Akrapovic has marked its 25th anniversary with a very special event that saw almost nine hundred employees and their families join the company’s management to celebrate the Slovenian exhaust specialist’s quarter century since its inception.
Held at the festivities site close to fabulous Otocec Castle, which stands alongside the picturesque Krka River in Slovenia, this event commemorated this auspicious milestone by rewarding the staff with a fantastic day of varied entertainment. Among the many activities on offer for the dedicated Akrapovic team was the unique opportunity to see not only the 2013 Le Mans winning car, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, driven by Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen, and Allan McNish, but also Valentino Rossi’s 2016 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha YZR-M1. These Akrapovic-equipped racing machines had never been seen together at one Akrapovic event, and so this was a real bonus for all concerned.
One of the real surprises at the event was the breath-taking FMX4ever show. This was truly a favourite with all of the guests and featured the international freestyle motocross team, which amazed the crowd with its gravity-defying performances. There were also many hands-on sporting, creative, and culinary activities for all guests young and old, including a Grand Prix game, in which teams made their own racing vehicles using materials and parts supplied and then raced them to be crowned “Akrapovic Champion”. A rafting race was also staged on the Krka River, slightly more sedate than the usual white-hot arenas of two- and four-wheel racing that is Akrapovic’s lifeblood, but no less competitive – and the race saw its fair share of waterlogged contestants.
In addition to these challenging activities, Akrapovic held a late-night-style talk show on the main stage, which saw many key people introduced to the audience, including owners Igor Akrapovic and Slavojka Akrapovic with the family and other important staff from the company, such as CEO Uroš Rosa. They shared their memories and stories of the company’s 25 years. Another huge surprise was the inaugural concert by Akrapovic house bands playing various styles of music, which was very popular with everyone and added to the festive atmosphere.
This is the latest event in Akrapovic’s 25th anniversary celebrations, which has seen many special promotions, including the launch of a new logo to celebrate this special year. Featuring a 25 interlocked to look like a racetrack, this logo has been seen on many cars and bikes on circuits around the world, and has already featured on numerous race-winning machines. The company has also launched a limited edition of just 25 exhausts, which all have a unique design and will be donated to charities for them to auction off to raise much-needed funds.
This exclusive occasion for the Akrapovic staff will now be followed by further festivities focused around Akrapovic’s 25th anniversary. These will continue throughout this week with events dedicated to international partners and the media, all aimed at celebrating the past, the present, and the future of Akrapovic.
Igor Akrapovic, owner and founder of Akrapovic:
“This was an incredible event and one that my family and I thoroughly enjoyed. The staff are the most important thing about the company, and if it were not for them we would not be where we are today. It was great to be able to see so many of them today and greet their families. It was very important to see them all having a good time and to see so many happy faces, which made me feel happy too. We all enjoyed the chance to share stories and events from the last 25 years; there were a few I had forgotten and also a couple that I did not even know about! The first 25 years of Akrapovic have been a lot of hard work, but it is something that I would not change and, after seeing all the staff have such a good time today, it was certainly worth it. If today is anything to go by, the next 25 should be even better.”