Narasinasi, Tangerang - Riau's unique boat racing tradition, Pacu Jalur, has now gone global. After the video went viral on social media, the world's attention turned to an iconic and unusual moment: a young boy standing at the end of the boat, dancing confidently. This action has been widely referred to by international netizens as “aura farming.” This moment became a turning point that strengthened the global trend of Pacu Jalur. The tradition began to gain global recognition after going viral on social media in 2024, and by 2025, its popularity had grown even further with greater enthusiasm and widespread attention from international netizens.
The popularity of Pacu Jalur this year is closely tied to the unique trend known as “aura farming”—a viral term used to describe someone who appears confident, charismatic, and radiates an aura akin to a main character.
In the context of Pacu Jalur, this trend refers to young boys standing at the front of the boat performing distinctive movements, such as twisting their hands and swaying their bodies to maintain balance as the boat speeds along. This action was captured in a video set to the song “Young Black & Rich” by Melly Mike and went viral on TikTok, capturing the attention of global netizens.
Many content creators from abroad began creating memes and parody videos imitating this “aura paddler” style, making Pacu Jalur increasingly recognized as part of Indonesia's unique, authentic, and expressive culture.
According to Tempo.co, the popularity of Pacu Jalur surged after a video of Rayyab Arkan Dikha—the iconic child dancing at the front of the boat—was uploaded by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club on July 2, 2025. In the video, PSG players imitated Dika's signature style while captioning, “The aura has reached Paris”.
Not only PSG, but Italian club AC Milan also joined the trend by writing “Aura Farming 1899% accuracy,” adding to the trend’s international appeal. Even global celebrities like rapper KSI and NFL star Travis Kelce also posted their own “aura farming” moves inspired by Dika.
Dika was also interviewed directly by American influencer Cullen Honohan, who nicknamed him “The Reaper” due to his charisma while dancing at the end of the boat. When asked how it felt to perform confidently on a speeding boat, Dika simply replied, “Stay brave and confident.”
