Why not jetski to the next island?
Why not jetski to the next island?
By Ivy Susanti
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is known for its beautiful beaches. At
the beach you can feel the breeze, watch the beautiful view and
hear the roaring waves.
But if you want to enjoy the beach and the sea in a different
way, try jetskiing. Jetskiing is like riding a motorcycle. The
difference is, you ride it on the sea.
To popularize the sport a new program that allows middle and
long-distance journeys to be made on jetskis will soon be
introduced.
The Indonesian Jet Sports Association (IJSI) executive
chairman, Ishak, said the association would launch the program
early next year.
"With the program, those who want to travel from one island to
another like in the Seribu Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), can do so
on a jetski," he told The Jakarta Post in an interview at his
office in the Artha Graha building on Jl. Sudirman in the central
business district.
The association has already set up the operating schedule and
facility, and is now preparing the marketing scheme by
cooperating with travel agencies to promote the program among
domestic and foreign visitors or anyone who enjoys adventurous
sports. Instructors and sea planes will be provided for the more
timid.
Separately, organizer of the jetski club at Horizon Jet Sport
Club (HJSC) Jennifer Armand Supit, said jetskiers in her club can
make the journey to nearby islands by themselves.
A new jetski cost more than Rp 70 million (US$7,400). But you
do not have to buy one. HJSC has six jetskis for rent at Rp
300,000 for every 30 minutes. There are more than 100 jetskis
belonging to 80 members of this club, which is jointly run with
the Navy.
"Some members have two jetskis," said Jennifer, formerly a
jetski athlete.
Jetski was first introduced at Horison Hotel as part of a
windsurfing program at HJSC.
Since many people fell in love with the sport, some jetskiers
decided to set up the jetski club under HJSC in 1995. At first,
the sport was only run at resort hotels, including Horison Hotel
in Ancol Dreamland complex in North Jakarta.
Now, jetski clubs are mushrooming throughout the country,
especially in big cities.
The association has registered up to 500 jetskiers across the
nation.
The youngest member of the association is a nine-year-old
while the oldest is a 40-year-old.
"Jetskiing is like boxing. It has age limits. The ideal age to
jetski is from 14 to 35," Ishak said.
HJSC alone has about ... members.
Jennifer said the club's membership has sharply increased
despite the economy crisis since 1997.
"People say Indonesia is experiencing an economic crisis but
many people are still visiting shopping malls and buying branded
products. Here, we have many new members who bring their own
jetskis," she said. However, she added that there were some older
members who withdrew their membership and sold their jetskis.
Other jetskiing clubs include Pantai Mutiara Club, Slippery
Team and Diablo Marina in Jakarta, and the Bandung Jet Sports
Club in Bandung. There are also some in Makassar, South Sulawesi,
Benoa cape in Bali and Sukabumi in West Java. Unfortunately the
ones in Bali and Sukabumi are not active.
Oosye Djojorahardjo, 24, started jetskiing when she was 17,
and cannot give it up.
"My family loves this water sport. I have tried many water
sports like windsurfing and diving, but none of them are as
thrilling as jetskiing," she said.
The thing that attracts her most is not only the water nature
of the sport, but also the opportunity to be able to race on the
sea.
"There is a difference between racing on land and on the sea.
The land does not move but the surface of the sea is constantly
moving according to the waves," she explained.
Oosye joined a club in Anyer, West Java, when she had just
graduated from high school in 1994. After practicing for a while,
she decided to leave behind the thoughts of furthering her
education in order to focus this sport. She is determined to
become a jetski athlete and wants to be the best athlete in this
field in three years.
Her parents have given her their blessings although they are
worried about her safety as she had once met with an accident.
"Jetskiing is a tough and dangerous sport. In 1995, I was hit
by a jetski and my hip bone was dislocated. But it did not stop
me from riding the machine," she said.
Indeed, jetskiing is only for those who have the guts to face
challenges.
Jennifer recalled how some jetskiers roved far from the Ancol
coast and landed on a nearby island.
"They were discovered by fishermen after spending a night on
the island. Luckily none of our guests have gone missing," she
said.
However, the club is prepared for such a scenario.
"We know how long it would take to travel from one island to
another around the Jakarta cape. We have done some surveys. If a
jetskier fails to arrive within a certain period, we know that he
or she is lost," said the mother of two.