shown by our engineers is apparent at first glance – from the elongated bonnet with its steeply sloping front and aerodynamically optimised wing mirrors, to the contoured roofline that is a characteristic feature of the BMW M4.” The 2014 season is bound to be interesting. The new BMW M4 DTM will hunt for victories with Bruno Spengler, Joey Hand, Martin Tomczyk, Timo Glock, Augusto Farfus, Marco Wittmann and newcomers António Félix da Costa and Maxime Martin behind the wheel.

Augusto with M6 Convertible Last year’s no. 2 overall Augusto Farfus enjoys driving the BMW M6 Convertible. The outstanding sound is provided by the BMW engine as well as an Akrapovič titanium exhaust with carbon fibre tailpipes.

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On The Track

DTM: The BMW Motorsport has made a completely new race car

The BMW M3 DTM race car won four titles in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. So the expectations for the new BMW M4 DTM have already been set.

Hot stuff

Hot Stuff from Akrapovič Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and of course amazing sound and appearance. The change is also visual, as our mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.

Car Stuff

Welcome to our range of aftermarket exhaust systems for cars. We offer complete, partial, open or EC-type approved products that significantly improve performance. 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.

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

McLaren MP4-12C + 20 HP/7,000 rpm + 27 Nm/3,100 rpm - 5 kg Titanium

Yamaha MT-09 + 5 HP/9,900 rpm - 2 kg

Ducati 899 Panigale + 5 HP/5,900 rpm - 5 kg

Porsche Cayman S + 8 HP/3,700 rpm + 18 Nm/3,800 rpm - 4 kg Titanium Wireless kit for sound control

BMW R nineT More power - 3 kg

Honda CRF250R + 2 HP/11,050 rpm - 1 kg

Audi RS 5 Coupé / Cabriolet + 7 HP/3,900 rpm + 12 Nm/3,900 rpm - 9 kg Titanium

Kawasaki Z1000 + 2 HP/10,100 rpm - 2 kg

Yamaha XV950/XV950R + 3 HP/6,300 rpm - 2 kg

Volkswagen Golf GTI + 12 HP/4,750 rpm + 16 Nm/4,350 rpm - Less weight Titanium Carbon fibre diffuser

Car stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Hot stuff

Car Stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

McLaren MP4-12C + 20 HP/7,000 rpm + 27 Nm/3,100 rpm - 5 kg Titanium

Yamaha MT-09 + 5 HP/9,900 rpm - 2 kg

Ducati 899 Panigale + 5 HP/5,900 rpm - 5 kg

Porsche Cayman S + 8 HP/3,700 rpm + 18 Nm/3,800 rpm - 4 kg Titanium Wireless kit for sound control

BMW R nineT More power - 3 kg

Honda CRF250R + 2 HP/11,050 rpm - 1 kg

Audi RS 5 Coupé / Cabriolet + 7 HP/3,900 rpm + 12 Nm/3,900 rpm - 9 kg Titanium

Kawasaki Z1000 + 2 HP/10,100 rpm - 2 kg

Yamaha XV950/XV950R + 3 HP/6,300 rpm - 2 kg

Volkswagen Golf GTI + 12 HP/4,750 rpm + 16 Nm/4,350 rpm - Less weight Titanium Carbon fibre diffuser

Car stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

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Custom Star

The Great American Race by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Daytona or Bust!

The traditional Bike Week is more than just another biker meet, thousands of which happen around the world every weekend. Bike Week in Daytona is a pilgrimage site for every motorbike lover, especially those who eat, drink and breathe chrome, and those who cherish two-stroke engine vibrations and leather. Daytona’s Bike Week is like the Carnival in Rio. It turns into a holy place for bikers every March. A pilgrimage site.

While speed, adrenaline and knee dragging aficionados are most interested in the happenings at, and next to, the oval racetrack, lovers of tattoos, beer and Harley- Davidson find their “solace” a few miles further down the road, where the sea meets land and noisy Main Street, the centre of all of Daytona’s action, meets the sandy beach. Of course you know the street, where bikes are parked handlebarto-handlebar with banners stating ‘Welcome Bikers’ unfurled on the street above.

Main Street, usually at sunset, is the focus of every visiting photographer. If you ride a Harley-Davidson, a selfie on Daytona’s busiest lane is just as important as a photograph taken next to the Mona Lisa in Paris’s Louvre is for art lovers. To be there, enjoy the week and have fun in any of the numerous bars with loud live rock music. That’s the aim. The purpose. The point. Daytona or bust! So we went there as well. Again. Because Daytona is a must-see. However, we relished this year’s

Daytona on our bikes. The way everybody should. Our Harleys, a Road King and a 883 Sportster were, of course, equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems from the new Custom Line, which serves as the Slovenian exhaust maker’s segue into this motorbike segment. Could there be a better venue than Daytona for the spotless chrome-plated double exhaust on the Road King or the clipped and flawlessly black matte coloured dual pipes on the Sportster? It didn’t seem to be; we remained a centre of

attention. Two-stroke engine lovers just couldn’t get enough of the uniqueness of our products, nor hide their surprise that the Akrapovič brand, highly renowned for its high product quality and successes on the track, made such a bold entry onto the cruiser market.

The Menacing Morsus

But we got even more attention when we took the brand’s custom Morsus bike from its stand at

the Ormond Beach fairgrounds and rode it through town. Our aim? To draw as much attention as possible. That’s what Daytona is all about. The custom bike was produced in Slovenia in cooperation with Dreamachine Motorcycles and Akrapovič and resembles the latter’s beast trademark. Morsus looks venomous. As if it’s readying its deadly sting. Part of the reason for its deadly looks is also the flawless manufacture and the use of state-of-the-art materials such as titanium and carbon fibre.

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Custom Star

The Great American Race by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Daytona or Bust!

The Menacing Morsus

But we got even more attention when we took the brand’s custom Morsus bike from its stand at

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Yep, exactly the materials used by the Akrapovič brand for manufacturing exhausts. Riding on top of the bike, which was created to mark Akrapovič’s entry into the market for exhausts for custom motorbikes and cruisers, made by Harley-Davidson, was none other than Nicolle, who owns a Harley in real life as well. We naturally clothed her in fitting black leather and full biking gear. And we sent her down Main Street. In the evening. Riding in a line of other bikers. It’s quite obvious that the event was captured in its entirety, as an armada of photographers, video reporters and assistants laid in wait besides Daytona’s central artery, taking gazillion of snapshots and videos of Nicolle and Morsus hitting the Main Street with a blast.

The Immortal Race

It all started 73 years ago with a motorbike race on sand. To be more specific: a sandy beach located at a seaside resort in northern Florida. The fame and renown of the race and the place kept increasing as years went by. The 200 Miles of Daytona and the town’s traditional ‘Bike Week’ have, for many years, been at the top of the list of must-go events in all motorbike magazines. This seaside town, located about 250 miles north of Miami and some 60 miles east of Orlando, greets you with: ‘Welcome to Daytona Beach, the World’s Most Famous Beach,’ soon after turning off the highway. America’s youth, who have for many

Danny Eslick winner of 2014

Daytona 200

Custom Star

years been gathering here, are especially eager for the annual ‘Spring Break,’ which was apparently first marked as a major occasion in this very city. Motorcycle and race lovers will meanwhile try to keep their beating heart still at the sight of the racing complex, probably the best in the world. The Daytona International Speedway oval racetrack is home to the NASCAR car racing series. Its 500 miles of Daytona, held in February, is the most anticipated event of the series with an immense following in the US. This race’s popularity and media interest is maybe only matched by the 500 miles of Indianapolis. But Daytona has another trick up its sleeve. Apart from the 500 miles and the legendary endurance race, 24 Hours of Daytona, it also hosts the Daytona 200, the 200-mile long motorbike race and the only such event that takes place on the famous oval racetrack with its steep banks. This unique track, steep banking at the turns and high speeds have made it immortal. Well, the racers also contributed somewhat to that fame, of course. Numerous legendary names have raced here. Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, Colin Edwards, Troy Corser, Miguel Duhamel, Scott Russell, Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and the list goes on and on. The 200-mile race, which used to take place on Sundays, seems to bring the motorbike carnival in Daytona to an end.

“Do You Want to Know How the Morsus Went Down?”

Want to see how bikers’ jaws dropped after a beauty riding a custom beauty rumbled past them? Some things are a little bit more difficult to put into words, so check out the photos in the current issue of the magazine or visit Akrapovič’s website at www.akrapovic.com. And see you at the Daytona 2015 Bike Week!

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The Immortal Race

Danny Eslick winner of 2014

Daytona 200

Custom Star

“Do You Want to Know How the Morsus Went Down?”

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Custom Star

During Bike Week, when the town’s streets echo with the rumbles of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the Daytona International Speedway racetrack plays host to a bevy of races in various classes under the patronage of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). In the past few years, these have become the first races of the season, with the oval racetrack kick-starting the on-road racing season. But that’s not all. A weekend prior, the AMA Supercross Championship takes place in Daytona. This popular event used to be held on the same weekend as the 200 miles, but has recently been pushed forward a week. This seems to have been prompted by the desire of the organisers to extend Bike Week for a few more days, but the majority of the people I spoke with saw it as a bad idea, stating that a single weekend of racing was a lot more focused and allowed the spectators to witness both the Supercross and the 200 Miles of Daytona between a single Friday and Sunday. The change was of no consequence for this year’s Daytona, which went off without a hitch. The 73rd race saw no hiccups from start to finish, almost a strange occurrence for the event, which has seen numerous interruptions and restarts in recent years, mainly caused by accidents involving several riders. This year, luck was on the side of the competitors and the organisers and we were able to enjoy a tight race, just as everyone hopes for in Daytona: including all the elements of such a long race – pit stops, tyre changes and refuelling. This year’s Daytona was triumphant for Triumph and Akrapovič. The race’s winner, the American Danny Eslick of the Riders Discount team, completed 200 miles (57 laps) faster than anybody else on top of the British bike, equipped with a Slovenian exhaust system.

Daytona’s Bike Week is like the Carnival in Rio. It turns into a holy place for bikers every March. A pilgrimage site.

Kot karneval v Riu Motociklistični teden (Bike Week) v Daytoni je romarski kraj za vsakega ljubitelja motociklov, še posebej pa za vse tiste, ki so jim blizu krom, vibracije dvovaljnega motocikla in usnje. Bike Week v Daytoni je kot karneval v Riu. Tokrat smo ga užili z motocikla. Tako kot je tudi prav. Naša harleyja, modela Road King in 883 Sportster, sta bila seveda opremljena z Akrapovičevimi izpušnimi sistemi iz nove linije Custom, s katero slovenska znamka izpušnih sistemov vstopa v ta motociklistični svet. Bi lahko lepše preizkusili sijoče kromiran dvojni izpušni sistem za Road Kin-

ga ali pa kratko prirezan in v brezhibno črno mat barvo obarvan dvojni izpuh za model Sportster kot v Daytoni? Najbrž težko, saj smo bili ves čas v središču pozornosti, ko se preostali somišljeniki in ljubitelji zračno hlajenih dvovaljnikov kar niso mogli načuditi izvirnosti naših izdelkov, presenečeni, da je znamka Akrapovič, sicer znana po visoki kakovosti izdelka in uspehih na svetovnih motociklističnih prvenstvih, vstopila skozi glavna vrata tudi na trg cruiserjev.

