The vigor to living an adventurous life is what fascinated 29-year-old Rajesh Ranjitkar about stunt riding. He initially started with bike riding as an early teenager and continued further as a stunt rider about a decade ago.
Many years into performing stunt riding, he has juggled with making the sports a way of profession in Nepal. Although having braved numerous physical injuries in the course of his journey, he hardly thought of giving up with his passion for stunt biking. Having participated in numerous national and international stunt riding competitions, he currently runs a workshop namely Biker’s Point at Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur.
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In an interview with My City’s Sonam Lama, Ranjitkar talked about his decade-long journey as a Nepali stuntman.
How did you get into biking? How supportive is your family?
I grew up watching my father doing all those mechanical and electric works by himself. A young and energetic boy then, I started understanding and riding bikes in my early teens. It was one day when I watched the videos of Chris Phipher on bike stunts. It totally drew me in. My family was against it in the beginning but they eventually learned about my passion after the pictures of my works were published in one of the newspapers. They now respect and support my work.
What is it like to be a stunt man in Nepal?
I have been into the profession for over a decade now and the scenario has not improved by much. It was absolutely an alien concept when I started for the first time. Bike stunts only entertain a meager number of people here as its safety part is massively challenged. The question is not only about safety and security but also about whether it can earn a better living. When compared to the past times, the number of bikers has largely increased. However, there is hardly any shift taken place into bike stunts from a professional aspect.
Bike stunts are one of the most risky sports. How do you ensure your safety throughout the game?
The best safety that one can adopt is being totally concentrated into each of your moves. Riding with confidence always keeps you safe. Bike stunts are abrupt, with many things taking place in a blink of an eye. So, the biker should learn to be highly focused and have a full control over their actions. I personally follow these self-instructions while performing stunts myself. Meanwhile, it is highly mandatory for the biker to properly don the stunt gears including helmet, gloves, boot, armor, knee guard and seriously follow the safety guides.
How do you find the number of female participants?
I believe there is quite a feeble participation of female riders in Nepal. There was a competent lady rider, Sangita Gurung. She unfortunately met an accident while performing stunt and was badly injured. After six months of complete rest, she had to quit performing bike stunts because of her recurring health issues. Women can make great stunt persons. I remember her as a strong stuntwoman and felt that she could have excelled in bike stunts had she been continuing.
What are the struggles and setbacks of being into this business?
It is financially challenging. Every time it takes us
quite some time and effort to seek sponsors who can organize various events and competitions for us. The insurance policy for us is another big hindrance. Unlike the international competitions that ensure safety and insurance of the riders, the national events hardly confirm all the safety prerequisites. Although it is legalized to perform the stunts in private zones, the areas are yet interfered by the police and local authorities.
