REMEMBERING BOŽIDAR "BOŽO" VUKADINOVIĆ: BANJA LUKA'S STUNT LEGEND
In late September 2015, Banja Luka bid farewell to one of its greatest legends, Božidar "Božo" Vukadinović, a stuntman hailed by many as the unrivaled king of Yugoslav "walls of death." Those who knew Božo remember him fondly as a delightful individual, a charming personality always ready for a joke, often at his own expense.
Tomo Marić, a writer, journalist, and renowned chronicler of Banja Luka, reminisced about his time spent with Vukadinović.
- Once, an Italian, the reigning champion of Europe in motorcycle racing up to 1,250 cubic centimeters, asked him to ride in a barrel. Since Božo couldn't dissuade him, the Italian later crashed, barely surviving. He told Božo that it took more skill to ride in a barrel than on the track, recounted Tomo Marić.
The smoke, the smell of gasoline, and the roar of Božidar Vukadinović's and his comrades' motorcycles always guaranteed a spectacular performance. Children dreamed of one day becoming like Božo and riding the old "Indians" in what they called the "barrel" or "kaca."
- Besides riding in the barrel and performing stunts in movies, Božo didn't engage in anything else. He remained true to his profession, which I would classify as a sport, until the end. Just a few days before he passed away in the hospital, he entertained audiences at the fair in Gradiška, revealed Tomo Marić.
He also included his friend Božo in his book "Tamo preko Vrbasa" (Over There Across the Vrbas).
- Božo was a cyclist who started with Tano Kuvalja. He completed his automotive mechanic apprenticeship with Pero Popović, who was the unofficial world champion in Leningrad in 1957, riding 250cc motorcycles. Later, he teamed up with Mirko 'Ćaleta' Nenadović, and they, then eighteen-year-olds, became the main Banja Luka tandem in barrel riding throughout former Yugoslavia and Europe. We mustn't forget Mad Handan from Međani, reminisced Marić.
Marić once announced Vukadinović at the famous fair in Derventa.
- It was sometime before the earthquake. I remember igniting the crowd by shouting, 'What courage, what daring!' And what greatness Božo possessed is evidenced by an article in the 'Arena' newspaper at the time, which stated that Banja Luka had three major sports stars - footballer Toma Knez, handball player Jeronim Karadža, and Božo. The newspaper was completely sold out, recalled the journalist.
Marić revealed that nobody could ever pay for drinks in Vukadinović's company, emphasizing that Božo was a true ace and gentleman, always calm and composed. In the team that performed with Božo in the "wall of death," his wife Silvana was also present, as evidenced by posters, photographs, newspaper articles, and recordings left behind by Božidar Božo Vukadinović.
Once, while riding at the Zagreb Fair, Božo Vukadinović met the famous Niki Lauda, the former Formula One world champion.
- After watching our ride, he approached me and said: 'What you're doing is madness, recalled Vukadinović.
Little is known that Božo never rode like an ordinary driver, and during the war, he didn't work in the barrel, with which he had previously toured half of Europe and been an attraction even at the popular German Oktoberfest. Additionally, he was the first to bring antelope-skin shoes, "levis" jeans, a deer-skin jacket to the city on the Vrbas River. At his shows, hits by "The Beatles" and "The Rolling Stones" were first played, and they also listened to Elvis, Celentano, "Shadows," Cliff Richard, among others.
Source: Priče iz naftalina
