Ever seen this kind of sport? This is Indonesian way to celebrate Independence day. We call it Panjat Pinang or Greasy Pole in English. You may be guessing what kind of sport it is by its name; greasy pole. Simply put, you climb up the greased pole to claim the prizes on top of it. There may be clothes, utensils, and even bicycles and electronic devices as prizes.

The sport is very iconic as well as historical. The sport is rooted in the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia. Back then, Dutch people loved to see local people doing this sport, fighting for whatever prizes they put on the pole. When the Dutch left in 1949, the sport stayed. Ironically, Indonesian have been playing it to celebrate their independence day from the Dutch.

The sport is definitely not easy to play, the pole greased with lubricant is very slippery, and the body of the players are also become slippery as well when they play the game. Needless to say, the game is dangerous. Players may fall from the height and injure themselves, in rare occasion they even die. But you can't just stop hundred years of tradition, can you?

You can see the joy of the game in this following one minute video.

Ps: For lack of a better tag, I put this post under Extreme Sports tag. Though, it is indeed extreme in a way.

Extreme Sports / panjat pinang

Traditional Sport: Greasy Pole

Traditional Sport: Greasy Pole

Traditional Sport: Greasy Pole