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Custom Star

Daytona’s Bike Week is like the Carnival in Rio. It turns into a holy place for bikers every March. A pilgrimage site.

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Interview

J a p e c Jakopin and Seaway by Tina Torelli photography Bor Dobrin, Seaway Archive

The Good, The Bad and The Super Cool

It happened once upon a time in the wild communist east: a boy who liked nothing better than sailing got a PhD in cardiology in record time, because his family of poets and linguists wanted a natural scientist. Like Dr. House, he was interested solely in the most complex cases, which is why the law of attraction put him in the Intensive Care Unit. Life, however, had something else in store for him. During his studies, he started constructing boats with a friend, managed a charter station on the island of Krk during the weekends, sailed across the Atlantic with a group of bohemians and, as a hobby, thought of ways to expand the nautical programme of Elan, the thenlargest Yugoslav sports equipment manufacturer. Sadly and happily, Japec’s political connections were pretty slim, so his chances for honest advancement in academia were as good as none. When the most successful nautical concept designer in the world had enough of politicking at the Faculty of Medicine and left his chair, he crossed the point of no return. In 1983, Japec and his brother Jernej, an architect, set up the J&J Design studio, saying goodbye to both institutions and house blueprints forever. The first fruits of their labour were the Elan 31, 33 and 43 sailing boats, which allowed Elan to increase its marine earnings from 2 to 32 million

German marks. A chain reaction followed: over 65,000 sailboats and yachts, built in accordance with their 300 designs by 48 nautical companies, including Brunswick, Beneteau, Ferretti, Azimut, Bavaria Group and Fairline, ply the world’s seas today. The brothers set up the Seaway company in 1989 and proceeded to built out of scretch more than 300 boats of their own brands – Skagen, Greenline and Shipman, the first carbon sailboat in the world. The Boat of the Year, Design and Environment awards have been lavished on Seaway products, but today there are simply too many to count. It’s an ordinary day in the company, which according to Japec, isn’t really a firm but rather something dressed up as one. It doesn’t even have a marketing or PR department. Half of the crew is missing, because a new Greenline 48 needs to be launched in Portorož and the other half is shoulder-deep in plans, which will soon be materialised somewhere – the last plan they are poring over goes by the name of Sea Ray Venture 370. Japec Jakopin doesn’t have a lot of time, but is ready to make some for us. Fortunately, he manages to save some time every day by not wearing shirts and suits. He meets us in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans at high noon and we, fittingly, start with horses.

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Interview

J a p e c Jakopin and Seaway by Tina Torelli photography Bor Dobrin, Seaway Archive

The Good, The Bad and The Super Cool

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How do you feel about motorcycles, fast cars, noise and speed?

You forgot beautiful women, they’re part of the package. If I said I didn’t like any of those things, I’d have to be sent for a check-up with a shrink. We lived in a suburb of Ljubljana in the early 60s and in those days Tomos mopeds ruled the roost. Nobody had a driving licence but we all knew how to ride. The police chased us with Jawa 350 bikes, but all you needed to do was get on fine gravel, lean into the curve and do a big loop while the copper crashed. We tuned our bikes back then, tuning was in the blood of our generation. Because we had so few resources we had to know a lot about everything. This is also typical for Igor (Akrapovič). Russians, for example, built their space programme literally from mud and wickers, basically from nothing.

What did Seaway grow out of?

From the realization that we know nothing and have nothing, but know about everything and have a big advantage over those who grew up in affluence. If you face more obstacles you grow bigger muscles. You have better reflexes than those who were coddled. We also grew up with a desire to compete – everybody was doing several sports back then, including swimming, water jumping, athletics,

gymnastics, you name it, the more the better. Competitiveness was in line with the spirit of the times and it’s still very important, because it teaches you to deal with defeats better – that’s the main point of sports. It’s difficult to imagine this today, but in the first few years of my life my home had no electricity or running water; it was as if we were living 1,000 years in the past. There were no shoes and socks when I was a kid. We had boots and footwraps, namely cloth which you had to fold extremely carefully so that it wouldn’t form a ball under your heel after 10 metres. In order to succeed you needed a lot of sense. I feel lucky to be born in a generation that experienced the old and the new world. It is a good send-off for life, starting modestly.

Shipman carbon sailboats have a full prepreg carbon-epoxy construction, full carbon rig, rod or PBO standing rigging, spectra or dyneema running rigging, lifting keel options to explore the bays where only small yachts can go, a very balanced hull, making the rudders light in all conditions and low heeling angles due to high stability factors.

But your and your brother’s dreams were far from modest. The combination of a cardiologist and architect has definitely proven to be extremely successful in the nautical field.

Jernej and I complement each other. He’s an architect and can draw, while I can’t. I’m a conceptual designer, which means that I’m interested in ideas for a new vessel which will arrive on the market a few years from now. And I have to bear the responsi-

Interview

30 ID card //

bility, because I’m older. When we travel, he expects me to have the plane tickets and the money, to rent a car and book a hotel. But it’s wonderful to be able to work together. Because our age difference is just right, we never slapped each other about and we don’t do it now either.

Your work involves a lot of predictions and assumptions. You must be a bit clairvoyant.

Dušan Puh, legendary Slovenian

skipper and Japec Jakopin.

Japec and Jernej Jakopin.

You have to be an insider, an all-in type of bloke. I visit 20 nautical shows a year around the world and spend 2 months doing that. But that’s how we know where we are. But the main thing is to truly love what you’re doing. Me and Jernej are like knights-errant. We come from a family steeped in humanities, dad was a linguist, mom was a writer and translator. So how are we supposed to set up a factory where order and discipline reign supreme, where everything is clean and neat? What we made instead is, as you can see, something a tad more creative and at times completely chaotic.

New things get born from chaos.

JJ with his youngest son at the

launch of Shipmen 63.

Game-ch

oat design anging sailb

88.

sey 51 in 19

of Sun Oddy

Jakopin brothers had good understanding from early childhood.

The new solutions are here already, but only a few see them and they are even more difficult to describe. The needs that we have to fulfil with these new solutions are also here, in front of our very eyes. But if you go and ask somebody what he would

like in a new car to make it more useful, he’s likely going to wave his hand, saying it’s OK as it is, he’s not really bothered by anything. But those designing new cars must nevertheless see the shortcomings and anticipate future needs. A conceptualist must know about the industry, know everything about the competition, but mainly know what bothers people. It’s not normal for a car door to hit your nose as you open it, something’s wrong with the geometry right there. Such a car is outdated now, when comfort and convenience are key. It’s the same thing with a child. Once you give him or her a right, you can’t take it back again. When electric car windows hit the scene, we made fun of those who had them, asking them whether their hands were broken. But drive a car with manual windows today and people will think you are dirt poor. The point of industrial design is to meet the invisible needs of the people. Seaway makes European sailboats, because we Slovenians live at a crossroads of cultures and understand all needs. We understand the English, Germans, French, Italians and others as well.

How much have sailboats really developed in the time you’ve been on the scene?

So much so that a husband and wife can easily sail around the world in one of them. The height difference between the cockpit and the cabin is only 68

Seaway is a global leader in the supply of milling, engineering, tooling, composite production technologies and prototyping for composite relating and marine industries. It provides design engineering and tooling to sailboat and powerboat builders, transport, wind power and other industries: mobility (transportation, automotive, aerospace), construction and green energy. Seaway also builds its own branded yachts: Greenline Hybrid motorboats (33, 40, 46), OceanClass Hybrid (57, 70, 88), Skagen motor yachts (50, 70) and Shipman carbon sailboats (50, 63, 72, 80 and 59 hybrid). The company employs engineers from14 nationalities.

28 / 33

How do you feel about motorcycles, fast cars, noise and speed?

What did Seaway grow out of?

But your and your brother’s dreams were far from modest. The combination of a cardiologist and architect has definitely proven to be extremely successful in the nautical field.

Interview

30 ID card //

Your work involves a lot of predictions and assumptions. You must be a bit clairvoyant.

Dušan Puh, legendary Slovenian

skipper and Japec Jakopin.

Japec and Jernej Jakopin.

New things get born from chaos.

JJ with his youngest son at the

launch of Shipmen 63.

Game-ch

oat design anging sailb

88.

sey 51 in 19

of Sun Oddy

Jakopin brothers had good understanding from early childhood.

How much have sailboats really developed in the time you’ve been on the scene?

So much so that a husband and wife can easily sail around the world in one of them. The height difference between the cockpit and the cabin is only 68

28 / 33

Interview

cm now, meaning that comfort has greatly increased. Your knees might be kaput, but you can survive without problems on a sailboat, you don’t have to climb like we did on the Swan. Once you close the doors of the cabin you can forget where you are, there’s no noise. The old 2CV rocked to and fro, parts were flying off it, but we didn’t care. But then came the Golf, which was miles better even than the Beetle and it became the European car of the year. So we made a boat that could be sold everywhere. When I arrived in Jeanneau in 1986 I told them I’d make a boat they wouldn’t like because it wouldn’t be French but that it would sell really well abroad. And when I completed it, they told me it was a German boat and that they didn’t like it too much, but the numbers went up quickly.

Have there been any really revolutionary changes in nautical development?

Yes and no. Similar to F1. For revolutionary changes to make it from the racetrack to a Porsche or BMW takes a lot of time. We’re not specialists for Formula 1 or America’s Cup, but rather for production boat building. And this is comparable to serial production cars, which must be sellable. An ego trip is one thing but industrial design is something else and these two

must be separated. Competition sailboats cross the Atlantic in four days, our carbon boat can make it in ten. Yeah, Seaway made the first carbon sailboat that was not meant for competitions. We transferred America’s Cup technology into serial production, which is prohibitively expensive, but what can you do? And this is sort of a small revolution.

Where else can development lead to?

Convenience, in my opinion. Everything that floats must be convenient. Skiing is on the decline, sailing as well, because people require ever more comfort. At first I thought it was weird that people didn’t ski as much, but then I saw that it costs the same to got to Val Gardena for a week or take an all-inclusive trip to the Caribbean. But there’s an important difference: nobody whines at the Caribbean seaside, you lie on the beach and sip cocktails, a surfboard is brought to you and assembled, all you have to do is gesture for one. But skiing…your legs hurt because you’re out of shape, the boots are too tight, the gloves are not OK…

Carving made skiing sort of comfortable…

Yeah, but there‘s still the cold to deal with! With the onset of the crisis I thought that sales of sailboats

would go up and the sales of motorised yachts would plummet. And I was very, very wrong. It was sailing ships that took a dive, while yachts are holding steady. Comfort is winning. Greenline respects the environment, but its main selling point is comfort. But we don’t call it comfort, because that sounds spoiled. We label it well-being. And this is one’s duty in modern times: you have to feel comfortable and offer this well-being to family and friends. In practice this means that your boat must have a huge fridge, a comfortable bed and a TV.

Sailing is still a bit like motorcycle riding. Bikes aren’t comfortable either.

