A story told by Vitor Büchli:
A wild ride thorugh Europe - first stop: Rocket Jam
Welcome to the first blog in my exciting new blog series, where I'll be taking you on my adventures to exciting mountain bike events across Europe. From hidden gems in isolated locations to famous festivals, I'll be sharing everything from the highs and lows and everything in between. My name is Vitor Büchli and I'm a professional freerider from Switzerland. Join me as I start this series with a trip to Rocket Jam at AGI Bike Park in Slovenia - a journey full of unpredictable weather, fun shuttle rides and amazing people.
The journey: From Switzerland to Slovenia
Going on a mountain bike adventure is always exciting, but when the weather does crazy stunts along the way, the journey itself becomes part of the epic story. Imagine it's already 8pm, you still have 7 hours to ride to your destination and suddenly the weather changes from slightly bad to “the world is about to end”. This is pretty much how my journey from Switzerland via Germany and Austria to Slovenia can be described. Shortly after Memmingen in Germany it started to rain, then it poured down, and while I was still wondering why they had closed all the bridges over the highway, the storm and hail broke out. Nevertheless, I finally arrived at the AGI bike park in Slovenia at around 4am - much later than expected due to the speed of some drivers on the highway and the bumpy road to the bike park itself, which seemed to lead to nowhere, but I was very happy to have reached my destination. And as it turned out, the Rocket Jam at AGI Bike Park was worth the trip.
Discovery of the AGI Bike Park
Tucked away in a remote part of Slovenia, the AGI Bike Park is the idea of Agi, who bought a unimog and a pimped-up off-road vehicle, a piece of land in the middle of nowhere and turned it all into a small private bike park. Informations about the park and its opening hours is usually shared on Instagram.
The AGI Bike Park is not just about the trails, but also about the community. Every weekend, around 20 bikers meet up on the trails or chill out together under the large roof of the campsite. The atmosphere is intimate and friendly, perfect for hardcore riders and those who want to make new friends.
Rocket Jam: The Event
The two-day event, which was held for the first time, was opened by the organizers Špela Horvat and Agi on Saturday morning. We were out all day, doing as many laps as possible, only taking a break at lunch to refresh ourselves under the big roof and cheer each other on for the final of the day, the whip-off competition in the early evening.
And after all the bad weather I had experienced on the way there, it just didn't seem to rain anymore, so we could really enjoy the trails and jumps in perfect conditions despite the bad weather forecasts. At 5.30pm all the riders did some crazy whips or cool tricks and even met a cameraman who was standing on the podium (don't worry, he's fine). My personal highlight was my backflip manual lander, for which I earned the title “Rider of the Day”.
The two bands Black Camo and Dubmoos rounded off the day musically, playing late into the night and creating headbanging vibes around the campfire. Sunday was a little slower, but not less entertaining. The shuttles continued to take us up the mountain and we were able to pick the perfect snack from the cherry tree with a view of the road every time on the ride.
At the end of the day, I had an idea that, as it turned out, worked perfectly and was a good finish for me. The whole time we were shuttling the Unimog, I couldn't stop imagining myself doing a ninja drop from the back of the Unimog into the roll-in of the jump line. After talking to Špela and Agi, I got the OK from them and did the Ninja drop.
Although it was bigger than I had expected, it still wasn't enough. Someone in the small crowd that had formed shouted, “Do it from the cab!” So of course I had to try, and after the shuttle driver was kind enough to unbolt the work light on the side of the truck, I jumped, and it worked out perfectly.
Until next time
Rocket Jam was more than just a bike event; it was a place to meet cool people, especially from Germany, Austria and Slovenia, and to spontaneously make plans for future trips or visits to each other's private spots, extending the trip far beyond the event itself. All in all, Rocket Jam was a great adventure, from the challenging weather in Germany to the welcome sun in Slovenia, and from the rough journey to the friendly riders.
Until the next episode, keep the cranks turning and the spirit high!
Photo Credits:
Giulia Gantenbein
pana_bikes
melemonika
jelenaljaz
zigamikeli
Rider:
Vitor Büchli