Challenge Stage

Banjarmasin (December 6). The final series of the off-road adventure event of Diplomat Challenge of Indonesia (DCI) 2005 that is sponsored by Wismilak Diplomat with the target to conquer the Land of Kalimantan is going to be held on the next of December 8. The start will take from Banjarmasin City in South Kalimantan. The event that is going to spend the longest time and to pass the furthest distance on the off-road history in Indonesia is scheduled to finish in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) on December 18 after passing by Palangkaraya (Middle Kalimantan) and Muarateweh.

“The total route that will be gone trough as far as 1.160 km. Less and more than 650 km of the route is kind of hard field and the remain is the soiled road which is also going to be muddy in the rainy season. In short, the chosen route at this time will give more different nuance for the off-roaders than various events that have ever been followed by them. We will combine the road line by categorizing it from the medium up to the hard obstacle,” explained by Syamsir Alam, the Operation Director of DCI 2005.

The hard of this competition field of DCI which is projected to be the international event calendar, was also figured out by Yuma Wiranatakusumah as the Event Director of DCI who was joined the final survey team with Syamsir Alam “The main enemy of the off-roaders here are the mud and the water flow. On this vent will be visible the using sets of equipment like the precise tire will be very helpful. In addition, the skill of driving will be really tested, eventhough on the route which is counted as the country road,” said by him.

Even that is organized under the name of IOF (Indonesian Off-road Federation) as well as fully supported by Tourism and Culture Department of Republic of Indonesia, will be participated by 50 cars of participants. Besides, there is still the spectator category consists of 11 cars and 7 motorcycles kind of Enduro. From the total number, three off-roaders among them are foreign competitor. They are Chai Mui Shin and Loo Fu Siong, both of them are coming from Malaysia. The other foreign participant is Christopher Hummer, the famous off-roader coming from Australia.

“The total number of 50 participants is the top off-roaders selected until October 10 ago. Actually, there are still tens of participant candidates who become the waiting list. Because of 50 cars following the competition has been maximal in number and we want to keep the quality of this event,” commenced Hendrik Badu, the Competition Manager of DCI 2005.

The series of DCI 2005 event has already begun in three cities to filter the off-road winners from various areas in Indonesia. The first series or the First Road to DCI 2005 was held in Jogyakarta City on May 20 – 22 ago and it produced three champions, they are Budi Hartoyo, Handy Kiatarto and Gunawan Wibisono. On the other hand, the Second Road to DCI was held in Makassar City, South Sulawesi which produced the best three of the off-roaders, they are A.G Joko Eddi, Ahyar Mustamir and Iswandhy. The last city as the Third Road DCI was held in Malang, East Java. From this event appeared three candidates, they are Sarwono Putro, M. Harjanto and Kresno Pranoto.

Based on Justinus Sjahlim’s opinion, the Chairman of DCI 2005, the implementation of Road to DCI in those three cities, was not only to select the best nine candidates of the off-roaders but also as the process of adaptation toward the primary event. “The quality of the implementation and the field that are going to take along the primary event of DCI 2005 has been well known as hard and extreme. Therefore, the socialization to the off-roaders is much needed. For instances, the socialization about the regulation and the scrutinizing process. The competitor candidates on DCI have had to understand well so that they are more prepared. So has about the field that will be gone trough, it needs high endurance, the car and the person,” told by him.

The Wismilak Diplomat party as the sponsor of this event did also not want to miss to make various preparations, technically as well as the supporting sets of equipment. “Right now, DCI is the most prestigious and qualified event in Indonesia so it is normal if it is projected as international event like Rain Forest Challenge (RFC) in Malaysia. Therefore, the Gelora Djaja party as the sponsor will try maximally to give support so that this event is as well as going to be the tourism ambassador in international world based on what is proclaimed by the event organizer from the early of this event,” explained by Stefanus H. Kusumo, PR and Event Manager of PT. Gelora Djaja.

A few weeks toward the implementation of the primary event, Wismilak Diplomat held special training of rescue and FMR (first medical responder) for all committee and supporting team. “We face with the opened nature that is unpredictable and having potency to invite danger to all participants. By means of this rescue training, we hope to be able to minimize the danger if it going to be happened along this event,” said by Stefanus.

In addition, the organizer also gives special attention to the media. For the first time on the automotive event in Indonesia, sets of communication system will be supported by satellite telephone network of Byru Otosat. On the other hand, for the consumption of printed mass media and electronic mass media like news and photos from the jungle of Kalimantan, Byru Otosat will be accompanied by G-Wave system. Even the G-Wave party will also open the portable telecommunication shop along this event that can be used by all of the off-roaders.

“Besides tsunami disaster in Aceh, only this event can get fully support from us. The collaborative result among DCI and Byru Otosat as long as the event of DCI 2004 ago until now is very positive for the two parties. This will motivate us to keep supporting the communication system like satellite telephone set in most of the committee’s cars,” explained by Hilman A. Rasjid, the Marketing Director of PT. Pasifik Satelit Nusantara as the operator of Byru Otosat.

The activity of the primary event of DCI itself has already been begun on Monday. The activity on December 5 is like scrutinizing (checking) process of the participants’ cars, service cars and the committee’s cars on the yard of Istana Barito Hotel, Banjarmasin. This scrutinizing (checking) process is scheduled to finish on Wednesday, December 7. Mean while, the process of start is scheduled on Thursday, December 8 on the yard of Governor Building of South Kalimantan, after that the event will continue to move to Palangkaraya.

Although almost of DCI event will pass the jungle, hill and valley, but the event organizer has already allocated an interesting show of fighting attraction among the off-roaders to the public which will be created in the shape of SCS (Special Competition Stage). All of special tracks has 12 SCS, each two SCS’ will be held in Cikik Riwut, 1 SCS in Jakatan Pari, 2 SCS’ in the side of Bakanon River, 2 SCS’ in Muara Teweh, 3 SCS’ in Bukit Bangkirai, Sepaku and 2 SCS’ Balikpapan.

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