Carmela Borba rides her bike under the lights of a nightclub in Indonesia on a horizontal track inside a cylindrical barrel called the Devil’s Barrel.
A smiling Borba rides a barrel bike in Bogor, West Java, and opens her arms to collect treats from happy onlookers above.
Borba is one of the few women who perform such acrobatics in Indonesia. The 23-year-old told AFP before resurrecting a performance that very few women perform on bikes at the “wall of death.” She adds: “I was unique in my beginning, resurrecting performing within this structure… so I wanted to do something different and do something that no one else was doing.”
For decades, the “devil’s barrel” has been the main attraction of carnivals in Indonesia, especially in rural areas where the entertainment options available are very limited.
Under the influence of centrifugal force, cyclists inside the cylinder ride at high speeds without any protective equipment, and the air is filled with the smell of rubber from the tires.
Borba grew up in a poor environment, as she made a living begging on the streets of the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia, and then eight years ago got a job that provided her with a higher income, since she received about six million rupees. ($410) per month. A young woman can earn up to Rs 400,000 ($27) a day in tips for her acrobatic act.
But at the beginning of her career, she faced questions about choosing this activity as a profession. “People said to me: “You are a woman, why are you doing this job? It’s not suitable for women,” she says, adding, “I’ve been criticized a lot.” Fans are finally starting to enjoy what Borba has to offer and have nicknamed her the “Princess of the Wall of Death”. Now she is one of the brightest stars of the carnival.
“It’s interesting to see a woman riding a bike on the wall of death and this show has become the main attraction of this night sector because people are curious,” spectator Sumarno told AFP while watching Borba’s performance. “They didn’t believe a woman could do such a dangerous job,” he added.