The Full Scoop on the Indonesian Boat-Racing Kid on TikTok — Is He Real?

If you’ve come across the kid standing on the thin bow of a rowboat, dressed in all black and dancing casually like he’s on solid ground, you probably have questions. Dubbed the “Indonesian boat racing kid” by some and the “aura farming boat kid” by others, you’re probably wondering: Is this real or is it AI-generated? And does this kid even know he’s going viral in America right now?

Even NBA players have been using his moves as celebration dances on the court, not to mention he’s also become meme material, which means he’s officially internet famous. Here’s everything to know about the kid, plus a brief explainer on what “aura farming” even means, because most of us don’t know what that is either!

While you might’ve seen one particular kid in viral TikTok clips dubbed the “Indonesian boat-racing kid,” the term actually refers to multiple kids featured in memes, most of them set to the song “Young Black & Rich” by Melly Mike.

They’re all doing the same thing, standing on the front of a long wooden boat while the men behind them row with all their strength to win the race. And that race is actually called the Pacu Jalur, which is an annual event held in Indonesia’s Pekanbaru region, according to Discover ASR.

It’s part of the larger Pacu Jalur Festival, which dates back to the 17th century and includes cultural performances, but the main attraction is the boat race. And yes, the kid dancing at the front is real. That kid (who changes from boat to boat) is known as the Tukang Tari, essentially a dancer whose job is to hype up the rowers and entertain the crowd, per National World. So no, the “Indonesian boat-racing kid” isn’t AI-generated or made up, he’s very much part of a long-standing tradition.

What makes the rowing event even more impressive is that the boats are reportedly handcrafted, designed with each team in mind. So while the memes and TikTok clips are entertaining, the cultural practice behind them is a big deal.

While plenty of people are using the Indonesian boat-racing kid to fuel memes and funny TikTok clips, there’s another term being thrown around with the viral clip: aura farming. Some are even calling him the “aura farming boat kid” because of how effortlessly he makes dancing at the front of a rowing boat look.

Aura farming is a Gen Alpha term used to describe doing something cool with zero effort. It can also be used to mock someone who’s trying too hard to seem impressive. In this case, the Indonesian kid doesn’t look like he’s doing much, though we’re pretty sure dancing on a speeding boat is harder than it looks, which is exactly why people are saying his only job is to aura farm.

So not only do the kids standing at the front of these row boats look cool and entertain both festival guests and rowers, but they apparently also contribute to the movement of the boat, according to a TikTok shared by @riaupos.