Local kite makers still favor bamboo frames<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): What makes Indonesian kites different from their
\nforeign counterparts? Their frames. While most kite makers from
\noverseas have started using fiberglass, Indonesian kite makers
\nstill favor bamboo.<\/p>\n
The result is Indonesian kites aren't as strong. When the wind
\nblows hard, not many survive.<\/p>\n
Some Indonesian kites flown at the International Kite Festival
\n1995 in Ancol, North Jakarta snapped in 18 kilometer per hour
\nwinds.<\/p>\n
The Ancol park was one of six sites the International Kite
\nFestival will visit before it ends on July 15. The festival will
\nalso take place in Lampung, South Sumatra; Pangandaran beach,
\nWest Java; Parangtritis beach, Central Java; and Mount Bromo in
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
In terms of creativity, Indonesian kite makers are quite
\nprogressive. They create not only three-dimensional and stunt
\nkites with bamboo frames but also traditional kites made from
\npalm leaves.<\/p>\n
A team from Muntilan, a small town in Central Java, produce
\nthree-dimensional kites known as Baru Klinting, and have adopted
\nit as the name of their club. The kite enthusiasts design and
\nproduce the difficult to make three-dimensional kite. In
\nIndonesia, the tradition to make three-dimensional kites is found
\nonly around Jepara and Kudus, both in Central Java. Outside the
\ncountry, three-dimensional kites which have complicated frames
\nlike Baru Klinting are hard to find.<\/p>\n
The team was officially founded last year when Baru Klinting's
\nmascot dragon-shaped kite was created. In the same year the
\ndragon flew in a local kite festival held at Parangtritis beach
\nin Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Initially, it was Usman Dimyati who flew his kite in front of
\nhis house. Watching him, we became interested in flying kites,
\nthen we played together and later we founded this team,\" said
\nIrham Suharmono, one of Baru Klinting's members.<\/p>\n
Currently, the team has 20 members from different backgrounds
\nbut all are residents of Muntilan. Usman owns a garment factory,
\nanother member is a tobacco trader, there is also a shop owner
\nand a master of ceremonies.<\/p>\n
The group created an airplane-shaped kite in 1988. At that
\ntime, however, they were not officially established and had
\ntrouble producing good three-dimensional kites.<\/p>\n
The team used to cover their kites' with paper but switched to
\nparachute silk because the paper kept ripping. To solve the
\nproblem of transporting their 17-meter or longer Baru Klinting
\nkites, the team decided to make separate frames for the dragon's
\nhead, body and tail. The framework is made from bamboo from
\nPurworejo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
\"We tried to use other bamboo once, but it broke when we
\nwanted to fold it,\" said Usman, adding that he doesn't know why
\nPurworejo's bamboo is more flexible.<\/p>\n
The team has since created kites in various forms, including a
\nzebra and a bird. They also make many flat kites illustrated with
\nJavanese wayang puppet show characters.<\/p>\n
Dragon kites are their trademark and the team always brings
\none along, said Irham. The team has five dragons. The 17-meter
\none they flew at the International Kite Festival 1995 early this
\nmonth in Jakarta is the smallest of the five.<\/p>\n
Usman said it took a month to make the 17-meter dragon which
\nweighs approximately 100 kilograms. It takes four people to
\nlaunch it and two other people to fly it.<\/p>\n
The team has never sold any of its three-dimensional kites.<\/p>\n
\"We made them because we love kites. We have never sold any,
\nalthough one day it may be possible. But for the time being,
\ninstead of selling them we gave several of them to some people,\"
\nsaid Irham.<\/p>\n
The team sells their stunt kites with double-directing ropes
\nand bamboo frames for about Rp 50,000 (US$22.5) each.<\/p>\n
The team has won several prizes for their creativity and
\nskill. The organizers of 1993 International Kite Festival in
\nLampung, southern Sumatra, for example, presented the team with
\nthe Most Unique Kite award for their dragon kite.<\/p>\n
Making kites and preserving traditional culture are two
\ndifferent things, but inhabitants of Muna regency in South East
\nSulawesi can do both things at the same time. The Kaghati kites
\nof this area are made from dry leaves of a kind of cassava plant
\nlocally known as ubi gadung (Dioscorea hispida), which is native
\nto the area. The handmade kite is also furnished with a bridle
\nand flying line made of pineapple fiber (Agave cantala).<\/p>\n
To make the kite, a bamboo frame is shaped and covered with
\nnetting made from pineapple fiber. Then ubi gadung leaves, which
\nhave been dried under the sun or on a small fire, are sown
\ntogether with very fine bamboo fiber to cover the frames. It
\ntakes a day to produce a one-by-one meter kite.<\/p>\n
The khagati has a bow-like attachment locally known as kamuu,
\nwhich produces sound when wind blows through it. Kamuu's bow is
\nmade from bamboo, while its string is made from either rattan or
\nleaves from palm leaves known as agel.<\/p>\n
Khagati is usually flown during the dry season for fun and
\ncompetition. Factors considered during the competition are flying
\ntime, neatness of the kite and the sound of the kamuu.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes we keep a khagati airborne for a week by tying it
\nto a tree. If it is intact after one week, we release it as a
\nthanksgiving,\" said Lasjkar Koedoes from South East Sulawesi's
\nlocal authority's office.<\/p>\n
Khagati kites will participate in the International Kite
\nFestival for the first time this year.<\/p>\n
Lampung in southern Sumatra also produces a whistling kite.
\nThe whistling bow, known as uli-uli, is also made from bamboo and
\nrattan. The difference is that uli-uli can produce three to seven
\npitches, while the Sulawesi version is more like the sound of
\nwind.<\/p>\n
Not all Lampung kites have uli-uli, only those made by the
\nBugis, an ethnic group of South Sulawesi who immigrated to
\nLampung.<\/p>\n
\"We consider uli-uli as part of Lampung's culture,\" said
\nSupratman Puasa, an uli-uli maker, adding that it takes three
\nhours to produce an uli-uli.<\/p>\n
The Lampung uli-uli kite has participated in international
\nkite festivals in the United States, France and the Netherlands,
\neven though the frames are made of bamboo. (als)<\/p>",
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