Bakiak Race: Wooden Clog Relay at Indonesian Independence Day
Bakiak race: how the shared wooden clogs work
The bakiak race is a team race on long wooden sandals, with several players standing on one long pair of wooden clogs and moving together towards a finish line. Each participant places their feet beneath straps fixed to the same board. The team has to coordinate its steps, keep the boards level and cover the course without losing its rhythm. It is a familiar event at neighbourhood and school celebrations for Indonesian Independence Day on 17 August, often alongside sack races and other community competitions.
For a visitor, the game is easiest to understand by watching the feet rather than the finish line. A team that tries to sprint before agreeing on a pace usually stumbles or stops. A team that calls a simple rhythm and lifts the same side together can move steadily, even if it is not the fastest group at the start. That visible negotiation is the point: the race turns a basic walking action into a shared task.
What the bakiak looks like on race day
A competition set is not an ordinary pair of wooden sandals. It is a long plank or pair of connected footboards with several foot positions and straps, so more than one person can wear it at once. A common size takes about three people, though some sets are longer. The exact board length, number of places, strap material and team size differ between organisers, so there is no single measurement to expect at every event.
At a village field, school yard or neighbourhood road, the course is usually marked out for the day rather than built as a permanent attraction. Teams gather at one end with their boards laid down, arrange themselves in line and fit their feet under the straps. The start area matters: players need enough room to stand close together without stepping onto the next team’s board. Spectators often cluster along the sides, leaving the marked route clear for the teams returning or crossing the finish.
From the side, look for the way the plank lifts and lands. If the front player takes a long step while those behind take short ones, the board twists and a strap can tug against a foot. If one player raises a foot late, the others may have to pause with their weight unevenly distributed. These little corrections are more revealing than a fast opening burst. They show whether the group has settled on a pace that all its members can sustain.
Why timing matters more than an individual stride
Each person can move only when the rest of the line is ready to move the shared board. Teams often use a spoken count, a repeated call or a leader’s cue to synchronise the lift. The call is useful because players cannot all see one another’s feet at once; the person at the rear may be following the sound and the movement of the board rather than watching the front player.
The first few steps are usually the hardest to organise. Players must place their feet under the straps, hold the board steady and agree which foot moves first. If one member lifts too early, the board tilts and the others compensate. A clean start comes from small, deliberate steps that let the team find its rhythm before it tries to lengthen the stride. This is why a team that appears cautious at the line may move past a hurried team a few metres later.
Turning or stopping changes the problem. On a straight run, each player can repeat the same movement. Near a turn, the people at the outside of the board travel farther than those on the inside, so the group has to shorten or adjust its steps. Some events use a straight sprint; others include a return leg or relay-style handover. The local organiser’s format determines whether the challenge is simply to reach the line first or to complete a course and pass the board to another group.
There is no need to assume that every event follows a formal national rulebook. In casual 17 August competitions, the organiser sets the team size, distance, boundary and method for deciding a winner. A spectator can usually infer the main rule from the start and finish markings, but details such as a restart after a fall or a penalty for stepping outside the lane can vary. If you are joining, ask the organiser how the start works and whether a team must stay within a marked lane.
How a spectator can follow the race
Stand where you can see both the starting line and the first few strides. That is where teams either establish a shared pace or reveal that they have not agreed on one. Watching only the finish can make the event look like a simple dash; seeing the start explains why balance and communication decide so much of the result.
Listen for short calls from the team. The words may be a count, a repeated beat or a cue to lift, and the exact call is local rather than a fixed part of the game. A call that continues at an even pace helps players anticipate the next step. When the voices overlap or fall silent, look at the board: uneven movement often appears there before a player loses a sandal or the group stops.
Notice how teammates recover after a missed step. A strong group slows down, gets everyone balanced and starts again together. Pulling forward while a player is still caught under a strap can make the board turn sharply. The race therefore rewards control as well as speed. It also gives spectators a natural reason to cheer the whole team, including the person who calls the rhythm and the member at the rear who has to keep pace without steering the front.
At a crowded community event, follow the course boundary rather than stepping into the lane to take a photograph. The boards are long, and a team that wobbles needs room to regain balance. Keep children and bags out of the route, especially near the start and finish where teams may stop suddenly. The shared plank takes up more width than an individual runner and cannot turn quickly.
