With a marmot crowd cheering from a distance, engines of over 300 power bikers roaring uncontrollably, and the riders in five groups set for healthy rivalry, the atmosphere at the Millennium Park in Calabar, the takeoff point, was highly charged.
The energy from the riders was incredibly building up and anticipation from the crowd was high when the tape was cut to officially flag off the Bikers’ Parade, a sought-after event of the 2024 Carnival Calabar Festival.
The parade usually takes place during the power week of the carnival, after the main street party. This year’s edition took place on December 29, 2024, while offering quality entertainment for residents and visitors alike, especially adrenalin junkies, as it was simply the Nigerian version of MotorGP.
This year, the riders went for 12 kilometers, along the street carnival route, starting from The Millennium Park, moving on to Mary Slessor Avenue, Marian Road, MCC and connecting the Murtala Mohammed Highway and finally to the 16,000 capacity U.J Esuene Stadium.
Organised in five groups, the bikers plied the 12-kilometer route in different formations, with half a kilometer gap separating each of them, considering the speed associated with power bikes.
From The Metallic Knights, The Diamond, The Invisibles, and to The Tinapa, the groups, each heightened the excitement on the streets in Calabar, amid cheers from the appreciative crowd.
They had smooth cruising on the route, while the more adventurous among each group, performed incredible stunts and acrobatics with their loud roaring machines.
The stunts were performed most to the admiration of the high profile guests stationed at an adjudication point on Marian Road, though the bikers parade is non-competing.
The energetic riders, who came from all parts of the country, repeated the 12-kilometer route several times, amounting to over 50 kilometer ride in all, amid beautiful cruising for the faint-hearted and mind-blowing stunts for adrenaline junkies.
Apart from the stunts, the beautiful ladies, who rode behind their men on the bikes, were highlights of the day also.
“You know, anything behind a power bike is called a pillion, and these ladies are not just pillions, but beautiful and great encouragement for the good ride you have seen today,” Eric Anderson, a biker, said.
Speaking on why the parade was safe despite the incredible stunts, he explained that there are designated areas for stunts, which are places with fewer crowds.
“No matter how much we want to entertain you with our bikes, safety is key for us,” he noted.
For Aisha M.J. Vatsa, a female rider, who rode all the way from Abuja (about eight hours) to participate in the parade, it is fun cruising and doing those stunts because the bikers are professionals and are safety conscious.
Aisha, a business woman and bike mechanic, commended infrastructure in Calabar that supports biking.
“Calabar has excellent roads for biking, hospitable people and convenient weather. We should take better advantage of it,” she said.
According to her, the bikers’ parade has been drawing many people who have never been to Calabar to visit because it is a mini MotorGP display.
“Calabar is a beautiful city that is welcoming. Once you eat food here, you will always come back,” she concluded.
For Mfon Leonard, who rode all the way from Lagos, the bikers’ parade is a beautiful product that sells itself, and one activity many, especially youth and young adults look forward to every carnival edition.
Leonard, a producer and director, who rode eight hours on bike from Lagos to Calabar, noted that while people see bikers as people that live on the edge of life, the carnival brings the reality closer to people to see bikers differently, at least, as entertainers also.
“And you know, there is something about biking for us. It is a form of releasing that adrenaline. When we are stressed, we ride, and we feel very refreshed,” he explained.
He commended the Cross River State government for sustaining the carnival for 20 years now and also for introducing the bikers’ parade, which has become another major highlight after the street party.
Itoro Umoh, a commercial driver, noted that he has no regret skipping work to watch the bikers because of the quality entertainment they offered the crowd.
“I like seeing those beautiful and expensive bikes. One rider told me that his bike is over N10 million and I went to snap a picture with him and his bike. I will enlarge it and hang it on my room wall,” the excited Umoh said.
Abigail Ufot, a banker, who was invited by one of her banking customers and a rider too, was excited seeing people who were very free with life.
“We work round the clock and enjoy little, but these riders enjoy their lives round the clock. I don’t mind riding with him next year because all I see here is fun, everybody is happy,” Ufot enthused.
Gab Onah, chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, was excited at another successful outing of the bikers’ parade at the 2024 Carnival Calabar festival.
According to him, the parade has grown in popularity over the years, attracting more bikers from across the country and many visitors coming into Calabar to see them perform, especially the incredible stunts.
However, he commended the five groups for their high level of organisation and zero incidents due to their high regards and compliance to safety measures.
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