JP/18/Raft1A

Rafting can be dangerous, but fun

Even though rafting has been present in Indonesia since the 1970s, not many people have delved into this sport. The high risk and expense involved are just two factors that mean it not as popular as other outdoor activities.

However, as time has gone by and the economy of the country has improved, there has been a growing number of people, especially professionals, eager to try this water sport. The Jakarta Post's A'an Suryana joined a rafting event recently on the Cikandang River, organized jointly by Nature Trekker Indonesia, Jakartabiz Rafters' Club and Amphibia Outdoor Provider, and has written a special report on rafting. This is the first of three articles on rafting in the country.

Obeying an order from the raft captain, a man in his 40s paddles faster and stronger.

While swinging the paddle, the man, who is sitting on the left side of the rubber raft, shouts to boost his colleagues' spirits. Approaching a big rock in the middle of river, he stops rowing when the captain orders him to do so. "People on the right, paddle stronger," shouts the raft captain, who sits in the center at the back of the raft.

The raft quickly goes left, passing a big rock on the left- hand side, and then rushes down the drop, making everybody's adrenaline level shoot up. The six rafters, including the captain, shout elatedly as the raft passes down the drop.

The raft then moves into the calmer water. The man is clearly relieved and takes a moment to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the banks of the Cikandang River.

However, he cannot enjoy the moment for very long as he must prepare himself for other rapids and drops.

"Overcoming the challenges -- the rapids and the drops -- is the main reason why I go rafting. I am always fond of those moments," says the man, Arwin Sulaksono.

What he says is true. Rafters are always seeking new challenges to overcome. Their passion for new and steeper drops and wilder rapids makes the rafters addicted to the sport of rafting.

"My colleague from France quickly decided to try rafting on the Sigura-Gura River in Sumatra after I told him how challenging the rapids and drops were," said Arwin, who has been enjoying the sport since 1999.

Besides the physical challenge, another factor that draws people to the sport is the beautiful scenery.

"With the clear water and green trees, rafting provides an opportunity for people to escape from the routine and stresses of everyday life," said Arwin, an executive with an advertising firm in Jakarta. Along the Cikandang River, for example, one passes through a beautiful andesite canyon.

One can also enjoy the fresh air of Garut and the clear water. After reaching the end of the trip, the rafters pass through the beautiful scenery of the river estuary and finally arrive at Cijayana Beach. After rafting, they can take a walk along the coast, which is known for its furious waves.

"Last but not least, rafting can enhance people's sense of camaraderie. People become closer to each other after they go rafting as rafting is all about cooperating with each other to defeat the rapids and drops.

"People also work together to save each other's lives if the raft is in trouble and this cooperation makes rafters become closer to each other," said Lutfi R. Zakaria, a man in his 50s who has been going rafting since he was a senior high school student.

White water rafting was popularized by U.S. scientist John Wisley in the 1860s. However, rafting only came to Indonesia more than a century later. It first emerged in public here in the 1970s when rafters participated in the Citarum Rally. The rally, however, was a total failure and drew condemnation from various quarters as it took seven lives after one of the rafts capsized.

People denounced the rafters and the organizers for going rafting without proper safety equipment, including helmets and life jackets.

The rafters were also criticized for a lack of knowledge about safe rafting, as was evident by the fact that they had tied themselves to their rafts, making it impossible for them to swim to safety if a raft capsized.

"At the initial stages of development, people lacked knowledge and were not informed about the importance of safety in rafting. But, the understanding of safety in rafting improved as time went by," said Amalia Yunita, the deputy chairperson of the Indonesian White Water Rafting Federation (FAJI).

In 1990, rafting regained its popularity. Seizing the opportunity, a number of rafting operators emerged, especially in Bandung and Bali. Rafting accidents have rarely occurred since the operators imposed high standards of safety in rafting. The enthusiasm for rafting was also shared by rafting clubs.

Both the clubs and the operators have explored dozens of rivers around the country for rafting, including in West Java, Bali, Lombok Island, North Sulawesi, Sumatra and other areas. Such exploration is still going on today.

As the number of rafters has risen, rafting enthusiasts established a federation in 1996 to make rafting more popular among the public. Since 1997, the federation has been holding national rafting competitions every four years, and has campaigned widely for safe rafting though basic rafting education.

"Although the water sport has not been included in the National Games (PON), we have been able to send Indonesian teams to a series of international events held by the International Rafting Federation," said Amalia.

The federation now has eight chapters, 24 branches and hundreds of clubs nationwide. There is a growing number of rafting enthusiasts.

"When we held the national rafting competition on the Citarum River in 2001, 88 clubs participated in the competition. But, we believe there are many more rafting clubs out there now," said Amalia.

As more people delve into rafting as a hobby, the concerns about rafting safety are growing. The public and rafting operators understand that any rafting accident will affect their businesses.

The operators received a tragic but invaluable lesson two years ago when a raft flipped over on the Cisadane River and took the life of Raymond Van Beekum, the spokesman for the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).

"The rafting business was badly affected at that time. The market went down by 25 percent," said Arwin from the Jakartabiz Rafters' Club.

Aware that safety is a main concern of the public, rafting operators have taken steps to seriously address the issue. They provide training for raft captains and provide rafters with safety equipment, which includes life jackets and helmets.

They also hire trained rescuers. The operators stress that they do not play with people's lives. "Client safety is our priority," said Oemar Syarief alias Bonky Prasetyo, the executive director of the Bandung-based Amphibia Outdoor Provider.