New skate arena safe haven for daredevils

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.