Karnival inspirational, fun-filled

Karnival inspirational, fun-filled

Jenny H. Backstrom, Contributor, Kuta

Coinciding with the national school holidays, the peak season for
foreign tourist arrivals, dry season sunshine and good ocean
swells, the colorful, vibrant Kuta Karnival returned to Bali for
its third year.

The event ran from June 25 through July 3, inspiring the local
community and visitors from all over Indonesia and the world to
celebrate life while also enjoying "a summer of fun".

The first carnival was held in October 2003 as a response to
the October 12, 2002, Bali bombings at two Kuta nightclubs, which
claimed over 200 lives and severely disrupted the island's
tourist economy.

The carnival aimed to commemorate the tragedy as well as bring
a ray of hope for the future.

This year, in order not to disrupt the Hindu Galungan holiday
and the Muslim Ramadhan fasting month and to get away from the
tragic memory of the bombing, the carnival was moved from October
to June/July; the spirit of festivity was emphasized.

In accordance with the carnival's tagline, nine fun-filled
days and nights were to be had on Kuta and Legian beaches, with
activities ranging from daytime surfing competitions to late
night DJs playing on the beach.

Also included were traditional dancing as well as hip-hop and
live music performances on three stages; fashion shows,
skateboard contests and an extensive food festival and colorful
street parade, which on Sunday attracted massive crowds of
cheering spectators along the streets of Kuta.

"We are very happy about the carnival this year, and it was
good to see the increased number of participants and spectators
compared with previous years," Kuta Karnival parade coordinator
Morgan Made Suartha said.

He said 45 groups participated in the parade this year
compared with only 23 last year, while the number of spectators
increased 10-fold.

In competition with groups of traditional Balinese musicians
and dancers, Harley Davidson riders, bikini-clad girls, Brazilian
carnival dancers, environmental organizations, unicyclists,
fashion models and others, Meditasi Falun Gong was awarded the
"Best Participant" prize with a citation from the jury that they
conveyed a neat, but powerful message of peace and harmony.

The huge Billabong float of a surfer riding the perfect wave
was awarded the "Favorite Participant" prize, with a citation
that its carriers consisted of a large, happy and colorful group
that had created a memorable piece of art symbolizing the
important and renowned elements of beach and surf.

Surfing competitions

With Kuta having become an attractive destination for surfers
worldwide since the early 1960s, and with the sport and its
lifestyle continuously growing throughout Indonesia, it comes as
no surprise that the carnival was heavily supported by the
surfing community in Bali.

Numerous surfing competitions for all ages and styles were
held at Kuta Beach; also at Uluwatu the MOD OM Pro Legend
attracted numerous legendary international and local surfers,
some of whom participated in the 1980s in Bali's first-ever
international surfing competition, the OM Bali Pro.

Due to excellent wave conditions, the contest was held at
Uluwatu on the first two days of the carnival.

About 60 surfers participated in three classes. Danny Goodwin
from Australia, won the Grand Master Class (for contestants 45 to
55 years of age); Ketut Pitur from Pecatu, Indonesia, won the
Master Class (35 to 45); and Made Lana from Pecatu, Indonesia,
won the Retro Class, in which old-school single fin boards were
used.

Kuta Karnival Surf and Skate Coordinator Paul Anderson said he
was particularly happy to see Ketut Pitur win the Masters.

"Ketut was only 17 years old when he surfed in the 1980s OM
Bali Pro," Anderson said.

"Now, some 20 years later, it is good to see he has finally
won his Masters!"

The surfing events held in Kuta included the six-star Reef &
and Blue Groove Pro, which was the fifth contest in a series of
10 in the 2005 Indonesian Surfing Championship (ISC).

Proud winner of this contest and several others held during
the Kuta Karnival, such as the Kuta Lines Open and Quicksilver
Airshow, was Volcom rider Made Adi Putra, 24, from Kuta.

Made Adi Putra, currently the number-one surfer in the ISC,
also claimed the Billabong Teams Challenge with his Volcom team
consisting also of Suprayitna, Komang Sujaya, Ketut Suarta and
Kadek Murtika.

Other highlights included numerous skateboarding and BMX
competitions; live music performances ranging from locally loved
Superman is Dead to the nationwide famous pop princess Dewi
Sandra; fashion shows and a food festival, at which food from 12
different countries was presented by about 60 restaurants.

Even if not a whole summer of fun, the Kuta Karnival certainly
brought nine days of it.

Chairman of the Kuta Karnival Committee I Made Supatra Karang
said he hoped the nine days would live on in people's minds and
hearts and inspire them to keep spreading love from Bali, and to
work for community and unity in the world.