This is what can go wrong during your Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour

A recreational skater had never skated the Weissensee before. Even so, he was certain: he would complete the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour there straight away. An enthusiastic attitude, but it turned out differently.

Membership of the Friesche Elf Steden

That skater actually wanted to join the Koninklijke Vereniging de Friesche Elf Steden. That requires declarations of skating ability from current members. The senior editors of dionvacation , for instance.

Members give such a statement when they believe you really could complete the tour. That is hard when we have never seen you ‘in action’. Which was the case with this skater.

He asked for a statement all the same. First, because he was training seriously. Second, because he was going to skate the Weissensee:

• “I will finish those 200 km all right. I am not worried about that. I have pulled off tougher things in my past.”

Never pulling out, never stepping off

He went on:

• “And if the conditions there are very bad, such as a lot of wind, bad ice or snowfall, I am still not that worried. The only thing that will stop me is breaking my legs. I will never pull out or step off, as long as I can still stand.”
• “A human body can take more than you think. In difficult situations perseverance and mental resilience come into play, and that happens to be something I am good at. This may come across as somewhat arrogant, but it is not that at all.”

Almost three months after his account he really did set off. The Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour had begun. This is how it ended:

• “A heavy thaw all night. And rain and snow during the tour. At the start I already knew: I am far too heavy for this ice. That ice was bad, I can tell you. (…) The first 100 km went reasonably well. But after that it was more like walking on your skates than skating. After 160 km I was not allowed another lap.”

Unforeseen circumstances on the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour

However strong you are yourself, sometimes there are simply unforeseen circumstances. As in this story: the organisation takes him off the ice because of the situation on the ice.

And there are more things that can throw a spanner in the works, among them equipment trouble along the way.

Recreational and racing skaters alike sometimes ride into the cracks. That can, especially if it happens repeatedly, leave you with a bent blade. Skating on properly is then no longer possible. And a fall can break the clap mechanism of the skate.

A piece can even break off the blade steel. That is extremely rare, but there are skaters who have experienced it.

• You can also suffer frostbite , despite an apparently good outfit.
• Finally, someone else can accidentally take you down with them. Who knows, you might break something.

Staying wildly enthusiastic, and being proud of what you achieve

These are rare situations, of course. Serious training and mental resilience take you a long way. And that wildly enthusiastic attitude matters. It becomes very hard indeed if you do not believe in it yourself. A positive approach gives you energy. You go for it. Quite right too.

Make sure you are ready for it yourself. And be aware that ‘success’ is not always something you can engineer. The Weissensee can be mercilessly hard.

Much of it is in your own hands. But not everything. And that is fine. Because if you have fought for all you are worth, you can be proud of what you achieved all the same.