He pirouettes with the grace of a ballerina. Precariously perched atop a 1000 cc bike that whirrs like a growling lion, Aras Gibieza lets go of the handles… The next moment, he’s standing on them, and a split second later, the bike, balanced on its rear wheel, goes round in circles, with the biker hoisting himself on the exhaust. He does wheelies, a few of them with extreme variations. Even after waiting for nearly two hours, the faithful audience gathered at The Park hotel clap, whistle and cheer the biker on. There are shouts asking for an encore when he signs off with another dramatic stunt — a perfect somersault off the speeding machine.
Watching the Lithuanian stunt biker is like watching a scene out of an action thriller. But in his case, there are no retakes. Has that ever been a deterrent? Apparently never, despite his share of injuries — some minor and a few excruciatingly painful ones. “I broke my ankle a week before the Baltic Championships in 2010. But I took part in it anyway. And guess what? I won,” he smiles triumphantly.
Aras considers himself one of the pioneers of stunt biking in Lithuania; he says he is the third from his nation to take it up seriously. Now, there’s a rise in the number of people indulging in such acts of daredevilry. “Nearly 15 riders from where I come from are doing well in this sport,” he says.
Stunt biking as a sport has picked up steam in Europe, even though it is tough to make it big, as one needs hardcore training and sponsors. The 26-year-old has been organising camps for young stunt riders for three years now. “A lot of 16 to 18-year-olds frequent the camp. When I toured India last year, I saw quite a lot of enthusiastic stunt bikers here as well. In Chennai, though, I am yet to see them,” he adds.
This is Aras’ third time in India. He first visited in 2015 for the Red Bull F1 Showrun in Hyderabad, and again in the same year for the India Bike Week. This time, he’s part of the Suzuki Gixxer Day, where he showcases gravity-defying acts on the new custom-modified Suzuki Gixxer. It’s a gleaming blue, monstrous machine, and as we speak, a team of men tends to it as it stands there resembling a hulk with flexed muscles.
This edition kicked off in Delhi, followed by Kolkata, Shillong and Hyderabad, and from here he goes to Kochi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune; Aras has been performing everywhere. In Chennai, his first challenge was a showcase racing event at ECR Speedway karting track. On Thursday afternoon, Sathyam Cinemas had some high-voltage entertainment at their car park, where Red Bull got him to enthral audiences with his wheelies.
Aras made it look as easy as breathing. “That was the first trick I learnt as a 10-year-old. My grandfather had given me a scooter for passing my exams and I tried these moves on it,” he says.
His garage now has seven bikes, of which two of his favourites are ferried everywhere he goes. “I just put them in the boot of my car and take them along. The other bikes that I own are stunt and dirt bikes.” Five hours each day is spent riding, and that’s when most of his new moves come to him. At other times, he watches his own videos or other sports to draw inspiration. The latest moves he has devised are called 360 and super tour.
Having ridden across 25 countries, Aras says Italy, Slovenia and Germany are where he enjoys riding the most, as the roads are fabulous. “I tried taking my bike around the city in India, but the traffic is overwhelming,” he smiles and adds, “I see people on two-wheelers without helmets. In Europe, you wouldn’t see a single person without protective gear. As much as I love taking risks, I am also a stickler for safety. Therefore, I request all bikers to please wear helmets. Don’t just wear it when you see a cop; it’s for your safety.”
