Rok Bagoros Stunts KTM Duke 690 in Palestine
KTM stunt rider Rok Bagoros knows no boundaries. This is not only true for his stunt riding—usually aboard a KTM 690 Duke—but also where he’ll perform.
His latest show was history maker; Bagoros became the first motorsport athlete in the world to perform tricks in Palestine, which claims the famed West Bank and Gaza Strip. He began the show performing before 6,000 fans and 300+ Palestinian riders in the West Bank’s Muslim town of Ramallah, then traveled to Bethlehem, Jericho and Jerusalem.
According to a press release, when Rok Bagoros visited Israel this May and performed his spectacular RokON show, his Palestinian followers left messages of intolerance on his social networks. It was not an easy time for Rok, but fortunately, the KTM motorbike manufacturer decided to expand his production to the Palestinian area. The disappointment experienced by Palestinian motorsport aficionados in May turned into joyous racing brought to Palestine by the Slovenian Rok Bagoros.
“When I go performing abroad, I usually know what to expect, but I hadn’t got the faintest idea what to expect in Palestine. I didn’t see one single rider on the road from the Tel Aviv airport to Ramallah! The following day, a severe traffic jam was blocking the road leading to the venue, from which the caravan of riders was supposed to start off after Ramallah,” Bagoros says.
“I’ve already reconciled myself to the fact that there won’t be more than 30 riders. Suddenly, however, they began appearing from all directions and riding between cars. At the end, about 300 riders generated tremendous excitement all over Ramallah – as if we were trying to tell the world we don’t care for political disputes and we believe in a better tomorrow!”
Bagoros continues: “When the show started, people climbed to the top of neighboring buildings and street lamps to get a better view. It was like being in a beehive. The spectators handed their babies into my arms and photographed me with them.
“The DJ mixed my music with their traditional one – and the crowd went mad! The Palestinians’ hateful comments on my photos after my performance in May in Israel really affected me, but this is over now. Healthy competition is one thing, but hatred is completely different. I’m glad that the former triumphed,” said the 27-year-old rider from Radenci.”
For more, check out the video above.
