The Bartlehiem skeelertocht
The video below shows that the bridge of Bartlehiem is a very irrelevant point in the Friesian Landscape. It is just small wooden bridge across a canal which is connected to another canal.
However, if the Elfstedentocht occurred the situation is quite different (see below). If the skaters of the Elfstedentocht, pass the bridge of Bartlehiem they enter the canal that connects the last two cities in the tour Dokkum and Leeuwarden. The skaters have to go to the left to go to Dokkum and from there they have to go back to the bridge of Bartlehiem to continue to the endpoint, Leeuwarden. The public at the bridge have a clear picture of the development in the race. This is also a famous place from tv reports about the Elfstedentocht.
Given this situation, this was a good name for new initiative The bartlehiem skeelertocht. Skeeler was at that time the Dutch word for an inline skate.
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Given this situation, this was a good name for new initiative The bartlehiem skeelertocht. Skeeler was at that time the Dutch word for an inline skate.
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The first time this race was organized, many of the participants in the last Elfstedentocht participated and also many participants from the Marathon competition. In the first race 170 skaters started of which only 54 finished the race. Below is the finish of the first race in 1988.
From left to right: Ferwerda, Oosten, De Boer, Hagen and Van der Weide
The winner was Albert de Boer , Oege Fermerda and Marcel Oosten became second and third.
Since 1988 each year this 100km race was organized. One of the skaters who was most successful in this race was Erik Hulzenbosch.
The winner was Albert de Boer , Oege Fermerda and Marcel Oosten became second and third.
Since 1988 each year this 100km race was organized. One of the skaters who was most successful in this race was Erik Hulzenbosch.