Choppers a bit more, all others a bit less. Bikes are uncomfortable and dangerous, a bike means freedom. And sailing feels close to biking. I’m bound to the sea, I’m a sailor by heart. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, seeing that Sea Ray asked me to build them a speedboat. I have a Swedish Omega 36 sailing boat, which we use to sail to Greece with the kids every year. The sailing bit is the best for them. When there’s nothing around for miles, you’re the centre of the world and this feeling is wonderful. People find it weird that I don’t have a Seaway sailboat. The reason is that Omega has been part of our family for

17 years. I cannot sell or sink. You can only polish it and replace the stuff that breaks.

Looking at the trends it seems that Greenline will become evergreen.

The Greenline concept was made for Beneteau, but they didn’t opt for it in the end, because their Lagoon 45 hybrid engine was a big flop. So I said OK, we’ll do it instead. They created a serial hybrid, a generator that produced electricity that powered an electric engine that drove the boat and this was not the right way to go about it. We meanwhile developed a parallel hybrid. Whatever happens, you have a diesel engine at your disposal that drives the boat and generates electricity. The serial hybrid is more efficient on paper but not in practice. Greenline was a child of the current crisis, we started selling them in 2010 and they kept flying off the shelves. We made them for former sailors – an average Greenline buyer is 63 years old, meaning a member of the European baby boom generation. This generation, which has created so much in its life, is retiring now and if you mention the crisis to them, they say the only crisis is their medical record! They don’t want to wait until they have to check out or for the crisis to end, they want the boat now.

And who buys your boats?

The owner of this model (pointing to a picture on the wall) is Gerald Hines, owner of one of the world’s largest real estate companies. But our buyers are mainly understated people who don’t like to show off and don’t want to tell the world that they are James Bonds, even though they are.

Your life also contains some of Bond’s ease. Was it easier or at least different 30 YEARS AGO?

Neither, you have that feeling because you were young then and saw the world differently. The times are the same, only your view of them changes. If you read the ancient Greeks or Romans, as old men they wrote about how perfect life was when they were young. I was lucky that my friend Arne was even braver and more phlegmatic than me. I said: “Arne, this won’t work,” and he replied: “Don’t worry, it’ll work.” And I stopped worrying and it really worked. Sometimes in the manner of The Good, the Bad and The Ugly, but it worked.

33 In Zgoša, a village under the peaks of the Slovenian Alps, a former textile mill has been transformed into a place where sailboats and yachts get made, where high technology happens and where the future is planned. There’s no smell of salt in the air, but you can still feel the soft energy of the sea.

Japec Jakopin in Seaway V morje se je danes najuspešnejši navtični konceptualist na svetu zaljubil na prvi potop. Že med študijem medicine sta s prijateljem skbela za čartersko bazo na otoku Krku, z družbo boemov je preplul Atlantik, se igral z idejo, kako bi Elan izboljšal svoj navtični program in vsak zares prosti trenutek preživel pod vodo. Ko se je zaradi političnih ovir poslovil od kariere na Medicinski fakulteti, sta z bratom Jernejem, arhitektom, ustanovila studio J&J Design – tako so nastale jadrnice Elan 31, 33 in 43, zaradi katerih je Elan zaslužek v navtičnem sektorju povečal od

dveh na 32 milijonov nemških mark, in zgodila se je verižna reakcija: danes po morjih sveta pluje 65.000 jadrnic in jaht, ki jih je po njunih 300 zasnovah zgradilo 48 navtičnih podjetij, med njimi Brunswick, Beneteau, Ferretti, Azimut, Bavaria Group in Fairline. V njunem, leta 1989 ustanovljenem podjetju Seaway, je iz skice nastalo že dobrih 300 plovil lastnih znamk Skagen, Greenline in Shipman, prve karbonske jadrnice na svetu. Nagrade Boat of the year, Design in Environment awards imajo Seaway rade, a jih je veliko preveč, da bi jih še kdo zares štel.

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Interview

Have there been any really revolutionary changes in nautical development?

Where else can development lead to?

Carving made skiing sort of comfortable…

Yeah, but there‘s still the cold to deal with! With the onset of the crisis I thought that sales of sailboats

Sailing is still a bit like motorcycle riding. Bikes aren’t comfortable either.

17 years. I cannot sell or sink. You can only polish it and replace the stuff that breaks.

Looking at the trends it seems that Greenline will become evergreen.

And who buys your boats?

Your life also contains some of Bond’s ease. Was it easier or at least different 30 YEARS AGO?

34 / 35

Race Day

exhaust č i v o p a r and ak k awa s a k i ry by Primož Jurman ccess sto u s t n i o j – a

G r a n d /

saki, Črt Slavec

ovič archives, Kawa

photography Akrap

t !

ovič won its se brand, Akrap ne pa Ja is th cle racing.” / “Together with age of motorcy st ld or w e th y on first-ever victor

m pa ny. Ak ra po vi č Co st or y of th e hi e th y on th e or in ct e sp ec ia l pl ac s fir st -e ve r vi a it s ha on w d č an vi ed br i ar k, Ak ra po ak i ha ve jo in Th e Ka w as ak ne se tr ad e m č an d Ka w as pa vi Ja po is ra th m Ak h To it on se as To ge th er w ld Ch am pi on e ra ci ng . Th is Cu rr en t W or as ak i of m ot or cy cl am pi on sh ip . Ch e ik w or ld st ag e co lo r of Ka w n rb ee pe e W or ld Su ti tl e an d gr e th th in n nd ai fe ag de fo rc es ed , Lo ri s Ba z w ill us ts ! Bu t, in de s te am m at e ra po vi č ex ha Sy ke s an d hi Ak of lp he s ep ro ot w it h th e br an ds ha s de -- th is se as on at io n fo r bo th er op co of y th e st or ci ng hi st or y. an d a ri ch ra *

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AND THE / STEPPIN G FORWARD LD TIT LE / FIRST WOR

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ld Superbike, Enpionship races (Wor am ch al on ati ern int Kawasaki began At all the important Superbike series) an ali str Au d an perbike mbinadurance, AMA Su for the optimum co as well. Searching ns wi d an s which ult on res to collect top and consumpti , noise level, power rs; ete ram pa t en t system solution tion among differ to a double exhaus led , es rac ce ran du en the best. “Cois very important in m 1997 onwards fro s wa ich wh , ZX7-RR with one for the Kawasaki oper joint projects s one of the first pr wa ki sa wa Shinya Ka rs th de stenjak. Ri operation wi ds,” remembers Tr an br cle cy in tor mo zuka 8 hour race of the strongest 4th place at the Su k too a aw riz Se some years after Takeishi & Tamaki real success came the t Bu . rk wo s of thi Super1998 as the result Pitt won the World Australian Andrew ld r-o ea -y nless 24 wi s the wa Ninja he that: in 2001 brand new ZX-6R the rd oa Ab . hip tly s consisten colsport Champions er 11 rounds he wa eth og alt in t bu , on Assen, 3rd place throughout the seas Brands Hatch and , za on M in ce pla 2nd podium lecting points with en, just to mention itz and Oschersleb us La , go World Su ed d, an wn , he was cro at Phillip Isl y of action at Imola da al fin c ati hip am dr pio the 2nd Cham ns finishes. After a vantage. This was ad int po otw a or t the first W ld Champion with jus 00 season. Winning 20 the ce sin w ro in a the racing win for Akrapovič s a big surprise in le for Kawasaki wa tit hip ns pio before. am hip Ch ns Supersport the Champio yed a major role in pla t no , d ha ki sa ica ong techn l rules world, as Kawa were limited by str ine ch ma the to r on de le in or The modifications m played a key ro ovič exhaust syste rap Ak the e or ref and the ivability. performance and dr achieve maximum

ain. This y joined forces ag Akrapovič Compan the d an Kawasaki Racing LASS OF is a partner of the / IN THE TOP C season Akrapovič hip, support/ perbike Champions Su ld or W the in M OTOSPORTS Team z. But Sykes and Loris Ba s ing world Champion Tom wa GP oto saki’s M wa in Ka o supports saki Racing Team re – Akrapovič als mo d is In 2003 the Kawa ral re Ha the er rac lom and his Ninja 250cc Grand Prix O class: David Sa EV the lin formed by former ve try de e en m. Th n an SBK bike manager of the tea differences betwee in ma e Th . Eckl, who became 0R the -1 g ZX engines ady durin are related to the nja ZX-RR was ste in and an SBK Evo machine opment of the Ni me ca h rstand ug de ro un kth easy way to s. The main brea ics packages. The on ctr to 2003/2004 season ele ovič ed d ll cid an de m owner of the Akrap be to imagine a fu eason, when the tea ovič, founder and bike is like would rap O Ak EV or of the 2004/2005 off-s an Ig bed at n tea cwh tio ins ele bang,” the coopera engine and firing order to “big any commented on with a Superstock mp sis co as t ch us ha ike change its engine the ex rb few , pe a 05 Su owing re. In 20 d Kawasaki: “Foll guration used befo een Akrapovič an e, tronics package. the “screamer” confi tw oic ch Su od eration with go the a op in co be aunched our strong choice ion proved to rel a rat ve gu dy ha nfi ea co we alr ” ki tus ng sa ba hia “big year team d the best ever With Kawa of years, and with y team. Since the ivier Jacque recorde s superbike factor for the past couple ki’ ss sa cla wa k d as wild card rider Ol Ka oc 2n cting rst in , pe pe ine ing ex , finish we are ll SBK mach Kawasaki in China pionship last year, ng chassis in a fu am lli ch ro en the ov n pr ki MotoGP finish for wo llsa we wa th a of the Ka r focus wi Ka0R would be no, as official rider season as well. Ou that the Ninja ZX-1 s re thi we s ns ult tio res ica od in place. Shinya Naka ind go early and 10th fruits of that No one place at Spain’s GP s-within-a-class.” development, as the las 5th in “c n s w lie wo , ne y am inl the Te ma in g e ki Racin wasa ucts we ll 2005 season. competitiv restimates the chalferred to the prod pionship in the overa at Akrapovič unde n be directly trans or ca r ki sa ou nthe MotoGP Cham wa lab co Ka r e at fo gin ent en Winning ented with differ th the EVO project. to our customers.” Kawasaki experim der to lenges that come wi or in ” ng racing and offer ba of ig rt “b pa t to es er” rd ha am cre the s “s ay m ver, alw figurations fro ory. rapovič played real is, howe e in this new categ d drivability and Ak an on cti tra ice for the first tim e tw ov it pr im did lop T ve KR de the on GP th oto ZX-10R 12 le in Kawasaki’s M d his official Ninja fie ali qu ts a very important ro ou lom lay Sa t us ed exha n finish 9th in 2003. Various Island races, and the ip ill Ph the r ts. ment since starting fo ep id nc gr gine co best EVO enable different en e overall, including rac ch ea in th ič were necessary to ten ov and anager lp of Akrap n. KRT Team M saki, with the he er on each occasio t, rid Until 2009, Kawa es ss W cla ny now tho ha An dy concerned s d with riders like knows that everybo da d Ro exhausts, compete an im ing Gu rly ck ea s Ha e 14, but thi John Hopkins, Jami ier workload for 20 av he a on Randy de Puniet, ial en fic of tak Team EVO on an ofe Factory Kawasaki the decision to go t tha ed ow sh at s Marco Melandri. Th es succ ry good Championship e. “It has been a ve out of the MotoGP n- ficial basis was a good on ly decided to pull co t tha te s go in ya ng Ha thi have made 2009 it was Team and it looks like we , us r ič the end of 2008. In fo ov rt rap sta Ak d an so good for Race of Kawasaki bikes said Guim. So far y,” wa ct rre tinued the presence y. co or the teg ports ca o said: “To esnacle of the motos eve Guttridge, wh St er ag an M g exhausts in this pin nin Plan tory SBK team rider inside our fac sentially add a third G Kawasaki and so WINNIN a big decision for / 20 14 : ON THE for this year was to make it inside / clear of the reason PATH A G AIN we had to be very for the 2015 son was to be ready rea ll era ov e re Th T. mo KR ed to focus y lies in s, Kawasaki decid Kawasaki mainl ith From 2010 onward the w s on d cu an fo s ur hip / “O bour can be rbike Champions fruits of that la e th ds on the World Supe as an t, br en se ne pm Japa r develo the 2014 season, oducts we offe eve of the start of erred to the pr directly transf / Igor Akrapovič to our clients.”

