Thrilling sports lure the brave

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)