Gasing (Spinning Top)

By Mely Azini Prastika

source: -blog-umy.ac.id

Gasing or spinning top is the one of  popular traditional game in Indonesia, especially people in East Kalimantan, they called this game "begasing". Gasing made by wood, for example Ironwood, and other important thing is strong string to play the gasing, its used to spin the gasing. Usually this game played by every circle, children, teenagers, even adult people played this game. how to make it,? first, choose a hard ironwood, then cut it as wide as 15 - 20 cm. Smooth the upper part using a special knife to shape gasing head. The head is 1,5 to 5 cm in diameter and 2 to 6 cm of height. Next, smooth the lower part of the wood to shape gasing body. The body should be larger than the head so that it spins in balance. The base of the body is shaped pointed. It aims as the axis when gasing spins. The more pointed the base, the longer it spins.

This game can play in individual or in group. The way to play this game is very simple, we just need to choose the area where we want to throw the gasing, make the gasing slick to easier when we spin the gasing, and the most important thing is more long the gasing rotate, it will be better. this game has the values, its about cultural values, with played this game, we can keep our traditional game and with this game we can tighten our relationship between old generations to modern generations.

reference: http://melayuonline.com/eng/culture/dig/2572/gasing-traditional-game-in-east-kalimantan