34 / 35

Race Day

exhaust č i v o p a r and ak k awa s a k i ry by Primož Jurman ccess sto u s t n i o j – a

G r a n d /

saki, Črt Slavec

ovič archives, Kawa

photography Akrap

t !

ovič won its se brand, Akrap ne pa Ja is th cle racing.” / “Together with age of motorcy st ld or w e th y on first-ever victor

AND THE / STEPPIN G FORWARD LD TIT LE / FIRST WOR

36 / 37

Winners

In Search of Excellence photography Alex Štokelj

ABOUT THE RED DOT AWARD The Red Dot award is one of the most prestigious design awards in the world. The award, for exceptional design achievements, has been handed out since 1955. It won global fame and renown because of the way it’s organised and by the impartial and independent judging process by leading experts from the world of design. The international jury assesses the category of “product design” by using the criteria of innovation, functionality, usefulness, quality, ergonomics, durability, symbolic and emotional value, details and ecological awareness. To receive a Red Dot is to stand out among the cream of the crop and be placed in the centre of attention of international design.

Akrapovič is well aware that our exhaust systems also set standards when it comes to design. The “Red Dot” award has more than confirmed this dedication.

This is the first year that Akrapovič took part in the “Red Dot” competition. In the category Product Design, our Evolution (Titanium) exhaust for the Ducati 1199 Panigale swept the jury off its feet. The jury agreed that the exhaust system’s quality was in line with its motto: “In Search of Excellence.” In order to win the “Red Dot” Award in the Product Design category, Akrapovič had to tick all the right boxes and satisfy the 40-strong jury that in a few days assessed more than 4,800 products by 1,800 manufacturers from 53 countries.

The engineering team approached the Evolution exhaust system for the Ducati 1199 Panigale with the same goals in mind as for all other projects. The aim was to boost the bike’s performance, enhance its sound, reduce weight and put more emphasis on the design. “Function guides the design,” is how Mitja Mahnič, who headed the development of the Ducati 1199 Panigale, described the exhaust. “We managed to create a system that contains the basic elements of the Akrapovič brand and at the same time blends together with the curves of this prestigious motorcy-

cle.” The motorcycle itself also got a Red Dot award. This design recognition is an important achievement for Akrapovič, as it reaffirms the company’s philosophy and increases its visibility outside of the car and bike industry. Reading the mail that contained the jury’s decision really was something special: “The international Red Dot jury has bestowed the distinction of “Red Dot: Best of the Best” for highest design quality and groundbreaking design upon Akrapovič Evolution Line (Titanium) for the Ducati 1199 Panigale.”

The exhaust for the Ducati Panigale was awarded the highest level of the award: Best of the Best. It will be on display in the Red Dot Design Museum, and will be entered into the Red Dot Design Yearbook 2014/2015.

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Winners

In Search of Excellence photography Alex Štokelj

Akrapovič is well aware that our exhaust systems also set standards when it comes to design. The “Red Dot” award has more than confirmed this dedication.

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Fantastic

by Alenka Birk

Aqua Amara

Bar Star

The Mediterranean is an everlasting symbol of life and remains a timeless source of inspiration for the Bvlgari line of perfumes. Aqua Amara follows in the footsteps of the 2004 Aqua for men cologne by Bvlgari. The extremely popular fragrance, which for a decade has been exciting people with images of escape, myths and large characters, has become even more fresh, luxurious and aquatic.

Whatever you pour in it, this prestigious crystal bottle with true English character is guaranteed to draw attention, while a silver stag with expansive antlers carefully guards the way in. This luxurious item with hand-crafted stag head will form an indispensable part of your bar collection.

www.asprey.com

www.bvlgari.com

38 2

Shangri La Sitting

Mini to Go

Want something daring and interesting? Try the Shangri La collection of nine armchairs by Chinese artist Simon Ma. Ma found inspiration in the purity and energy of unspoiled nature in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, also called Shangri La, or “earthly paradise.” The collection showcases his artistic vision and the nine armchairs with cushioned arm supports play a starring role. Their stirring lines were created in cooperation with the Italian furniture brand Creazioni.

The multi-coloured mini cooper print holdall from Paul Smith features a top-zip closure, black leather top handles and satin lining. It has retro feel and modern appeal. Appropriate for sports-oriented men who like a casual style and practical things.

www.paulsmith.com www.creazionibysilik.com

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For Urban Bikers X-Street shoes are an urban hit – not an urban myth. This is the first real sneaker designed for both male and female motorcyclists. It is modern, trendy and high-tech. It has a look inspired by typical American basketball sneakers, is available in various colours, has a rubber sole and boasts retro-look leather. X-Street may be trendy but it is still high-tech footwear with reinforced ankles, heels and toes, as well as being CE certified. It is the perfect choice for looking fashionable in the city, on a motorbike or by foot. There is also a version with waterproof lining ideal for colder weather, and one with breathable Air tech lining for the summer. It is accompanied by another new product for 2014, the X-Rap Waterproof. www.tcxboots.com

For Exploring the Deep An elegant watch with a sports soul and 200-bar water resistance, the titanium Aquatimer Automatic 2000 upholds IWC Schaffhausen’s tradition of building watches with very high pressureresistance for professional and ambitious amateur divers. Its new rotating bezel mechanism gives the current Aquatimer collection an overall more sophisticated look and feel, despite the addition of a protective cover for the sliding clutch system on the left-hand side of the case. The polished and satin-finished surfaces likewise enhance the high-quality appearance of the piece.

www.iwc.com

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Fantastic

by Alenka Birk

Aqua Amara

Bar Star

www.asprey.com

www.bvlgari.com

38 2

Shangri La Sitting

Mini to Go

www.paulsmith.com www.creazionibysilik.com

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www.iwc.com

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The World’s Oldest Vegi Restaurant - Zurich’s Hiltl

“I’m not A fra id to Succeed ” 40

THE FIRST TIME I SET FOOT IN HILTL, SOME TEN YEARS AGO, I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE THE ABSENCE OF MEAT, FISH, CURED HAM, COLD CUTS, ETC.

Born in 1898 The amount of food on offer in this self-service buffet is so diverse that one doesn’t notice the lack of meat. There are so many dishes available that one simply overlooks that simple fact. In the middle of the daily crowd you can almost always spot Rolf Hiltl, the owner of the first vegetarian emporium in the world, which has been located by the Limmat since 1898. And what is the owner like? As our photographer, armed with a sketch on his iPhone, slightly hesitatingly asked whether he would mind lying down in the middle of a pile of fruit to pose for a picture, he immediately agreed. “Why not. Something new, right? I’ve never done anything like it,” Rolf replied, followed by an immediate search for an appropriate location in his mighty mansion in the middle of Zurich.

“Cut all meat from your diet!” In days gone by, people used to leave the home at an early age. Ambrosius Hiltl was German, born to a peasant family in the Bavarian village of Neumarkt, who happened to be interested in handicrafts. But even if he wasn’t, his father would have sent him away anyway. So he made his way to Switzerland, with the promise of 5 pfennigs from a handicraft’s guild for every kilometre of his exploratory mission. He made needles, pins, scissors and thimbles while making his way in and about Basel, Geneva, Jura, Interlaken…until his travels took him to Zurich in the autumn of 1897. He was only 20 years old and was not in the least interested in vegetarianism, let alone restaurants. It was merely by coincidence that a vegetarian house and an abstinence coffee shop opened in Zurich in 1898 and that Hiltl contracted severe joint rheumatism only three years later and was told by his doctor that he would die unless he cut all meat from his diet. A friend told him about the previously mentioned vegetarian canteen, which was a novelty at a time when Sunday lunch by definition included roast or sausages, and vegetarians were dismissed as ruminants. Vegetarian food quickly grew on Hiltl, with the added bonus being that his rheumatism vanished soon thereafter. However, by 1903, the restaurant was on the verge of bankruptcy. It was looking for a new manager and Hiltl was quick to apply. He took over the ailing business, which had a daily turnover of 35 francs, and employed a cook, two assistants and a waitress.

Rolf Hiltl

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The World’s Oldest Vegi Restaurant - Zurich’s Hiltl

“I’m not A fra id to Succeed ” 40

THE FIRST TIME I SET FOOT IN HILTL, SOME TEN YEARS AGO, I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE THE ABSENCE OF MEAT, FISH, CURED HAM, COLD CUTS, ETC.

Rolf Hiltl

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A step forward with Indian spices Its beginnings were far from rosy and the Hiltl as we know it would probably never have come about if Ambrosius didn’t meet and marry his cook Martha Gneupel, who was brought up on a strict vegetarian diet in the eastern German land of Saxony. The Hiltl culinary temple of today is located in the town center, a stone’s throw away from the railway station and the commercial Bahnhofstrasse street, but when Ambrosius bought it in 1907, it lay far from town at the edge of a forest and near a cemetery. It took two decades for Hiltl to become a popular and renowned restaurant, and Ambrosius’s work was continued by his son Leonhard, who also married in the restaurant – with Margrith Rubli, a waitress. When she started working at Hiltl in 1926, a waitress was expected to remain on her feet from 7 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. with a 90-minute break. She could take off half a day a week, five days a year and earned 60 francs a month. Leonhard’s brother Walter managed the cooking side for more than 40 years. He kept using “mutti’s” recipes, but vegetarianism was then still surviving at the edge of culinary Zurich – and the culinary world for that matter. It was Margrith Hiltl and her travels to India that brought back the spices that liven up today’s menu, but she faced immense difficulties in trying to convince the staff and patrons that vegetarian cuisine does not end with the traditional rösti and vegetable plate. In addition to that, she faced supply issues regarding curries, coriander and other Indian spices and specialities after the Second World War. But despite the resistance in the kitchen, she held firm. Soon Indians started coming to the restaurant, the Swiss warmed up to Asian dishes, and Swissair also came knocking, ordering Indian dishes for its in-flight meals. Happiness does not last forever, though, and Leohnard Hiltl died in 1959.

His widow started to introduce their son Heinz to the family business. “Despite seeing the restaurant as an extension of her own home and coming to Sihlstrasse every day, even after the age of 80, my mother never meddled with my management and the company’s development,” Heinz Hiltl remembered. However, he also died at the relatively early age of 65. His son Rolf has been managing Hiltl’s vegetarian paradise for two decades now and remodelled, extended and enriched it in line with the demands of modern living. Rolf has been fascinated by food since early childhood: “I dreamt as a child that I was swimming in a pool filled with tomato sauce,” he once explained, when asked why the tomato was his favourite fruit. In line with family tradition, he trained as a cook and couldn’t have asked for a better place to be a trainee than at Zurich’s elegant Dolder hotel. He received us in the middle of the hustle and bustle of his gastronomic miracle wearing jeans, trainers, a scarf around his neck, and two mobile phones in hand. Casual, uncomplicated, focused on details. “I have to say that father’s business model hit a snag,” he says. “Nobody wanted vegetarian food 30 years ago, especially with no alcohol on sale.” Rolf remembers delicate negotiations with his father that resulted in the timid addition of beer to the menu. Wine was also available, but only per customer request. This was not mentioned to grandmother Margrith, but eventually she did find out and when she did, she stopped communicating with her grandson for three months. “There is no point in all of us going in the exact same direction; I want a path of my own,” he stressed. He then noticed a slight issue two tables away from us and immediately called a waitress to solve the problem.

Hiltl is more than just a restaurant today Hiltl is a brand, a rather strong and globally recognised one with a cooking school and a chef academy, to name just two of its projects. “Cooking has always been my first love,” the father of three explains. He would like to entice at least one of his sons to work in the family business, but doesn’t push them. He hopes that one member of the fifth generation will fall in love with the work. In the spirit of the family, Rolf also left his home country. “When I was in my 20s I lived in San Francisco. I love California, the sun, the sea, surfing, that’s where I found a lot of hobbies that shaped my later lifestyle.” Rolf has also passion for motorcycles. “I’m not a guy to go biking through nature, I’d rather take a ride around the lake, to work or to take a short trip. I love to zip in and out of traffic,” he says with sparkling eyes as he tells us about his means of transportation. “I was completely taken in by the movie Rush, the story of Niki Lauda and James Hunt. It’s an excellent film. I love motorbikes, their dynamics and the accompanying speed and risks. That’s so cool!” He also remembered an acquaintance who died in a traffic accident at a tender age. “That’s why I wouldn’t like to own a Ducati. It’s too dangerous.” Rolf is a believer in the natural order of things. ”A tree gets cut down sooner or later and a person dies. This is a natural cycle that must be respected. My great grandfather died but his tree kept on growing. I don’t fear failure but I also don’t fear success.” He shouldn’t - not the way things stand now. The central restaurant has been renovated, the company has established a culinary academy, organises cooking courses, does catering and delivery, part of the restaurant changes to a club with a DJ at night. Rolf and

partners also set up a sister restaurant called Tibits in 2000 which can be found in Switzerland and in London. He is full of future plans. This summer Hiltl will take charge of food at two swimming pools at Zurich’s lake - the popular Mythenquai and Kilchberg. “It’ll be risky to try vegetarian cuisine in the heartland of barbecue and bratwurst, but we believe that we can make it work.” Another of his risks has already paid off – Hiltl’s vegetarian burgers have become a hit. Their never-ending and incredible menu is composed in cooperation with “foodies,” employees who are especially interested in food. The team meets every few months to try novelties. “We discuss things, exchange opinions, and I decide in the end what will be put on the menu,” Hiltl explains. “We also listen to ideas by our guests and have used a fair share of them.” Hiltl publishes cooking books and also collects them: so far some 3,000 titles from all over the world have found their way to Zurich. Despite the ever-present force of globalisation, Hiltl still faces some supply difficulties. “Our storage area is small, the ingredients are delivered twice a day and our logistics staff must employ extreme skills and resourcefulness so that we never lack anything.” Rolf is also still a bit sad about the fact that so much food is still thrown in the bin. While cold foods can still be offered a day after being prepared, hot dishes end their life-

cycle at 11 P.M. “We offer this food to welfare institutions, but they are unfortunately not always ready to come and get it,” explains Rolf, whose chatting has been interrupted by five telephone calls, several talks with his staff and who also has several meetings planned before the photo session, which was scheduled for an hour later. We say our goodbyes at around 6 P.M. and nothing hints that Rolf’s day is coming to a close any time soon. “Don’t worry about me though, I love to munch on a piece of prime meat now and then,” the dynamic and innovative member of the fourth generation Hiltl vegetarian dynasty confided to us as we took our leave.

Najstarejša vegi restavracija na svetu Je Hiltl v Zürichu. Ponudba v ogromnem samopostrežnem baru je tako raznolika, da človek sploh ne opazi, da v njej ni mesa. Sredi vsakodnevne gneče je skoraj vsak dan moč videti Rolfa Hiltla, lastnika tega vegetarjanskega templja, prve-

ga na svetu, ki ob Limmatu domuje že od leta 1898. Kakšna restavracija je to, ki ob skrbi za kakovost in vsako podrobnost na dan porabi tudi do dve toni zelenjave? Danes je Hiltl več kot le restavracija, saj imajo zelo močno blagovno znamko, ki je uveljavljena po vsem svetu, ustanovili so kuharsko šolo, bdijo nad kuharsko akademijo ...

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Nepal Lentils Salad A little bit complex, but worth it

Ingredients for 4 portions 150 g brown dried lentils 150 g dried Urid Dal (small white lentils) 2 red peppers 1 small green chili 1 mid-size eggplant Â˝ leek 3 soup spoons of colza-oil 2 teaspoons of cumin 1 piece of garlic 1 walnut-size portion of fresh ginger Sea salt 1 teaspoon of ground coriander Ground black pepper 1 soup spoon of fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon of raw sugar

0.4 litres of bouillon 100 g natural yoghurt Wash the lentils, remove stones if necessary and let it drip. Soft cook for 20 minutes, remove the water and rinse with cold water. Drip properly. Cut the peppers in thin stripes. Hack the chili. Dice the eggplant, cut the leek into strips. Heat the oil, add the cumin and quickly add peppers, chili, eggplant, leek, pressed garlic and well hacked ginger. Spice with sea salt, coriander and pepper. Add lemon juice, raw sugar and bouillon. Cook over low heat for ten minutes until the vegetables are ready. Mix with lentils, add yoghurt, and leave to cool. Serve lukewarm. Advice: Lentil dishes - so called Dals - are eaten daily with basmati rice in India and are nutritionally attractive for vegetarians because of their protein content.

Mango Glace Fresh and fruity

Ingredients for 0.5 litres 4 - 6 very ripe mangos 2 soup spoons of freshly pressed lemon juice 20 g of raw sugar, depending on the aroma and sweetness of the fruits 2 egg whites 0.1 litres of cream Peal the mangos, remove the pit and blend it; it should be 400 grams of not-too-thick puree at the end. Slightly tap the egg-whites. Mix all of the contents well and put into a deep freezer. Stir well after 30 minutes and then return it to the deep freezer. After another 45 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively, stir well again. Let it freeze afterwards. From the book: Hiltl. Vegetarish nach Lust und Laune

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Nepal Lentils Salad A little bit complex, but worth it

Mango Glace Fresh and fruity

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Adventure

Split

When the “Fjaka” Gets You 46

by Jasmina Dvoršek

photography Ivo Pervan, Tourist Board of Split

Sun, songs, beauty – Croatia’s second largest city is renowned for the most beautiful European women, gorgeous sunny days, warm sea, the best-known waterfront promenade in the country, as well as a town with the nicest, most unorthodox, goofy and simply most interesting inhabitants. Nothing extraordinary there, because the city itself is uniquely named after a bush.

Summer on Peristil Square, in the centre of Diocletian’s Palace.

Split’s claim to fame was made by a man who was born in the third century CE in the nearby Roman settlement of Salona. The boy, born in 245 to a couple of freed slaves, grew up to become the man known today as Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Augustus, or Diocletian for short. In the turbulent times of the late 3rd century CE he rose through the ranks and went all the way to the top, declaring himself emperor of Rome in 284. Diocletian is today mainly known for splitting the empire between four emperors (the tetrarchy) and as the last cruel persecutor of Christians. He was also one of the few Roman emperors who died a natural death, meaning he was not poisoned, stabbed, or in some other way deposed. Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate his position and return to his native Dalmatia in 305. Because the Romans already knew that sulphur was smelly but beneficial for old-age ailments like rheumatism, he chose a place near Salona for his palace, where sulphurous fumes still “ennoble” the atmosphere today. In 295 he ordered a palace to be built on the coast of the Adriatic. It was finished in just 10 years and, apart from the rooms where the elderly emperor spent his retirement, the insides of the walled area also housed soldiers, a temple to Jupiter and a mausoleum, built so that it looked fitting and proper for the bones of the son of Jupiter. But it didn’t look like that for long. After emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be the state religion in 324, a mausoleum for a tormentor of Christians was not to the liking of the friends and relatives of the martyrs who died for their faith in Diocletian’s times. The emperor’s remains were thrown into the sea and his mausoleum transformed into the oldest cathedral in the world. Recycling, so to speak.

Proud to Be Extraordinary

That’s right, a bush. This, unfortunately, means that a banana split is not something invented in the largest town on the Croatian coast, but simply a split fruit with extras. The city of Split owes its name to the spiny broom bush, which so enchanted the Greeks that they named the area they settled in the 4th century BCE “Aspalathos,” the plant’s Greek name. The city then changed its name from the Roman “Spalatum,” to the medieval “Spalater” to the “Split” of today.

Touch the toe of St. Gregory’s statue, standing in front of the Golden Gate leading into Diocletian’s Palace, and make a wish.

Diocletian’s palace is just as unusual as Split’s inhabitants. The best-preserved Roman palace on the eastern side of the Adriatic is not really a palace, but actually Split’s old town centre. The city walls that once protected the greying emperor are now used to hang laundry while bank clerks in their air-conditioned offices walk on floors that are over 1,700 years old. Jelena, a 20-year-old inhabitant of Split, with whom I sat down on a sunny spring day at the best place for people-watching, the famous Split waterfront in front of the southern wall of Diocletian’s palace, is using her melodic Dalmatian accent to tell stories of her unique city. “Why should I have to read gossip columns?” she says. “One drink at the Riva and I know everything about trendy people, fashion, political intrigue and even get some spiritual advice from passing “ridikuls” – unique and special individuals that are not lacking in Split.” Asked why the inhabitants of Split are so special, she replies: “Because they know how to enjoy life and are not afraid to show it! If my soul tells me to sing, then I sing, in the middle of the street if necessary. You know, nobody in Split will think I’m weird, they’ll sing along!” The inhabitants of Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, often describe their Dalmatian brethren as less than dutiful carousers, who only like to sing and kick balls around. “If they think they offend us by labelling us so, they’re wrong,” Jelena decisively states. “Of course we work, but even in the midst of summer, when work is at its peak, we don’t forget our friends, family and Hajduk. You know, Hajduk lives forever.”

“Fjaka is a local slang word. Some say it has the same meaning as the Spanish word siesta, but fjaka is completely different. When a “fjaka” catches you, you’d best just go with it.”

