In 1995, having achieved my fifth decade of life, I noticed my body changing rapidly to the pear-shaped. It was time to "shake my booty" or risk having the pudgy look. I joined a health club with many fancy exercise and weight machines. I found a beat-up Concept 2 rowing machine and tried it out. I really liked it and eventually purchased one for home. The rowing machine gives a great, total body workout that beats stairclimbers, stationary bicycles, etc.
I used to play ice hockey in college and for several years after. But I became less interested in team sports and needed a solo sport that could get me outdoors as well. Speedskating, on ice and on wheels, turns out to be a great choice. It's a nice complement to the indoor rower and has a big connection to The Netherlands (Did I tell you I am a Dutchophile?). Speedskating comes in several forms: short track, long track, and natural ice (lakes, rivers and canals). I particularly enjoy marathon skating on natural ice which gives opportunities for travel to cold countries.
My first skating-related trip was to Finland in 1996. It was great. You can see my photographs of Finland which include a few off-the-ice images.
1997 was a big year for marathon speedskating. This was the year of the most recent "Elfstedentocht", the eleven cities tour. This is a 200km tour/race on canals connecting the small towns of Friesland, a region of The Netherlands. Friesland is the epicenter of speedskating.
I arrived in the Netherlands a few days after the Elfstedentocht 1997 and spent a glorious week skating on the canals. As you might expect is was usually cold during this period. The canals only freeze once every ten years or so and the period can last from days to a few weeks at most. You can check out my photographs of The Netherlands and savor the icy canals.
Here are some important Frisian links:
Copyright 2000, David A. Cohen All rights reserved.