Jakarta - The ice at Taman Anggrek Mall’s Sky Rink hissed as a group of boys and girls crisscrossed its surface to the music of the traditional jaipongan dance from West Java.
The girls wore golden headbands with bird-shaped decorations and pastel-colored capes with sequins and gold embroidery that billowed behind them.
The boys hefted tall gunungan, the spade-shaped symbol of universal unity that is seen at the beginning of Javanese wayang kulit shows.
Then the music changed and the skaters knelt in a row.
They began to perform saman — a dance from Aceh — hands slapping their eyes, bending low and jack-knifing up to the rhythm.
Their speed made their movements almost seem like a blur.
Then the music changed once again, this time to a pop tune, and the kids stood still in two rows as some of their fellow skaters zigzagged between them.
The skaters were rehearsing for the Skate Asia 2010 figure-skating competition in Hangzhou, China, which started last Sunday.
The weeklong event, which runs until this Sunday, is organized by the International Skating Institute Asia.
It is open to amateur skaters from levels pre-alpha to delta, as well as those in the more advanced Freestyle 1 through 10 levels.
“It’s an open registration event,” said Robert Esquerra, the head coach of the Indonesian delegation. “Those interested in competing simply had to qualify for the competition level and fill out a form provided by ISI Asia.”
Participants come from different skating rinks, where beginner skaters are trained and qualification tests conducted. This year’s competition will include performances by about 550 skaters from 20 rinks across Asia.
Sky Rink at Taman Anggrek Mall sent 57 skaters to the competition. Thirteen coaches accompanied the 44 girls and 13 boys, who are between the ages of 6 and 17.
“Each skater will compete in more than one event,” said Surya Sari Esquerra, one of the coaches and choreographers who accompanied the delegation.
“Some will focus on technical events, where they will be judged on their jumps, spins and footwork. Others are involved in productions with other skaters, while others may compete in artistic events where they will be performing choreographed numbers.”
When it comes to artistic choreography, Sari said that coaches took each skater’s strengths and weaknesses into account.
Those who fared better with slow music were encouraged to focus on graceful hand movements, while skaters who showed more aptitude for dancing focused more on hip-hop or R ‘n’ B performances.
Most of the Indonesian skaters will be performing to either instrumental or Western music. This year, one skater is performing to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” while a Freestyle 5 level participant has a number set to Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette.”
“We don’t use Indonesian songs because it’s an international event and not many people would be able to appreciate our music,” Sari said. She added, however, that elements of traditional Javanese culture could be seen in some of the performances.
“We included elements of the peacock dance from West Java, hence the sequined capes, and the boys will be dressed as Gatotkaca,” Sari said, referring to a character from wayang kulit.
Referees from the US Figure Skating Association, as well as qualified volunteers and coaches from participating countries, will be judging the competition.
“The toughest competition [in terms of the technical aspects] will probably come from Malaysia and the Philippines,” Sari said. “But for sheer number of skaters, Hong Kong has the largest number with 100 participants.
Not everyone from the Taman Anggrek skating rink will be able to participate, however.
“Some of our skaters have opted not to go because taking part in this competition means being absent from school for 10 days, something that most parents take exception to,” Sari said.
One of the parents, Evi Cendana, 34, said her family was fortunate that the international school her 11-year-old daughter, Machiko, attends had been very supportive about her participation in the competition.
“This is the fourth Skate Asia for her,” Evi said, adding that Machiko has won numerous gold and silver medals in previous competitions.
“Skating and these events are good for Machiko. They give her a wider circle of friends and boost her confidence.”
The same is true for 18-year-old Alberto Widjaja, who is ranked ninth in Asia and is the only Freestyle 10 level figure skater on the Indonesian team.
Majoring in accounting at Jakarta’s Tarumanegara University, Alberto has been skating for 11 years. This is his seventh Skate Asia competition.
“I nearly gave it all up after the Skate Asia 2002 in Thailand,” he said.
“I was sick and tired of the difficult skating elements I had to master at that level, which are the double and triple rotations. But my family wouldn’t hear of it. I was allowed a two or three-month hiatus from training. Then I went back.”
Alberto, who trained for two hours three to four times a week in preparation for the competition, said he was determined to win the technical events, such as the jump and spin.
“The double axel is the hardest jump I’ve ever had to learn,” he said.
“I had to have it to qualify for Freestyle 9. It took me two years to learn it, starting in 2004, and even then it was only in 2008 that I could perform it decisively and consistently,” he said, referring to a figure-skating jump made up of two and a half revolutions in the air.
Alberto, who draws his inspiration from four-time World Champion and 2002 Olympic gold medalist Alexei Yagudin of Russia, does not think of skating as a career.
“But if there’s an opportunity to train better, maybe in Russia, I would love that,” he said. “Russia has the best skaters after all.”
But that dream might be hard to realize. Without the acknowledgement of the International Skating Union, it is difficult for Indonesian figure skaters to be recognized as professional athletes.
“Acknowledgment is hard to come by,” Sari said. “Indonesia does not have an Olympic-standard rink. Not even a Junior Olympic rink. Support from the government for this sport has been minimum. They don’t even assist us for events like this.”
With or without government support, however, the Indonesian skaters will surely be skating their hearts out in China.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