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Adventure

Split

When the “Fjaka” Gets You 46

by Jasmina Dvoršek

photography Ivo Pervan, Tourist Board of Split

Summer on Peristil Square, in the centre of Diocletian’s Palace.

Proud to Be Extraordinary

Touch the toe of St. Gregory’s statue, standing in front of the Golden Gate leading into Diocletian’s Palace, and make a wish.

“Fjaka is a local slang word. Some say it has the same meaning as the Spanish word siesta, but fjaka is completely different. When a “fjaka” catches you, you’d best just go with it.”

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Where to Go for a Trip

“Come to the Bounty Bar,” I was told by Mario, a young Split entrepreneur who is also a member of the Fjaka motorbike club. I was first piqued by the word ‘fjaka.’ “Fjaka is a local slang word. Some say it has the same meaning as the Spanish word siesta, but fjaka is completely different. When a fjaka catches you, you’d best just go with it. Even though it describes a specific frame of mind and body, some people equate it with laziness. Nothing could be further from the truth! In India and other places in the world fjaka is achieved after years of meditation and sacrifice, but in Split it is God’s gift!” The crowd in the Bounty Bar, Split’s main gathering place for motorbike lovers, was debating where to go for the coming weekend. Following the coastal road, called the Adriatic Highway, towards the south to Makarska sounded interesting. Going north and passing the luscious olive oil plantations of central Dalmatia and the town of Primošten was also in the game while some cheered for getting on the early ferry and taking off to the island of Hvar, which was recently labelled as one of the top 10 most beautiful islands in the world. Regardless of that, the Split bikers are of one mind when it comes to going to Croatia’s Harley Days in the town of Biograd na Moru between June 12 and 15. The event in 2011 was attended by over 65,000 Harley lovers, which bodes well for this year. After a few hours of motorbike talk, the time has come to quench another thirst. The city’s Poljud stadium was hosting a game by the town’s own team, the ‘beli.’ Split’s Hajduk FC was facing off against its eternal rival, Dinamo of Zagreb. Mario, a member of the Torcida Hajduk fan club, transformed into a raging supporter. Torcida, the oldest organised football fan club in Europe, has been operating since 1950 and will never stop cheering for Hajduk. Even being a bike rider takes second place to supporting Hajduk. The result didn’t matter in the end. After passions calmed down, Dinamo’s fans were sent back home and the first lights were lit at the Riva. The guys went to the Modena bar. The game’s analysis was followed by a decision. Let’s go towards the interior, to Sinj, a town famous for its ‘Alka,’ a medieval horse riding game that’s held on the first weekend in August. Another bottle of ‘Plavac,’ Dalmatia’s bestknown red wine appeared on the table, somebody murmured a well-known melody and the male voices boomed. The friends melded into a band, their voices singing in unison about their love of the sea, women and life. The love of life in Split.

Split’s Riva waterfront is the hub of the city’s social life.

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Where to Go for a Trip

Split’s Riva waterfront is the hub of the city’s social life.

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Hajduk lives forever!

Split’s lust for life is reflected in sports as well. Croatia’s most sporting city paid a special tribute to its best athletes. The renovated part of the waterfront, which stretches to the city’s marina, is embellished with the names of Split’s Olympic medallists. But Split’s number 1 sports phenomenon is its football club, Hajduk. Established more than 100 years ago (in 1911 to be exact) the club has been transformed into an institution that has retained the faith of its supporters even in the darkest of times. To be a supporter of Hajduk has overshadowed football -- emotional graffiti all over Dalmatia shows that being a Hajduk fan has become a part of Dalmatia’s identity. The club, set up by students from Split in the faraway Czech capital of Prague, is named after bandits and misfits in the areas that were, in the past, controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As the years went by, these miscreants enjoyed the romantic sheen of guerilla fighters against Ottoman rule and became synonymous with bravery, humanity, friendship, freedom and protecting the poor. This is why the club was named Hajduk. During its long and illustrious history, Hajduk was champion of Yugoslavia nine times, champion of Croatia on three occasions, and won Yugoslavia’s Cup six times.

Where to go in Split?

Recent years have seen Split develop into a charming tourism attraction with numerous boutique hotels, restaurants and bars. Hotel Vestibul Palace, Izza Vestibula 4, Split, www.vestibulpalace.com Jupiter Luxury Hotel, Grabovčeva širina 1, www.lhjupiter.com Fife restaurant, Trumbićeva obala 11, phone no: +385 (0)21 345 223 Šperun restaurant, Šperun ulica 3, phone: +385 (0)21 346 999 Koralj Restaurant, Uvala Baluni, phone +385 (0)21 398568 Caffe & Bar No Stress, Izza lože 1, Narodni trg (Pjaca) Zinfandel food & wine bar, Ulica Marka Marulića 2, telefon: +385 (0)21 355 135 Uje Oil Bar, www.uje.hr Bajamonti café and restaurant, Trg Republike 1 (Prokurativa), www.bajamonti.fullbusiness.com

“Why should I read gossip columns? One drink at the Riva and I know everything about trendy people, fashion, political intrigue and even get some spiritual advice.”«

Sredozemski posebnež Sonce, pesem, lepota – drugo največje mesto Hrvaške slovi po najlepših Evropejkah, čudovitih sončnih dnevih in toplem morju, najbolj znani hrvaški rivi pa tudi kot mesto, ki ima najbolj simpatične, nenavadne, prismuknjene, preprosto najbolj zanimive prebivalce. In zakaj so Splitčani tako posebni, odgovarja Jelena, dvajsetletna Splitčanka: “Ker znajo uživati življenje in se tega ne bojijo pokazati! Če mi duša veli naj po-

jem, bom zapela, pa tudi če bo to sredi ceste. Veš, v Splitu, me nihče ne bo gledal postrani, zapeli bodo z menoj!” Prebivalci glavnega mesta Hrvaške, Zagreba, svoje dalmatinske sorojake pogosto opisujejo kot manj delavne veseljake, ki bi vse dni prepevali in brcali žogo. “Če mislijo, da nas s tem žalijo, se motijo,” je odločna Jelena. “Seveda delamo, vendar niti v poletnih mesecih, ko je dela največ, ne pozabimo na prijatelje, družino in Hajduk. Saj veš, Hajduk živi večno.”

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Adventure

Hajduk lives forever!

Where to go in Split?

“Why should I read gossip columns? One drink at the Riva and I know everything about trendy people, fashion, political intrigue and even get some spiritual advice.”«

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Go Wild

DEUS EX MACHINA

D eus e x Ma ch in a is a cut a b ov e a b r a n d : it’s a culture. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

It was one of those gorgeous afternoons on California’s Venice Beach, when the setting sun briefly bathes the coast in shades of golden yellow. My elbow was resting on top of a rolled-down window. Rock music was blaring from the sound system of our rented car and we were just about to go for a cruise around LA and its surroundings, when all of us suddenly saw the same thing. A big house at a crossroads. Modern design with a hint of industrial steam punk. Glass

display windows, concrete walls and metal supports. Everything else furnished with raw wooden boards. “Stop,” a friend said. We parked a moment later and were ogling the customised motorbikes, clothes collections, surf boards and all the other stuff on display inside the “temple.” Deus ex Machina is a concept that combines a coffee shop, a store, a brand and a bike shop. A perfect blend for our group.

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Go Wild

DEUS EX MACHINA

D eus e x Ma ch in a is a cut a b ov e a b r a n d : it’s a culture. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

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Go Wild

Deus ex Machina is a motorbike location, which has become increasingly popular with those who are not interested in motorbikes. Tasty coffee, delicious pastries, newspapers, suitable music, a garden area and cool company. What else could you wish for? Well, of course, lifestyle matters. Despite looking hastily conceived at first sight, the Deuses around the world are far from it. They employ accomplished architecture and design as well as a fully developed concept. It was first thought of by Dare Jennings, a lover of surfing and founder of the Mambo clothing brand. Jennings opened his first workshop and store in Camperdown, Sydney, the original location of the Deus ex Machina brand. It soon spread outside of Australia to the USA, Indonesia and, of course, Europe, where the first Deus temple was opened in Milan. Located in a courtyard of a majestic old building, you can find everything. A store, a bar, an exquisite restaurant, a wine cellar and a motorbike manufacturer. Deus is alive by day, and then especially after dark, when the bar and restaurant are packed with people from all

D eus as a Way of Life All this was two years ago, and I learned later that this was the time when the Australian brand had just opened its first (and so far only) outlet in the U.S. Called the Emporium of Postmodern Activities, the Venice Beach facility is run by Michael Woolaway, former motorcycle racer turned custom motorbike designer, who works in a shop directly adjoining the café and store. Deus ex Machina (“god from the machine”) does not want to be just another brand. It wants to be a way of life. A team of like-minded creative types who love to do anything that makes them happy in life. Making motorbikes, surfboards or just plain push bikes. Their products come in all shapes and sizes and are always the result of their imagination, improvisation, polished design and colour combinations. And the quality always remains top-notch. That is why their products are not cheap. To be completely honest, everything from an ordinary T-shirt or a cap is priced in the upper echelons of “casual” wear. The same is true for the motorbikes sold by Woolaway (Woolie for short) they’re mainly for those with a sufficiently full wallet. There’s not exactly a shortage of this type in Hollywood, naturally, which is why Deus-branded motorbikes are ridden by Orlando Bloom, Bruce Springsteen and numerous other celebrities. “I only produce a few motorbikes a year,” Wooley explains. “This often pushes the price up to, or over, USD 50,000. I’m not interested in the looks only, I’m mainly concerned about the handling of my bikes. I therefore ride every machine I put together for a while. Mainly to

D e u s is Aliv e . By Da y a n d E v e n M o r e so a f t e r Da r k

test the durability, handling characteristics and the rest. If everything turns out OK, I deliver it to the buyer.” I love the way Woolie integrated the Akrapovič’s exhaust, originally made for a Harley-Davidson, tucking it under the seat of the bike to achieve a retro sports look, including twin chromium exhausts. While I chat with the maestro, the shop begins to fill up. Numerous visitors are hanging around a large outside garden table, sipping their creamy Italian cappuccinos and munching on delicious muffins. The majority of them are, of course, using Apple laptops to surf the net. Some are reading one of the numerous magazines and newspapers available at the shop and there was even a person reading a book while soaking up the last rays of the day’s setting sun.

walks of life. Deus managed to become trendy even in spoiled Milan, a city not exactly lacking in beautiful stores and popular night clubs. Its concept and brand immediately found a clientele, who identified with the 60s and 70s fashion, bikes clad in paunchy tires and retro motorbike concepts, lately prevalently and wrongly labelled with the moniker “café racers.” I love the idea and I often return to the Milan outlet, where the team, which also includes Alessandro Rossi, is doing a stellar job. The bar is always full to the brim, and it caters to both the gourmet as well as the more-plain palate. Should you ever pay them a visit, don’t miss the hamburger with hand-cut potato chips as the side dish. Every bite is poetry for the taste buds. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my curiosity drove me to visit the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm, the name of its outlet in Canggu on the Indonesian island of Bali. I stopped there the last time I was in Bali. Kids were skateboarding on a large concrete ramp, while adults leisurely sat on large pillows, sipping coffee or cold beer. The open-type restaurant with an open kitchen offers comfortable seating at the bar, while a stroll to the wooden workshops with a drink in hand will allow you to see how motorbikes are customised and surf boards designed. And you can see all the phases in between. Polishing, welding, assembly, colouring…

