Skating 200km at a temperature of minus 10-15C
In the 20th century the “Elfstedentocht”, could be organized 14 times. All consisted of a speed skating race which should deliver as winner the fastest skater over 200km on ice and an endurance test where the participants were tested whether they could skate 200 km in one day. We call the first "the race" and the second "the tour". Both events are taking place on the same ice and the same day passing through 11 cities in Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands. This event gained more and more popularity over time, especially after the heroic event in 1963 when only 69 people of the 10.000 participants could finish the tour because the ice and the wind made the event to a Siberian experience which required the maximum of the skaters. The winner, Reiner Paping, was immediately a national hero.
Because after that year during 22 years the event could not take place its popularity went out of proportion. When the event took place again in 1985 the TV broadcasted the race during the whole day and paid also a lot of attention to the tour. Along the route of the tour there are nowadays tens of thousands and ten thousands of spectators. In several cities they are accompanied by music groups.
Because after that year during 22 years the event could not take place its popularity went out of proportion. When the event took place again in 1985 the TV broadcasted the race during the whole day and paid also a lot of attention to the tour. Along the route of the tour there are nowadays tens of thousands and ten thousands of spectators. In several cities they are accompanied by music groups.
The best way to introduce to you the atmosphere of this event is by presenting parts of the video of the National Television of the last “Elfstedentocht” of 1997. The video shows first the start of the tour in Leeuwarden in the dark. 15.000 skaters participated in this tour. One of them was a skater of 74 years old, Willem Augustin. He got extra attention because he participated for the 10th time. I have reported about him earlier. Also that year he was able to finish the tour of 200km even though it was rather cold minus 10 - 15 degrees celcius and partly strong winds against while skating the last part in the dark.
Then follows the most interesting part; it shows some shots of the skaters in the tour and a talk with two Norwegian long distance speed skaters who were earlier world and Olympic champions, Johan Olav Koss and Geir Karlstadt. They came to the Netherlands to participate in the tour. They formulate, in English, how much they like the atmosphere." It is the best we have experienced in skating" Koss says, and "Whenever there is again an "Elfstedentocht" I come back wherever I am at that moment." So far this was the last "elfstedentocht". The climat prevents it. But there is also another side of the tour. This is shown later by people who have had accidents and could not go on but wanted to and even did so. There is a woman with open wounds who had to go to the hospital for treatment. When she came out of the hospital she saw a man with a bicycle and asked him where he went. He said: "to the ice". So she jumped at the back of the bicycle. At the ice she put on her skates again and went on skating. She finished the tour and shows the medal of the “Elfstedentocht”, very healthy again, standing on a skating track of 400 meters. The reporter asks her if there were people who said that she was completely crazy. She answers; “Yes, some even said that I should have been locked up but they don´t have the medal.” |
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This is a typical illustration how important this medal is for some Dutch people. This was also true for me.
Another group that suffers a lot is the group of people that comes just too late at a control post or the finish. They are not allowed to continue and do not get the medal.
I am sorry for the fact that most people speak in Dutch but I think that the atmosphere of the “elfstedentocht” will be very clear.
Another group that suffers a lot is the group of people that comes just too late at a control post or the finish. They are not allowed to continue and do not get the medal.
I am sorry for the fact that most people speak in Dutch but I think that the atmosphere of the “elfstedentocht” will be very clear.