New skate arena safe haven for daredevils

By Damon Adeoquine

JAKARTA (JP): The city's streets are the fast track for a growing number of skateboarders and in-line skaters, distinguished by their uniform of ripped, baggy pants, bruised elbows and polyurethane wheels.

Skateboarding and in-line skating have emerged as popular sports among Jakarta's teenagers during this decade. Skaters gather around the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, in empty parking lots or in their backyards playing with hockey sticks, endlessly practicing tricks and perfecting seemingly impossible jumps over boxes.

Safety has been a concern, but the Arena Taman Sepatu Roda, the newest addition to the Senayan sports complex, is a big deal for little wheels. This is a safe place to practice and showcase heroic stunts on ramps, railings and concrete.

Physical artists with diverse skills are now able to come together in Indonesia's first ever skate park, a large outdoor area next to Senayan stadium on Jl. Silang Barat. It comprises an 8,000-square-meter hockey arena, two three-meter half-pipes, two mini ramps, two bowls and a shop selling skating equipment.

The half-pipes, ramps and bowls, made out of pliable wood, are designed so that skaters can build up speed going down one side and perform an aerial maneuver after going up the other. Achieving the highest air possible is the general idea.

How does it fare? Skaters coming off their first jumps said: "It's rad." Youngsters who had been to similar skate parks in Singapore, England and the United States said: "This place is mellow."

The skate park opened Aug. 23 with the inauguration of the 1997 Indonesian Inline Skate and Skateboard Open, which runs until Aug. 31. About 750 skaters from Bandung and Jakarta aged 6 to 40 are competing in more than 40 events for Rp 12 million in prize money.

The opening ceremony was attended by the chairman of the National Sports Council, Wismoyo Arismunandar.

This week's extreme games are being held to promote the skate park, which is meant not only as a place to play but also as a place to watch. Last weekend, 700 spectators paid a Rp 6000 gate price to cheer on in-line hockey players and freestyle skaters.

A cafeteria, tropical garden and waitresses on in-line skates are being added so that customers will have incentive to come watch daredevils outside of competition. The skate park complete with toilets, bleachers, security, concession stand and sound system is open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Each venue is protected with a vinyl roof so that activities will continue during the rainy season.

Architect

The architect behind the project is Didi Arifin, 30, an engineer from the Indonesian Institute of Technology in Serpong and president director of PT Arena Taman Rasuna, the company which is financing and operating the skate park.

"I started skateboarding when I was six on a ramp that my father built in my backyard, and as my life-wheels started turning I began dreaming of one day building a place skaters could call home, and where their parents and friends could watch," Didi said.

Two years ago, Didi joined forces with investors Aldi Zefket, Rino Oestara and Haryadi to make the dream come true. The team of entrepreneurs first traveled to the United States to visit skate parks from California to New Jersey. They then negotiated with Indonesian government officials to find the proper location for the skate park in Jakarta. The profit-sharing scheme allows PT Arena Taman Rasuna to rent the space alongside Senayan stadium providing it organizes five national competitions and one international skating event every year.

An Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in-line hockey tournament is being organized for November of this year, and skaters from Bandung, Surabaya and Bali will compete in regularly planned national competitions. Next year, the skate park will invite international skating celebrities to perform exhibitions and conduct clinics. Didi hopes Taman Sepatu Roda will be able to earn a date on the World Tour In-line Skating Series (WTISS) circuit by 1999.

Building the skate park was completed in two months, just in time for the promotional competition, and Didi says continual improvements will be made. Skateboarders have been jumping from the bowls onto the walkway three meters below, an unforeseen and dangerous development, so a bridge will be built between the two bowls to make the stunt safer, Didi said.

Last weekend's highlight was the in-line freestyle competition in which expert skaters had three minutes to choreograph a routine on ramps, rails and box jumps. Marco "Samkok" Sumendap, 15, from Simpruk, who last year competed in trendy Venice Beach, California, took the Rp 250,000 first prize.

"I didn't feel as nervous skating in Indonesia," he said.

Mohammed Iqbal, 18, who practices three hours daily in his garage in Joglo and who is called the "Arabian Knight" by his peers, finished second. Both skaters said they would try to come to the skate park up to four times a week if their parents agree.

The competition concludes Aug. 30-31 with speed skating, where girls will also participate, and the in-line hockey finals, from which players will be chosen for two Indonesian national teams. The grand finale will be the vertical events, with skaters soaring over ramps, performing what judges know as 720s, solegrinds and fakies.

Spectators may not recognize one from the other, but the idea is for them to experience the sheer madness of skating anarchy in the house that Didi built.