Who is the sensational “boat boy”?

The viral “Indonesian Boat Racing Kid”—also dubbed the “aura farming boat boy”—who’s taken TikTok and Instagram by storm. Here’s the scoop:

 🌊 What’s going on?

• At Indonesia’s Pacu Jalur festival—an annual traditional boat race in Riau, Sumatra dating back to the 1600s—a child, called a Tukang Tari (literally “boat dancer”), stands at the front of the racing boat. Their job is to dance, direct, and hype up the rowers  .
• A video released in January 2025 by TikToker @lensa.rams shows one of these boys in a sleek black outfit energetically dancing on the bow. Although originally low-key, the clip exploded in June 2025 after being paired with upbeat music like “Young Black & Rich” by Melly Mike  .

🔥 Why is this kid so viral?

• Social media users have dubbed him an “aura farmer”, a meme term for people who effortlessly radiate coolness and charisma  .
• By June, meme creators and influencers were remixing the clip—one Instagram edit alone garnered over 6 million views in just a few days  .
• Fans are even calling his routine the “emote of the summer,” and TikTokers are recreating his dance—some even staging entire boat setups behind them!