So, what’s the big deal with this Dutch ice skating race anyway? Why do the normally sober-minded Dutch send their military out to shovel lakes and canals? Why are newspapers in the Netherlands filled with statistics of ice thickness and thaw dates when they should be concentrating on the European economic situation? One word: elfstedenkoorts. Eleven cities fever strikes the lowlands during any prolonged cold snap. The Dutch strap on their ice skates and begin to wonder if this is the year the ultimate ice race can be held.
The Elfstedentocht, also known as the Eleven Cities Tour, it is a long-distance speedskating race held in the north of the Netherlands when ice conditions are right. The Dutch have speedskating in their blood. Along with soccer, it is one of their national pastimes. Successful Olympians Ard Schenk, Rintje Ritsma and more recently Sven Kramer are household names rivaling Dutch footballers Johan Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp and Ruud van Nistelrooy. The winner of the ultimate competition on ice becomes an instant celebrity.
To understand the obsession, one must know that it’s not a speedskating race, but the speedskating race. The 125-mile (200 km) marathon is grueling. Imagine setting off from New York City and ending up in Wilmington, Delaware in the course of a day – on skates! Typically, modern races are won in around 7 hours. The winners average just less than 20 miles per hour. However, many competitors are on the course for much longer. In bad weather, such as the ‘Hell of 1963′, even the winners can take over 10 hours. Skaters must check in at several checkpoints and finish by midnight to receive a race medal.
The checkpoints are located in the 11 ancient cities in the northern province of Friesland. Friesland is a province with about 650,000 inhabitants, most descended from the Frisian people, a Germanic tribe which has inhabited the region for thousands of years. The Frisians maintain their own language and unique identity within the larger context of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. When the decision to hold the race is made, the leader of the skating association declares “It Giet Oan!” (“It’s on!” in the Frisian language.) This declaration brings up to 2 million visitors to the province which is often otherwise seen as a rural backwater area. They spread out along the route in cities ranging from the provincial capital Leeuwarden (pop. 100,000) to tiny Sloten (pop. 760.) Some cities, including Heerenveen with its famous soccer team and Thialf Ice Area, are left out completely as they were never granted city rights in ancient times.
Skaters must be members of the 30,000-strong Vereniging de Friesche Elf Steden (Association of Eleven Frisian Cities.) Only half the members are allowed to skate each year as participation is limited to 16,000 skaters to preserve safe ice conditions. In 1986, Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander was one of the lucky skaters, registered under a fake name to avoid detection. As the tour has only been held 15 times since 1909, many skaters are desperate to participate. Unfortunately for them, permission to skate is non-transferable (the secondary market would be astronomical so maybe the entrepreneurial Dutch will allow this in the future!) Many skaters compete in other outdoor races ranging from small town affairs to national championships (the Dutch tend to prefer to natural ice over indoor arenas.) There is even an alternative Elfstedentocht held outside the Netherlands in years when the weather is not cold enough in Friesland. These have been held in Finland, Austria, Canada and several other countries.
A minimum of 15 centimeters (approximately 6 inches) of ice is generally needed along the route. While the Dutch are famous for maintaining water levels in their low-lying nation, they also do their best to manipulate the ice when the temperature drops. Many locals (aided this year by the Dutch military) shovel snow from lakes and canals to promote further ice growth. In some cases, ice is transplanted into weak spots along the route. Alternatively, there are kluning points set up where racers must exit the weak ice and walk on the land wearing their skates (yes, the Dutch love skating so much that they have a word for walking in skates!)
The obsession only subsides when the weather warms up and the ice begins to break apart. However, many visitors enjoy visiting the eleven cities in better weather. Trips are available by bike, boat or other means to visit the cities in one day or at a more leisurely pace over several days. Unlike speedskaters, tourists take in bucolic views of typical Dutch windmills, cows and farm fields. Visitors can even stop at a bridge covered in tiles commemorating those who have completed the tour. These tourism dollars are valued in the province, but pale in comparison to the crush of visitors during the Elfstedentocht.
This year the Frisians and their Dutch compatriots are hoping to hear “It Giet Oan!” When this occurs, the country practically shuts down. The roads and railways into Friesland are jammed with visitors hoping to cheer on their skating heroes. Skaters and visitors struggle to find hotel vacancies and are put up in local homes, factories and even soccer stadiums. The de facto holiday is celebrated around the country as many gather around the TV to see who will be the new champion.