Thrilling sports lure the brave
The holidays are coming and leisure time is at hand. For those executives who like to work hard and play hard, and those students with a little extra money, high-adrenalin sports are gaining in popularity. The growing number of local and expatriate executives, as well as tourists, has led a number of entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses. Imanuddin, I. Christianto, IGGP Bayu Ismoyo, Kosasih Derajat, Primastuti Handayani and Riyadi of The Jakarta Post prepared the following article and related stories on Pages 2 and 6 about some possible holiday options.
JAKARTA (JP): Thrill sports are the latest in fashionable diversions for well-off students and promising young executives. They work hard to contribute to economic growth -- and need their playtime.
They rave about the feel of bouncing upside down, at the end of what appears to be a rubber band, in a bungee jump or about the thrill of whitewater rafting over rapids, rocks and waterfalls. And they ooze enthusiasm for the glorious way the air feels when parachuting, paragliding or parasailing.
The expense, way beyond the average local's means, is apparently worth it.
Thrill sports are relatively new to Indonesia, some having been introduced only two or three years ago, and the cost of offering them is high.
Amalia Yunita, chairperson of the Indonesian Whitewater Rafting Federation, said the new sports were expensive for the majority of Indonesians because most equipment had to be imported.
"I believe fees would be cheaper if all the equipment could be produced here," she said.
A half-day's rafting on the Citarik River in Sukabumi, West Java, costs Rp 76,000 (US$32) during the week and Rp 97,000 on week-ends and holidays. The price is almost double for a full day.
Parasailing costs Rp 60,000 -- for only seven minutes in the air.
This means only people in the middle to higher income brackets can afford to try them.
But for those who have had a "taste" of thrill sports, any invitation to repeat the experience is hard to refuse.
Astrid Wirajuda, a lawyer, said she can not stop herself from trying the same sports again and again.
A rafter and paraglider, Astrid goes to the Citarik River for rafting and to Lido, also in Sukabumi, for paragliding once a month.
"Rafting helps me release the stresses of the week's work," she said.
Meizar Abdullah, a Japanese language teacher for a foreign company, also enjoys the water and rafting with friends.
"Looking at the green views on a rafting trip makes my eyes feel so fresh," he said.
Prospect
The market clearly has potential, and more business people, foreign tourists and expatriates are expected to follow the trend.
Duncan C. Warner, a manager at the two-year-old Lippo Carita Resort in West Java, where thousands flock to jet-ski, said the business sector was an especially promising market.
More companies, he said, believe in paying for their executives to recharge themselves.
Whitewater rafting is the most established of the thrill sports in Indonesia. It has been around for about six years and there are now about 100 operators, although only 11 of these are recognized as professional by the Indonesian Whitewater Rafting Federation.
In comparison there are only three permanent sites where jet- skiing is managed professionally, and parasailing is still limited to Bali and Carita.
Thrill sports give the impression of being potentially dangerous, especially if handled carelessly.
Rudi P. Singgih, a program coordinator at Sumantri Brodjonegoro Entertainment Complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta, admits that sports like bungy jumping require extremely strong nerves.
"A street fighter could be undefeated in a fighting competition. But, he might be too scared to try bungy jumping," he said.
He said it was not unknown for participants to be unable to move or even faint when they reached the jumping booth.
On the importance of safety precautions, Meizar Abdullah, a paragliding instructor in Lido, said people should not worry because sports operators guaranteed their safety.
"They would have made careful preparations and thoroughly checked their equipment before starting their businesses," he said.
He guaranteed that no operators would dare be careless because it would mean the death of their businesses.
"Many of the participants are foreigners. Do you think they would set up businesses to harm foreign visitors?" he said.
Traffic, Meizar said, was more likely to cause accidents than 'dangerous' sports.
But there are risks.
Three foreigners were killed and five others injured in January this year when their raft overturned on the Unda River in Bali. (team)