Student Lukas founded the first fleet of radio-controlled SUVs in Lithuania in Biršton

He got the business idea from his parents' trips to Asian countries, where they saw such parks for the first time.

Student Lukas Kemežys recently finished his medical studies at Vilnius University, but he decided not to waste his summer in vain and founded the first radio-controlled off-road vehicle park in Birštona " 4x4 Parkas ". It is a special race and obstacle course on the ground and at a height of 1-2 meters for radio controlled models. True, it is quite difficult to overcome it with ordinary cars, so anyone who wants is offered a real copy of a four-wheel drive SUV with a special off-road chassis.

Popular in the USA, new in Lithuania

Lukas says that he became interested in this pastime only recently, when his parents were traveling in Asian countries in the spring and sent videos of what appeared to be parks of real off-road vehicles, which showed reduced but real obstacles.

Such parks are a separate world and a niche of entertainment in large countries, especially in the United States, where there are a lot of fans of this sport. They organize various contests, competitions, and invest thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in models controlled by radio waves. And although it may seem like a game for children, it is professionally done by adults.

The essence of the project is not to pass the track as fast as possible, but to overcome it in general, trying not to fall off the road. For this, you need to anticipate obstacles, use logical thinking, observe patterns, plan at what angle the wheels will stand, so everything happens almost like on a real track.

Since Lukas had never seen such a park anywhere, he decided to establish a similar one in Lithuania, in Biršton. Lukas is from Kaunas, and his parents and grandparents have a homestead near Prienai, so this region is familiar and very close to Lukas since childhood. Many and various people visit Birštona, so it is here that Lukas decided to test his business idea.

There is a special prize for those who complete the course

So far, the majority of Lukas' customers are older children and teenagers, but adults are also joining little by little. Most of the time, they want to try their hand when they see the offspring struggling on the track. Then they take control of the model and make sure that it is not as easy as it may appear at first glance.

The price of overcoming the track is 10 euros. Lukas decided that there would be no time limit, because the most fun is when you can try the oval track at your own pace, and besides, each customer has his own pace.

Also, " 4x4 Park " offers a challenge: if the off-road vehicle controlled by the visitor passes a certain section of the track without falling, it is awarded a special prize. However, Lukas hints that no one has yet managed to win it, although it is attracting increasingly adventurous visitors, with drone pilots and radio-controlled model enthusiasts doing particularly well.

A real puzzle awaits park visitors - obstacles for all-terrain vehicles on the ground and in the air. For example, off-road driving, huge stones, fallen rocks or deep pits, as well as obstacles that are not so easily experienced in reality: steep stairs and various hanging bridges. " 4x4 Parkas " is open on summer weekends, including Friday evenings, on Nemuno st. 12, Birštona.