GASING

GASING

FIGURE 5 : Giant Spinning

     Is a giant spinning top that weighs approximately 5kg or 10lbs and may be large as dinner plate. The game usually played traditionally before the rice harvest season. The player requires strengths, co-ordination and skill to play this game. The top is set spinning by unfolding rope that has been wound around it. Then, it is scooped off the ground, whilst still spinning, using bat with a centre slit and transferred onto a low post with a mental receptacle. If the expertly hurled, it can spin for up to 2 hours.

     Gasing or top spinning is split into two (2) categories. One is for ornamental purposes and while the other is for playing :

•   Equipment Needed

     The gasing or top usually made of wood or hard fruits. It comes together with string that was tightly wound round a nail at the base of the top. There are five different shapes of tops; 1)plate-shaped, 2)heart-shaped, 3) hat top, 4) egg-shapedand 4) berembang-shaped. Berembang is a fruit of a seaside tree.

•   Method of Playing Gasing

     There is no fixed number of players and the game can be played either teams or individually. Firstly, a circle is drawn on the ground marking a circumstance within the top is to spin. Then, a player holds the top in his hand and grips the loose end of the string between the fingers and throws it in the circle while at the same time pulls the string backwards that sends the top into a spinning action.

•   Sparring Contest

     A Gasing or top spinning contest basically a friendly games where normally it have two (2) kinds of matches.The first is the "spinning contest" and the second one is called the "striking match". The "Spinning contest", is where someone that can spin his top for the longest time wins the match. Once the top has been launched, the top is carefully scooped off the ground using a thin wooden bat. Then, it will be transferred to a little wooden surface and left to spin for as long as possible. The trick here is to ensure that the top doesn't topple during the transit. Tough it may seem unbelievably so, the current record stands at two hours.The "striking match" is far more exhilarating than the first. You won't need to stand there for hours watching a top spin and spin and spin. The "striking match" is as the name suggests. Each contestant must try to hit their opponent's tops so that the already spinning tops will topple and loses its balance and speed.