Fanie Kok, a reputable figure in the mountain bike scene just started as “Director of International Business Development” at ALLEGRA International. Fanie has over 12 years of experience in the MTB industry worldwide and has invested the last few years in “Soil Searching”, the global trail advocacy program at Specialized Bicycles which was focused on recognizing, celebrating and supporting trail builders and trail advocates, the unsung heroes who’ve helped shaped mountain biking. As a result, he has built up a very valuable worldwide network of MTB communities and destinations.
When does one become a legend?
Wikipedia tells us that it is a person with a particularly remarkable life story - we would say that definitely applies to our new addition Fanie Kok. Especially, albeit not exclusively, with regards to mountain biking, which is ultimately our favorite subject. We are delighted to have the globetrotter on the A-Team from September. What exactly does his new role at ALLEGRA International entail? There are still so many unchartered MTB destinations that want to be discovered with a bit of suspension travel, often just a little push in the right direction is required. Fanie will be pushing this forward, focusing on consulting, planning and creating iconic mountain biking destinations. In any case, we think there is no better person to develop new projects and markets than the native South African.
Who is Fanie Kok?
We are particularly fascinated by his character. When we spent a week with him on a study trip with a group from Syöte/Finland, we learned a lot about and from him. It quickly became clear: he is anything but conventional. When Fanie talks and tells stories, everyone is happy to listen. Whether it's the three of us sitting in the gondola, in a convivial dinner party or in front of 500 people. He feels at ease, tells anecdotes and stories from his and other people's lives and uses a lot of imagery. He also asks questions, purposefully, and with the intention of gaining as much as possible from every situation. Always with a serious interest and the desire to find out a lot about the people and places around him. He can talk, he can listen, and yes, languages anyway. Not to say he's a genius. Within a short space of time, we see how he has the Finnish tour group at the edge of their seats and making everyone feel comfortable: Suomen veneessä kaikki hyvin? – Alles im Lot auf dem Boot – Everything fine? – all that without chatgpt or deepl.
Him and his wife currently life in Engelberg, the powder hotspot in Switzerland - although he has travelled the world extensively and lived in many countries – South Africa, USA, Netherlands, Switzerland, just to name a few. But when we joined him on the ALLEGRA trail, "Dark Side of the Moon" in Lenzerheide, you realize where he really feels at home. Him and his Light-E-MTB merge. Fanie feels at home here, even though he has never ridden the trail before. It's fun to watch and a lot of joie de vivre and trail experience come across. After each section, he analyzes individual passages, grabs his cell phone from time to time and takes photos and videos. Pictures for his next Insta-Story? No way! Although he describes himself as a storyteller, you won't find him on Social Media. He prefers to focus on real life connections and literally collects socks or swaps T-shirts instead of likes.
Fanie? We are looking forward to an exciting and "lekker" time with you in the A-Team!
Find out more about the living legend here:
