Model surfboards ride a successful wave<\/p>\n
By Bambang Tiong<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A breakthrough in the use of wood; this time
\nnot only is the product popular among foreign buyers, but it also
\nis a good foreign exchange earner.<\/p>\n
In the hands of Sidik, a piece of wood which people would
\ngenerally discard or at best use as firewood will be turned,
\nthanks to his great creativity, into an attractive souvenir in
\nthe form of a miniature surfboard.<\/p>\n
Sidik, 32, began the business in 1993 when, as a husband
\ndespised by his father-in-law because he could not support his
\nfamily, he left home for Bali in search of a way to earn a
\nliving.<\/p>\n
The native of Situbondo, East Java, who now resides in Koplak
\nvillage, Kebondalem Kidul, Prambanan, Klaten, Central Java, vowed
\nnot to return home until he could support his family.<\/p>\n
\"I lived in front of shops or on the beach,\" said Sidik.
\nOne day on the beach he saw a fiberglass surfboard and was struck
\nby an idea to make a surfboard of wood, even if only as an
\nornament.<\/p>\n
He began to collect unused wood and, using his gift for
\npainting, he created a wooden surfboard in miniature. Many
\ndomestic and foreign tourists came to him to buy the unique
\nsouvenir.<\/p>\n
True to his vow, Sidik, having now found a way to earn a
\nliving, returned to Situbondo to be with his family and develop
\nthe business.<\/p>\n
With orders flowing in, Sidik was forced to hire assistants to
\ncope. He also used a wood-cutting machine and one to smoothen the
\nwood surface. To paint, he used an air brush.<\/p>\n
Early in 1999 Sidik decided to move to a more strategic place
\nin Prambanan to develop the business. \"Well, Prambanan is located
\nbetween Yogyakarta and Surakarta so it is a crossroads of sorts
\nfor foreign tourists. Besides. there are a lot of tourist
\nattractions in Prambanan alone.\"<\/p>\n
Working indefatigably, Sidik now employs 297 people.
\nOccasionally when he is among his employees, he is touched to
\nthink that most of them were once homeless people who drank
\nthemselves into oblivion. Sidik, who admits he once did the same,
\nsaid they did so from desperation because they no did not have
\nthe skills to earn a living.<\/p>\n
Samsul, 26, one of the employees, said he stopped drinking
\nwhen he started working for Sidik in 1995.<\/p>\n
\"Before I did not have any skills. Now I think I can be of
\nuse, at least to my family. Every month I can send money to my
\nparents,\" said the man, who also hails from Situbondo, East Java.<\/p>\n
There are nine sizes of surfboards, from 10 cm key hangers to
\none-meter boards. They sell between Rp 2,500 and Rp 85,000. The
\nbest seller is 25 cm, costing Rp 9,000. Sidik also orders surfer
\ndolls from East Java to \"carry\" the surfboards.<\/p>\n
In a week, Sidik's workers can produce 15,000 small surfboards
\nand 5,000 big ones. Most of the craftsmen are paid on a
\ncontractual basis. The remaining 47 staff are paid between Rp
\n250,000 and Rp 450,000, depending on their position and their
\nlength of service. Among the craftsmen, there are painters, who
\nearn between Rp 100 and Rp 20,000 per piece, the sandpaperers,
\nearning between Rp 50 and Rp 1,500 per piece, and those applying
\nthe finishing coat of melamine, earning between Rp 50 and Rp
\n10,000 per piece, depending on the sizes of the surfboards.<\/p>\n
Sidik said he needed two to three weeks to prepare his workers
\non condition that they were diligent, careful and disciplined. On
\naverage, the craftsmen earn between Rp 300,000 and Rp 500,000, an
\namount more than enough to cover the cost of living in Prambanan,
\nespecially because most of them are unmarried.<\/p>\n
\"Well, I usually still have quite a lot remaining so I can
\nsend money to my parents,\" said Iwan, who has worked in Sidik's
\nworkshop since 1993. He added that he purchased a motorcycle for
\nRp 4.2 million.<\/p>\n
Sidik's business assets are worth Rp 250 million and are made
\nup of dynamo machines for the sandpaper, dynamo machines for
\nprofiling and making circular shapes, lathes, boring machines,
\nsawing-machines, compressors and other trade equipment. His
\nproducts are marketed in tourist resorts such as Bali,
\nPangandaran, West Java, and Borobudur, Central Java, and also
\nabroad, including Honolulu, Spain, Korea and Nigeria. Sidik said
\nthe business was developed over five years.<\/p>\n
When asked about the key to his success, Sidik said it was
\nimportant to maintain quality, including through the use of raw
\nmaterials.<\/p>\n
The woods used are pine, mahogany, sonokeling and acacia. To
\nobtain the best results, old wood must be chosen. The bark is
\nremoved and the wood is cut into pieces of boards. The next step
\nis to provide a preservatives and then the pieces are put into an
\noven overnight and most of the next day. The wood is shaped into
\nsurfboards and then lacquered. Basic color is applied and they
\nare decorated with an air brush. They are provided with melamine
\nto make them shiny and, finally, they are put under the sun to
\ndry.<\/p>\n
In the process of making a surfboard, the most interesting
\npart is when pictures are painted because it takes a special
\nskill to use an air brush, including patience and care. The size
\nof the spray tip will decide the quality of the painting because
\ndrops of paint sprayed will have to be adjusted to ensure that
\nthe picture will look three-dimensional. Of course, before the
\npainting starts, a pattern must first be drawn and the colors
\ndetermined.<\/p>\n
Sidik said the weather was the factor in how long it took to
\nmake a surfboard.<\/p>\n
\"So, it is the rays of the sun which will determine how soon a
\nsurfboard can be made,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/model-surfboards-ride-a-successful-wave-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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