Illinoistocht

  • Home
    • Links
    • Contact
  • Canal Information
    • Canal Tour
    • Canal Facts
    • Canal Photos
    • Bicycling the Hennepin and I&M
  • Skating
    • Natural Ice Skating Photos
    • Speed skating in USA
  • Blog
    • Miscellaneous Extra: Pacific Coast Bike Tour
 

Dutch skate on the canals by the millions the past week

1/12/2009

0 Comments

 

AP Photo of Kinderdijk mill area near Rotterdam on 3 January 2009.
 

This past weekend of January 10 and 11, nearly 1 million Dutch people took to the ice of the canals of the Netherlands.  It was reported that “…over 100,000 people took part in or­ganized skating tours through the Dutch countryside on Sunday, the skating as­sociation KNSB told news agency ANP.  In total, there were 23 organized routes, ranging in length from 10 to 200km. It was the first time in 12 years that skating tours over natural ice have taken place. All over the country, experienced and novice skat­ers flocked to rivers, lakes and outdoor ice rinks and there was heavy traffic conges­tion along the narrow country roads in popular skating areas. In total up to half a million people enjoyed the ice this week­end, ANP said.”  (from DutchNews.nl 12 Jan 2009).

The photos are really amazing to see.  One is reminded of the paintings of Dutch baroque artists such as Hendrick Avercamp, albeit with the addition of lycra, Gore-Tex, and better skates in the modern photographs.  Every world class art museum seems to have frozen Dutch landscape paintings, with the exception of maybe the Chicago Art Institute, which to me seems a glaring omission.  Maybe in the renovation they'll add one. 

Link to more photos: http://www.knsb.nl/upload/natuurijs/2009/

Hendrick Avercamp, A Scene On The Ice, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Editor - Jim

    This blog weighs in on topics such as long-distance skating, the Illinois canals, cycling, and a variety of related (and occasionally not-so-related) topics.  I'd like to correspond with others interested in skating the Hennepin and I&M canals. 

    Archives

    November 2020
    June 2015
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    December 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    September 2008
    July 2008

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed