H

eat and high seas did not stop people from gathering near Lekok Beach at a local shrimp pond area for their annual ski lot mud surfing contest in Lekok, about seven kilometers east of Pasuruan, East Java.

Ski lot celebrates the common practice of the coastal community, where local fisherwomen hunt for clams and crabs using surfboards on mud. Kids also join in the fun on school vacations.

In Lekok, residents hold an annual mud-skiing contest to mark Syawal, the post-fasting month for Muslims.

'€œThis year'€™s event had 60 participants, including, in a first, three women. Originally this contest was meant for men or children. This year it was open to women,'€ said Sudar Tohir Akbar, the head of Lekok village.

When the contest began in 1985, the number of competitors and the lanes were not fixed, which led to frequent disputes.

Currently, four participants compete at a time on lanes delimited by plastic lines, traversing the muddy, 100-meter-long lanes of the pond '€” one leg on ersatz boogie boards, one foot in the mud pushing forward.

Wooden ski-lot boards around 1 meter long and 40 centimeters wide are provided by the contest committee.

The tips are curved to enable faster surfing. Although apparently easy, it'€™s a hard job for those unaccustomed to wading through mud as deep as the knee.

'€œI'€™ve joined five contests and won four of them,'€ said Zainu Roziqin, 17. '€œI usually strengthen my legs by running and swimming in the sea.'€

The contest, now in its 29th iteration, charges no fees and caps participants only so that the event is more manageable.

Participants comprise local fishermen, fisherwomen and people from around Lekok village. Some contestants sustain injuries and become exhausted in the elimination round, forcing them to drop out.

Many prepare by consuming duck eggs mixed with supplement drinks. Others resort to the service of witch doctors (dukun).

'€œI used to seek the advice of orang pintar [psychic counselors], now I'€™m just resigned, as long as I can have a lot of fun with fellow villagers,'€ said Zianu, 31.

Bright skies failed to dampen the spirit of contestants or spectators in the final round. Several participants were massaging each other and helping their peers with sprained legs.

The prizes they strived for were household electronic appliances and cash. Such rewards meant considerable satisfaction for winners and their popularity earned them prestige in the rural community.

Sure, you can ski on the water, ski on the snow '€” and even on the sand, if you'€™re in Dubai '€” but ski lot just might be the first traditional mud-surfing sport.