“I’m a photographer by trade, so we published several books,” explains Dustin Humphrey, who opened the Deus outlet on Bali. “Because I love to ride motorbikes, I decided that we’d customise them here as well. Our surf boards are sold at all Deus places around the world. Because we were all born to surf, we spend most of our time on the beach. And when we aren’t there, we strap our surfboards to our bikes and go to where the surf is at.” The building was designed in accordance with local architectural traditions. Wood and greenery abound. There are numerous flowers in front of the bar and then there are palms, tropical plants and a neatly mown lawn, enticing you to simply toss your shoes away. Dustin has an elegant photo studio inside the outlet and an empty flat above that in Indonesia-styled houses where he occasionally hosts various artists. “They can stay here while designing their new exhibition, series or collection,” he says. “When the fruits of their labour arrive, we exhibit them in our art gallery by the shop.” This store is also full of different items. Motorbikes, surfboards, motorcycle helmets, swimsuits, jeans, T-shirts and shirts, backpacks, sunglasses and footwear. Everything from leather shoes to sandals. All neat and modern. All branded by Deus ex Machina. >>

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D e u s is Aliv e . By Da y a n d E v e n M o r e so a f t e r Da r k

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Go Wild

Co me a nd S how Y our s e l f The sun is setting on Bali and some young people are playing pool in front of the store. As day turns into evening, they fire up a barbecue and place a big bowl of free punch in the garden. The DJ is spinning the latest and greatest hits and every Friday and Saturday the outlet’s garden fills with those craving company and fun. There’s a “live performance night” and other differently-themed nights. The guys really don’t run out of ideas about how to have a party. “Aperitif Friday” is there to set the mood for the start of the weekend and Sundays are the time to view the sunset. Posters adorn the walls, informing the guests of a group motorbike ride next week and a surf festival at the beach the week after that. Indeed, the idea of Deus is not just offering a place and drinks. It’s also to mingle with those who share your interests. In Los Angeles, for example, you can join the “Sunday Mass” morning gathering of retro bikers. Assembly and coffee in the morning, a short bike ride and a parking lot party in the afternoon. Live music, grilled burgers and cold beer. Sometimes motorbike riders set the agenda, and other times it is cyclists with their Carnivale de Velo, or surfers. From the outdoor manufacture of surf boards to a flea market, there are many things to see and many ways to be seen. I don’t have enough time and my motorbikes are parked too far away (in Europe) to join the “Festival of Thump,” which showcases one-cylinder four-stroke bikes, or the “Ring a Ding Ding,” where oil fumes emanate from the exhausts of aged two-stroke wonders on two wheels. I would love to come and show my bikes as well as chat with everyone. But regardless of the number of wheels on your ride, and even if you don’t have one, you’ve got to check Deus ex Machina for yourself if your travels bring you near any of their outlets. And if that’s not the case, you can at least find solace in clicking on http://deuscustoms.com/ to quickly get the gist of it all. Oh, and keep that website handy… You’re bound to hear more about them in the future.

Več kot blagovna znamka Deus ex Machina noče biti še ena blagovna znamka. Deus hoče biti način življenja. Skupina enakomislečih ustvarjalcev, ki se ukvarjajo z vsem, kar jih v življenju zabava. Izdelovanje motociklov, desk za srfanje ali povsem navadnih koles. Njihovi izdelki so v vseh mogočih izvedbah, ki so seveda vedno plod lastne domišljije, improvizacije in izpopolnjenega dizajna ter

barvnih kombinacij. Toda pri tem nikdar ne trpi kakovost. Zato njihovi izdelki niso poceni. Roko na srce, vse od navadne majice ali kape naprej sodi v zgornji cenovni razred udobnih oblačil. Enako velja za motorna kolesa, ki jih Woolie, kot kličejo Woolawaya, prodaja pretežno tistim, ki imajo dovolj pod palcem. No, jasno, v Hollywoodu je dovolj takšnih, zato med tistimi, ki vozijo motocikle znamke Deus, najdemo Orlanda Blooma, Bruca Springsteena in še vrsto znanih imen.

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Crazy Stuff

by Alenka Birk

y z a r C Stuff Pure Luxury on the Amazon

Indoor Camping? Why not!

Up for a new adventure in a retro atmosphere? Visit an indoor campground hostel with 15 custom vintage campers as rooms. Hotelier Michael Schlösser has transformed a previously vacant warehouse in Bonn, Germany, into a vintage faux campsite. The 600 square-meter industrial space has been revamped into the Basecamp Bonn Young hostel, a colourful indoor landscape playing host to 15 different restored caravans. Each sleeper is thematically designed, each adding to their charm and character. The ‘Hausboot’ has wooden oars and a life vest hung on its facade, appear-

Swinging Sixties

If you hunger for freedom, nature, adventure and exciting expeditions, but are satisfied with nothing less than perfect luxury, then a romantic trip on the Amazon in Peru may be right up your alley. Indulge yourself in the floating two-storey 5-star Aria hotel, with first-class luxury offerings, accentuated by an outdoor jacuzzi, where you can relax under a canopy cover, work out in a gym, or sunbathe on your own private deck. Also on board: culinary masterpieces by renowned Peruvian cook Pedro Miguel Schiaffin, accompanied by South American wines. Aria’s 16 apartments can take on a maximum of 32 passengers, with local guides on board to explain all the wonders of the Amazon. Every fully air-conditioned apartment comes with comfort and privacy as well as

floor to ceiling windows, allowing you to take in the wonders of the lush environments from the double bed. The Amazon has been described as a sea flowing amidst a canopy of green. This lush, green and unique ecosystem, a wild untamed paradise, is home to numerous exotic plants and animals, and is in many ways still a pristine rainforest, offering spectacular sunsets and unforgettable starry nights. Apart from the luxury, it is nature that is the main star of the cruise, which starts in the port of Iquitos and then takes you on an exploration of the river and its largest tributaries. www.adventure-location.de

ing to be someone’s quirky floating residence, while the ‘Big Ben’ accommodates a British flag and Victorian-style seating outside. Two historic U.S. airstreams — the iconic aluminium travellers — as well as two railway cars from German railway company Deutsche Bahn are furnished with retro accessories, and can host small groups. Camping there for a night will cost you at least EUR 54, with prices varying according to size and sleeping capacity. www.basecampbonn.de

Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 cult film “Blow-Up” and its various references to photography are the focus of an eponymous photo exhibit in Vienna’s Albertina museum. “Blow-Up” occupies a unique position, not only in the history of film, but also in the history of photography. There is hardly another feature film that has shown the diverse areas of photography in such a differentiated fashion, and which attempts to fathom them in such a detailed and timeless manner. The photographic spectrum in “Blow-Up” is accordingly broad, extending from fashion photography through social reporting and pop art to abstract photography. The exhibit presents these diverse themes and their relation to one another in several chapters. In addition to film stills, the exhibit also hosts works that can actually be seen in “Blow-Up” and photographs illuminating the cultural and artistic context of the film’s production: in London during the Swinging Sixties. Photo: Veruschka von Lehndorff with David Hemmings / Arthur Evans, Privatsammlung Wien, Courtesy: Neue Visionen Filmverleih GmbH / BFI Stills @ Neue Visionen Filmverleih GmbH/Turner Entertainment Co. - A Warner Bros Entertainment Company. All rights reserved

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Crazy Stuff

by Alenka Birk

y z a r C Stuff Pure Luxury on the Amazon

Indoor Camping? Why not!

Swinging Sixties

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Original nika zupanc, product and interior designer

When looking at her precisely crafted

works, with their touch of sublime femininity, your senses tingle with the anticipation that a powerful force must have created them. And when you meet her in real life, you know it’s her. It has to be her and nobody else. She’s a visionary, spontaneous, and at the same time very realistic. She breaks taboos. As an artist, she loves nothing more than to walk on the edge and work on the crossroads of the very real/technical with the untameable/emotional. As a woman, very much at home in a man’s world, she is led by her intuition. As a globally renowned interior designer she remains faithful to her own artistic vision, which includes bows, lace, frills, flowery prints, and cherries – elements that have made her name recognisable amongst interior designers. She is different and does not abide by the maxim that form must solely follow function. After meeting her, you may also come to realise that her oeuvre really reflects her personality. Her cooperation with the legendary Dior, for Miss Dior perfume, inspired her to love strongly, but this year she loves even more, as proven by her prestigious bed ornaments. Her year runs from April to April, since that’s the month when her main expos

NIKA ZUPANC

start. We met just before she was about to present five new projects.

Love Me More

“Cappuccino, please,”

Maid Chair, A Lot of Brazil

by Alenka Birk portrait Fulvio Grisoni

she orders, after sitting down for coffee at a pleasant restaurant near her home. She has come to the meeting even though she’s still putting the finishing touches on her yearly April challenge. A football field and a fitness centre can be found just around the corner and a stadium is located nearby. That is the area where Nika Zupanc lives. It is therefore not surprising that one of her new collections was inspired by sports. She has interwoven her vision of it into fifteen items created for the English company Sé, which holds an exhibition every year with Rossana Orlandi (the founder and main protagonist of the cult gallery and shop Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan, where Nika Zupanc also exhibits). Eight of her creations will be presented in the gallery at first. These are the Olympia beauty table, Loyalty cabinet, Full Moon

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Original nika zupanc, product and interior designer

When looking at her precisely crafted

NIKA ZUPANC

start. We met just before she was about to present five new projects.

Love Me More

“Cappuccino, please,”

Maid Chair, A Lot of Brazil

by Alenka Birk portrait Fulvio Grisoni

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lamp, Trophy lamp, Stardust sofa, Pride mirror, Smoke coffee table and Grace dining table. The remaining seven creations will be put on display in September and then all of them together once again next year. This collection is based on a major story that was inspired by Nika’s love of sports. Pavlo Schtakleff, co-owner of the Sé company, chose her precisely for her feminine grace. “I designed the collection based on my vision of a private sports club with aesthetically pleasing closets, display cabinets with cups and leather armchairs,” Nika explains. The idea behind the 15 items therefore corresponds to the philosophy of the Sé company, which is focused on high-quality materials and stresses the long-term advantages of its products. Nika continues: “I took the design elements from sport items, such as racquet strings or Olympic circles.” All of that is also reflected by the names given to the objects, which are always striking, meaningful and, most importantly, her own. I ask her what was the biggest challenge of this project. “I usually create only one object with a background story, but here I had to make 15 of them. All of them have to be able to exist separately without being repeated and must at the same time function as a whole. I think that I pulled it off,” she says, before adding: “I’m looking forward to the exhibition.”

An alarm clock stands on rolling feet next to a bed named Forever. The pretty golden clock/cradle fits seamlessly into the sleeping environment. If you clap, it will rock, and it uses the rocking motion for its waking function.

