The Indonesian Independence Day competition in which teams climb a greased tree is called panjat pinang.
Panjat pinang is a traditional Indonesian game associated especially with Independence Day on August 17. A tall areca palm trunk, or a modern substitute, is coated with grease and topped with prizes such as food, household goods, or sporting equipment.
Teams work together by forming human ladders so one participant can climb toward the prizes. The slippery trunk makes cooperation essential, and spectators commonly enjoy the humorous attempts as much as the eventual result.
The game is widely linked to public festivities across Indonesia, although its precise historical development is discussed in relation to the country’s colonial-era past. It should not be confused with sepak takraw, a ball sport, or karapan sapi, the traditional bull-racing event associated with Madura.