HISTORY OF TRACK RACING IN KUANTAN SINGINGI
Pacu jalur is a race rowing on the river using a long boat made of tree wood. The length of this boat
can reach 25 to 40 meters and the width of the middle part is approximately 1.3 m to 1.5 m, in the
language of the local population, the word Jalur means Boat. Every year, around
August 23-26, the Pacu Path Festival is held as a traditional cultural event of
the Kuantan Singingi Regency, Riau in conjunction with the celebration of the
Republic of Indonesia's Independence Day.
Pathways are usually carried out in the Batang Kuantan River. This is not
separated from long historical records, the Batang Kuantan River, which is
located between the Upper Kuantan District in the upstream and Cerenti District
in the downstream, has been used as a shipping lane since the beginning of the
17th century. And, in this river also the race track was first carried out.
Meanwhile, the race track shape follows the flow of the Batang Kuantan River,
with a track length of about 1 km marked by six piles.
The History of Pacing The track begins in the 17th century, where the lane
is the main means of transportation of villagers in Rantau Kuantan, namely the
area along the Kuantan River which is located between the Hulu Kuantan
Sub-District in the upstream to Cerenti Sub-District of Cerenti in the
downstream. At that time, land transportation had not yet developed. As a
result, the route is really used as an important transportation for villagers,
mainly used as a transportation vehicle for crops, such as bananas and sugar
cane, and serves to transport about 40-60 people. Then came the paths that were
given beautiful carvings, such as the head carving of a snake, crocodile, or
tiger, both on the hull and its selembayung, coupled with equipment such as
umbrellas, ropes, shawls, middle poles (gulang) and lambai -dambai (where the
helmsman stands).
This change also marked the development of the function of the line to be
not only a means of transportation, but also showed social identity. Because,
only the lord of the region, the aristocrats, and the grandparents alone drove
the ornate pathway. Only 100 years later, residents saw another side that made
the lane more interesting, namely by holding a speed race between lanes, which is
known today as Pacu Path.