Infinity clock

LOCK T H E B E D W ITH A K E Y In her own words, her furniture creations are statements of love with an added poetic dimension. Her second most recent project, which will be shown in Milan, confirms this. Its name alone: “Love me more” grabs the attention. “This is a limited collection of bedding and bed ornaments,” Nika confides. She has my attention as she shows me the drafts and I gush over the sumptuous bed, best described by superlatives, and its ornaments. A closet-bed, a bed and/or closet. At one point, everyone has pretty much wanted to have a folding bed, I thought. But Nika does the folding in her own style. First she dresses it in clean-coloured bedding, adds leather decorations and places everything into a shiny oval golden closet that can be locked with a key and functions as the bed’s foot when unfolded. The “Love me more” project was conceived in January, when an invitation by Rosana Orlandi offered Nika a chance to exhibit in Milan’s Valsecchi Bagatti museum. “This wonderful Gothic palace in the middle of the fashion district,” says Nika, “is where selected contemporary designers display their creations. Everybody gets their theme and I was given the bedroom. I accepted the challenge.” She smiles. Of course she does, why shouldn’t she? This bedroom is a room that can easily be placed inside Nika’s artistic visions, I think. “That was also when Sandi Češko asked me to develop an exclusive project for the Dormeo brand,” she continues, “using their innovative Octaspring as a starting point. This foamy spring has excellent functional characteristics and a ‘green’ character to boot. Its shape and function, used by Dormeo inside their mattresses and pillows, have thus become the starting parameters for designing a limited collection. Because both projects were connected to sleeping and dreaming and were commissioned at the same time, we jointly decided to connect and intertwine them.”

Golden Chair, Moooi

Secretaria desk

“My work fights for certain values that can be taboo or pushed to the side.”

Miss Dior chair, 2013 Room of one´s own Nika Zupanc for exhibition Esprit Dior: Miss Dior

Forever bed

Her furniture handiworks are statements of love, with an added poetic dimension. She burst onto the global design scene as a designer who opens the door to the feminine, which pervades her creations. “Product design,” says Nika, “is unfortunately still a ‘male-dominated club’ and a rational vocation, based solely on the modernist paradigm that form must necessarily follow function...

My disposition is not the norm in a field led by middle-aged caucasian males, where things are extremely rational or technical.” “My work fights for certain values that can be taboo or pushed to the side.”

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Infinity clock

Golden Chair, Moooi

Secretaria desk

“My work fights for certain values that can be taboo or pushed to the side.”

Miss Dior chair, 2013 Room of one´s own Nika Zupanc for exhibition Esprit Dior: Miss Dior

Forever bed

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“These are my bed ornaments, which hold the bedding in place and bind the virgin bed linen with a touch of pain. “The leather belts are here to keep the bedding in place when the bed is folded up. On an unfolded bed they serve as a decoration, almost like bed ornaments.

“When you think about bed linen, you naturally think about sleeping, dreaming, making love. Maybe I was so influenced by the Valsecchi Bagatti palace that I perceived the bed as a historically extremely important piece of furniture where heirs to the throne and illegitimate children were born, where wars began and peace was concluded. I suddenly started perceiving the bed in a different light, as a sort of fateful micro-environment where numerous major events occurred.”

Love Me More bed linen

BED ORNAMENTS The unlimited freedom of design allowed Nika to create for the serious collector, coming up with three prestigious limited edition beds that fold into a closet as well as a 70-piece series of ornamental pillows and covers for Dormeo. These are not ordinary bedroom objects. “The bed grew from the bedside linen,” Nika explains. “I created the bedding from basic and iconic elements, a military ascetic, almost monastery-style. There is a white sheet, a white pillow and an ordinary grey blanket. The two-layered blanket from boiled wool is filled with Octaspring springs, interlaced with brass rivets and hemmed with a silk grey ribbon. The nailhead tufting, created by the rivets, rests on top of the springs, creating a button tuft impression and thus transforms an iconic grey blanket into an exquisite spread that is thrillingly soft in a completely new way. Nika then attached oversized frills to the white bedding as well as created a white leather mantle, modularly put together from leather nets and silk-clad springs. All of the above was then tied up with leather belts with bows. “The leather belts are here to keep the bedding in place when the bed is folded up. On an unfolded bed they serve as a decoration, almost like bed ornaments,” Nika explained their function, adding: “When you think about bed linen, you naturally think about sleeping, dreaming, making love. Maybe I was so influenced by the Valsecchi Bagatti palace that I perceived the bed as a historically extremely important piece of furniture where heirs to the throne and illegitimate children were born, where wars began and peace was concluded. I suddenly started perceiving the bed in a different light, as a sort of fateful micro-environment, where numerous major events occurred.”

Black Cherry, Gold Edition

NEW LAMPS She then presented her three latest projects, one of which is made in cooperation with a Brazilian company that produced her Maid chair last year. This year they’re making the Lace lamp, the name of which (typically Nika) tells you everything -- or does it? The lamp will be unveiled at the Milan furniture fair. She is also reinterpreting an ordinary bulb by creating a small ceramic lamp. This project was commissioned for her and other well-known interior designers by the Dutch company Booo. Another Dutch company, Moooi, will this year launch her Golden chair. The fruits of her labour are seen and understood differently by every individual. And how does she see it? “I’m opening the doors to the irrational, eclectic, poetic and hysteric,” she says. “My products pave the way for values that can sometimes be pushed aside within the confines of my field. I like to pose questions with my products and invite everybody to find their own answers.”

CURRENT INSPIRATION FOR CREATION? My inspiration comes from everyday life, with its good and bad moments. Everyday contact with things, people, events, and stories is my logical and rational inspiration that I understand and observe through design. I’m also piqued by technologies and materials. The Octaspring challenged me in the sense of form, which is why the perforated blanked was created. These are the items that determine the shape. Their symbolic meaning partly stems from life experiences and understanding of everything, literature, history… POWER OF WORDS Words have conjuring power, so I carefully choose the titles and words that describe my projects. Words carry energy and direct one’s gaze. LOVE, WHAT IS IT? Love and passion are the driving forces of life.

“My inspiration comes from everyday life, with its good and bad moments.”

UNDERSTANDING TIME I’m interested in the poetry of waiting. We live in a world that is very much focused on instant results and answers, where we find it hard to slow down, let the world go by and forego our control. To wait for things to happen by themselves. This was my inspiration for the timepiece. There’s no big story behind it, only that I was struck by the thought of dealing with time. Inside time I was mainly interested in waiting; the question of whether I’m capable of restraint in this impatient world. How to find inner peace in waiting when time loses its importance...

POETINJA OBLIK Ob pogledu na njena dela, ki izražajo subtilno feminilnost, precizno izdelane proizvode z žensko noto, čutiš, da se za njimi skriva nekaj velikega. In ko jo spoznaš v živo, veš, da je to ona. Mora biti ona, in nihče drug. Vizionarska je, spontana, hkrati zelo stvarna. Razbija tabuje. Kot avtorico jo navdušuje, da se sprehaja po robu in da ustvarja na presečišču zelo realnih, tehničnih misli in neukrotljivih čustvenih dojemanj. Žensko,

ki se odlično znajde v moškem svetu, vodi intuicija. Svetovno priznana oblikovalka notranje opreme ostaja še naprej zvesta svoji avtorski poetiki, v katero vpleta pentlje, čipke, volane, češnje, cvetlične potiske – elemente, ki so jo postavili med prepoznavna imena notranjega oblikovanja. Drugačna je in dela se ne loteva po ključu, kjer forma izključno sledi funkciji. Potem ti postane jasno, da je njen opus resnični odraz njene osebnosti.

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Love Me More bed linen

Black Cherry, Gold Edition

“My inspiration comes from everyday life, with its good and bad moments.”

High Gear

The Lost Art of the Sticker It was that time of year when I generally find myself staring at the wall trying to think of something to write. The testing ban was in force so there was no real news, and there was only so much discussion on the subject of a common ECU that a human being can stand. The uncanny parallels between Casey Stoner and Freddie Spencer – young, outsiders, blazingly fast, didn’t hang around long? Did that last year. And so as a change from staring at the wall I stare at my filing cabinet, which is covered in stickers. Some of them are pretty old: Bols d’Or from the 1980s, Joey Dunlop on an RVF, the Yugoslav GP, an early Transatlantic Trophy from the ‘70s. There aren’t many new ones; one from Simon Crafar’s Motovudu race school might be the only one from this century. The really historic ones have been left behind on the back of a bathroom door in my first flat in South London. My then wife refused to let me take the door to the new house. Why aren’t there any new ones? Apart from a few weird ones with cute dinosaurs in leathers that I picked up in Japan, I don’t remember seeing any. When I’d been working in this game for a few years there was a small circle of journalists, three of us to be precise, who had an agreement. If one of us found an interesting new sticker he had to get three of them – which explains some of the weirder items on my filing

cabinet. There was a standard joke about kids at bike shows going from stand to stand asking “Got any stickers, mister?” I didn’t hear that once at Birmingham this year. Is it a generational thing? There used to be something special about a sticker. I remember one French magazine giving away a sticker with its Bol d’Or preview; it said “I’m going!” If you did go to Circuit Paul Ricard you got a sticker, identical except for the wording, which said “I was there!” They were all over the bikes heading back up the autoroute on Sunday night. Race teams and sponsors used to give them out. I’ve still got a few Patrick Pons stickers from when he was sponsored by Gauloises. I must have picked them up at Brands or Silverstone in the mid-70s at one of the big international meetings that packed the calendar back then when there weren’t so many GPs. I probably stuck one of them on my Everoak for the journey home – you didn’t have bikes with fairings on the road then unless you rode a BMW so there was nowhere else to put them. Later, my Yamaha Power Valve had a discrete Nobby Ueda sticker on either side of the fairing. Plastering bikes with stickers isn’t cool -- plastering toolboxes and filing cabinets is. Stickers were part of teams’ and sponsors’ marketing effort, and were part of the mystique of motorcycling. Sometime in the last twenty years, that seems to have faded away. Anyone under 50 is probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about. Well, I feel that we’ve lost something. There was a particular joy in getting your hands on a quality sticker from a top team. In fact there still is. There are secretive individuals lurking in the shadows in press rooms, garages, and even at major manufacturers, who keep alive the cult of

by Julian Ryder illustration Natan Esku

the sticker. Very little of the material they trade has any monetary value, with the exception of some of the early Marlboro stickers for the company’s sponsored riders. The valuable ones show people you’ve never heard of; the ones with Barry Sheene or Ago on them are easy to find. What is the attraction? What’s the attraction of collecting anything? I suppose it’s memories, the evocation of a place and an event that made a mark on your memory, for whatever reason. Maybe they’re redundant now that everything is instantly available on YouTube. Although searching on there reveals just how primitive and limited TV coverage was not many years ago. Have you ever watched a GP covered with two cameras? You will if you search out Mick Doohan’s first win. There’s another problem with writing things like this: how to finish the piece. Only one thing to do for inspiration -- excuse me while I stare at the stickers on my filing cabinet for a while.

Julian Ryder is a BT Sport commentator, journo, author and part time an antiques dealer. “Follow Julian @motogpjules”

The article here does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

High Gear

by Julian Ryder illustration Natan Esku

Julian Ryder is a BT Sport commentator, journo, author and part time an antiques dealer. “Follow Julian @motogpjules”

The article here does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

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