Kuching Aerobics n Powerboat

How do Kuchingites spend their free time? I did not know until I disconnected myself from the cyber world and drove around Kuching. My friend Nixon Mang asked me to assist in constructing a simple web info about his activity. 'What is it about? ' I asked him - 'Powerboat' he replied. I do not have any idea what he was talking about so I agreed to familiarise myself with it. Furthermore, it will give me a chance to take in fresh air, out of my computer room. I went off with my gear and drove around the Petra Jaya area looking for the place. Since they are playing powerboats I figured it must be near a large water body so the Pustaka Negeri Sarawak was my first stop. They do have a beautiful (man made) lake. Though I went to the wrong place, I was pleasantly surprised that there was an aerobics workout session at the Pustaka Negeri. The turnout was good and the people joining the activty were equally skilled - if you want to learn some dancing steps for free, this is the place to go.


A good mix of crowd, young and old

All shapes and sizes

The abled instructors from the Mniistry of Social Development Sarawak guiding the crowd

So if you are thinking of an aerobics workout, you can join this activity on every Monday, Tuesday and Friday (sometimes Saturday) of the week. It is organised jointly by the Pustaka Negeri and the Ministry of Social Development Sarawak. Pssstt... its free!

As it was getting dark so I had to wake myself up from enjoying the beautiful aerobics music, I proceeded to Wisma Masja, which was nearby as that would be the next venue for those who enjoy watery activities. Wisma Masja also has a lake and Nixon was already there waiting for me when I arrived. So I proceeded to see what this powerboat thing was all about. What impressed me was that there were so many people there - some racers, some spectators etc. I did not realise that there were so many powerboat enthusiasts in Sarawak. It seems that they were joined by the Sibu and Kapit Powerboat racers. Their convergence to that place was due to the upcoming big race this Sunday (15 Jan 2006) at the same venue. The race is expected to start at 10 a.m. So it was natural to see many of the would be racers testing their boats. I notice that these Radio Control Boat People were very passionate about this particular hobby. It was still alien to me. Each boat has a unique name given to it.


On of the Boat by the name of Puteri

A fully imported boat like this costs (called Mono Hull Seducer Shape) about RM5000. When I say fully imported I mean all its parts are imported - the whole thing! I guess its like golf.

The control panel view of the Radio Control

Sideview of the Control - The trigger like device: pull the drigger for increase speed (acceleration) and push it back for stopping (like a brake)

The local models - made from local parts (cheaper too)

The engine: If you can see the names of the pilot and co-pilot there at the bottom right - The Pilot: Francis will be manning the Control while the Co-Pilot: Nixon Mang will be starting the engine in the real race

The propeller

The boat (too small to see) racing on the lake with Wisma Masja as the background.

When all the boats were in the water the sound was really defeaning - its like watching a Formula One race. You can't hear yourself speak to the person next to you. I have to admit it is quite an expensive hobby and time consuming too. If anyone is still interested, this is the name of the company (recommended by Nixon) that deals with the games products: Hobbytech. For me, I feel computer Internet at high speed is still the thing for me ")

Comments

Wilson Chin said…
how much will the boat cost?
The boat costs around RM3000 if its locally assembled... and the fully imported one is RM5000. Interested? Hehehe..
Wilson Chin said…
:O ...mahalnya~~~
laku eh nama Puteri! Hehehe.
RM 5000 for a fully imported toy boat? No thank you! ;-)
Borneoguy.com said…
I have 3 boats like that ... yup, it's true ... it will cost up to RM3000 if its locally assembled ... fortunately, a friend of mine is a boat builder, here in Sibu. We have a big lake here where we play during the afternoon time. Anyway, if anybody is interested in buying those boats can contact me, I can arrange some deals for depending on the boat design that you choose ...

P/s : Desmond, isn't your kawan from Sibu? I think I know him laa. Banker rite???