The Elfstedentocht last took place in 1997.
Almost a quarter of a century ago it was cold enough to allow this heroic ice skating competition to continue. The two hundred kilometers long speed race on natural ice always took place between the eleven Frisian cities. It is in the Frisian capital Leeuwarden, that the skaters left and arrived.
In order for the match to continue, the ice must be at least fifteen centimetres thick.
Immediately also the reason why this exhaustive competition can no longer continue. Due to global warming and pollution of the watercourses, insufficient ice is formed in winter. If it was predicted in 2001 that the probability of a possible passage was about ten out of 100, it has been reduced to zero in the last decades.
#elfstedentocht #schaatswedstrijd #friesland #milieu #winter #ijs #leeuwarden
(Photo and drawings: Pixabay)
