The high price and supply shortage of pinang are the main reasons why many Jakartans are no longer using them to play panjat pinang (a traditional game of climbing lubricated trunks on top of which various prizes to be taken by climbers are hung).

Panjat pinang is conventionally a competition in celebrating Independence Day in Indonesia despite the historical background of such play. The climbing contest is believed to have originated from the Dutch colonial era, held by the Dutch in celebratory events with participants comprising mostly local people.

This year, Indonesia will commemorate its 74th year of independence, which falls on Saturday.

Although Jakartans are now using bamboo, they still habitually refer to the name of the game as panjat pinang.

Among the bamboo sellers for panjat pinang is Romli, 48, who has been selling bamboo for 20 years, one of only a few bamboo sellers on Jl. Pedongkelan Raya, West Jakarta.

When approached by The Jakarta Post on Saturday, Romli said that he had received orders of bamboo to be used for panjat pinang for 20 years, from when he first jumped into the business.

“Pinang trees are now difficult to find. Even when you find them, the trunks must be exfoliated before being used for competition. That makes it cost more than bamboo,” said Romli, adding that an areca palm trunk could cost more than Rp 1 million (US$70), while bamboo could cost Rp 500,000 to Rp 700,000.

Romli said that apart from the growing demand in bamboo, he personally preferred selling it rather than pinang trees because it minimized losses

“If the bamboo is not sold out for panjat pinang, it can be used for making ladders or even for construction materials,” he said.

Romli said that the bamboo sold as substitutes for areca palm trunks are 8 to 10 meters each in length with a diameter of 12 to 15 centimeters.

The bamboo, said Romli, was obtained from farmers in Rangkasbitung district, Banten.

Romli’s 27-year-old son, Pahrur Rozi, better known as Ozi, said that in order to properly accommodate the game, the bamboo must be straight and intact.

Ozi said that the bamboo also needed to be sanded so as not to be rough, especially in the nodes, to avoid injury.

“Pinang trees are now difficult to find. Even when you find them, the trunks must be exfoliated before being used for competition.”

“We have almost completed sanding 10 bamboos for panjat pinang,” Ozi said. “The orders came from Karang Taruna groups [youth organizations at the community level], security officer communities and official committees from some RTs [neighborhood units].”

“It will take about two weeks to prepare all the bamboo before delivering it three days before the celebration at the latest,” he said.

One of Romli and Ozi’s customers is Puspiaji, 30, a chairman of the Independence Day celebration organizing committee from a neighborhood unit nearby.

“The use of bamboo as an alternative for panjat pinang has never reduced our fun or given us physical harm,” said the man who was familiarly known as Aji.

He said that bamboo was, in fact, strong enough to be climbed by adults. The climbing contest, he said, usually saw participants aged between 18 to 26 years old.

“We usually stick the bamboo about 1 m deep in the ground and it is strong enough,” Aji said.

“The prizes are also not entirely hung up,” he added. “If they are light like wrapped cash, T-shirts and watches, we can hang them up. But for the heavy ones, like dispensers and rice cookers, we can only hang up the packages.”

When asked about why people held onto the game despite the scarcity of the original material, Aji replied that it was all about the value of togetherness the game could bring.

“Celebrating Independence Day without panjat pinang would not be complete. No matter what, it is a tradition,” he said. (syk)

Popular

PDI-P will likely be part of opposition: Ganjar

Indonesia one step from Olympics after beating South Korea

Bahlil leads task force to boost sugar, bioethanol production in Papua