Where it sits among 17 August games
Balap bakiak belongs to the informal competition programme known as lomba tujuhbelasan or lomba 17-an. These events take place around Indonesia as part of neighbourhood, school and community celebrations connected with the Republic of Indonesia’s Independence Day. The race is not a ceremony with one national venue or fixed schedule; its setting and programme are arranged locally. Some organisers hold games in the days before 17 August, some on the day itself, and some as part of a broader series of activities. A visitor should treat the date as a seasonal clue, not a guarantee that a public event will be taking place at a particular address.
The bakiak game makes a useful contrast with a sack race. A sack race isolates each runner’s balance and hopping movement; the bakiak puts several people on one piece of equipment, so a player’s timing affects everyone on the board. It also differs from panjat pinang, where teams work together to climb a slippery, oiled trunk towards prizes hung at the top. Bakiak is a horizontal race over a short course, with its challenge concentrated in the moving line of teammates rather than a climb.
These events can share the same field, but one does not have to be scheduled beside another. The programme depends on the local committee, space and participants. On a small street or school yard, a short bakiak lane may fit where a tall climbing structure would not; on another occasion, the game may be one item in a larger set of races. Read about 17 Agustus celebrations for the flag ceremonies, decorations and other games that surround the race.
The name and the equipment
Bakiak names wooden footwear in Indonesian usage, while balap bakiak describes racing on the extended, shared version used by a team. The terms are related but do not mean that every ordinary wooden sandal is built for a race. In this competition, the defining feature is the common board and the need for multiple players to move it together.
The race is now firmly part of the Independence Day games, played in the same programmes as the sack race, the cracker-eating contest and the tug of war. Like those games, it needs little more than simple equipment and an open space, and it rewards teamwork more than individual strength. Many Indonesians see that shared effort as part of the spirit of the holiday, when neighbours come together to celebrate the nation’s independence.
Its continued appearance in local competitions does not require elaborate equipment. A long board, straps, a level route and a group willing to move together are enough to make the challenge legible to players and spectators. That simplicity helps explain why the game works in a school yard as readily as in a neighbourhood celebration, while the exact design and rules remain local choices.
Joining in as a visitor
Visitors may be invited to watch or take part when a neighbourhood or school event is open to guests, but there is no general public timetable for bakiak races across Indonesia. They are organised by local groups, so a traveller should not plan an itinerary around finding a particular competition unless an event has been announced by the community itself. During the days around 17 August, decorations, a temporary course or groups preparing equipment can signal that games are being arranged, but those clues do not confirm that spectators can join.
If you are invited onto a team, let the organiser choose the team arrangement and explain the course before the start. The board is shared, so participants need to agree on a caller and a first step; trying to demonstrate speed before everyone is ready is a quick way to interrupt the run. Wear footwear that can be removed easily, since feet need to sit under the board’s straps. Do not pull against the board if another player is off balance; pause, reset together and follow the organiser’s direction.
Ask before entering a marked lane or handling the equipment. Some events are community gatherings rather than visitor activities, and taking a photograph from the course can obstruct the people racing. A respectful spectator stays to the side, watches the whole team rather than focusing on a stumble, and follows any local request about where to stand. If the event is not open to visitors, the wider Independence Day programme may still be visible in public spaces, but access is determined locally.
The most satisfying way to watch is to follow one team from its careful setup to the finish. Look at how the players choose their positions, who sets the beat, and whether the group can recover when its stride breaks. That small sequence captures what makes bakiak different from an individual footrace: success depends on sharing the same board and making each next step possible for everyone.
Questions readers ask about the bakiak race
How many people race on one bakiak?
Several players share one long board; teams of about three are common. The number depends on the equipment and the organiser, so teams should use the places provided rather than assume a fixed size.
Is the race always held on 17 August?
No. It is strongly associated with Indonesian Independence Day celebrations, but local organisers may schedule related games on nearby days or as part of a wider community programme. There is no single national public schedule for every neighbourhood.
Is bakiak the same as a sack race?
No. A sack race is an individual hopping race inside a sack. In bakiak, several players wear one shared wooden board and have to coordinate their steps to move it.
Does the game have one official course length?
Casual community events can set their own course and team rules. Check the markings and ask the organiser whether the race is a straight run, a relay or a course with a turn.
The balap karung sack race often appears in the same local programme as bakiak, but it tests a very different kind of balance: each runner hops alone inside a sack.
Read more: Indonesian Independence Day on 17 August and Nyepi, the day of silence.