Skate happenings in the Netherlands

20/05/1998: On the first of June, there will be a touring trip for inline skaters and skeeler riders, organized by Sport- en Gezondheidscentrum Madou, Dunantweg 14, Deurne, phone 0493-311348. The start is at 9:30, register from 9:00. Registration fee is f7,50, for which you get something to drink and you are entered in the prize drawing at the end. Distances are 5, 15 and 30 km, on mostly silent roads and bike paths. Participants can either skate alone or in one of two groups: 16-20 kmh or 20-23 kmh.

05/05/1998: In the middle of June, the Brabantse Skate Vierdaagse will be organized, with distances of 20, 40 or 60 kilometers, and a finish in Beekse Bergen. Apparently there was an article about this in Einhovense Dagblad on the 24th of april. 20/05/1998: Update: Those four days turned into two: the 13th and 14th of june, from Beekse Bergen, through Eersel to Eindhoven, with arranged transportation of luggage. More information.

05/05/1998: On the 20th of may, 1998, in Enschede: Dutch Inline Student Championships (Nederlands Studenten Kampioenschap Skeeleren), organised by the Drienerlose Schaats Vereniging de Skeuvel. It's open for all university and HBO students. For more information, contact Jeroen de Zoeten at 053-4760245 or Marjan Koerselman at 053-4336025.

23/02/1998: On the 23rd of may, 1998: Art On Wheels: Turn At The Edge - Theatre on Wheels. A dance-theatre show on wheels with inline skaters, quadskaters, skateboarders, wheelchairs and bikers. Location: Spuiplein, The Hague. Shows in the afternoon and evening, and skate-in during the afternoon. For more information call: Erzsebet Hatvari, 070-3643474.

20/02/1998: Harald has a page of happenings in the North of the Netherlands. Go and send him some stuff!

08/01/1998: A regular rollerdisco in Eindhoven, Herentaalseweg. For inlines, quads and skate-dancers.

970819: If you live in Amsterdam, you may be interested in the Friday Night Skate, or in the Dutch version. A regular event, every friday evening (provided the roads are not wet). This is getting bigger and bigger, last week about 35 skaters!

Doetinchem, organised by IJsclub Doetinchem '96 (IJD'96). They have a track and instructors, free entrance (even for non-members) but helmet is compulsory (can be rented), time from 10am to 12am.

Sunday, June 22nd 1997 in Zuiderpark, Den Haag, (soccer stadium of ADO Den Haag), there is an inline skating event organized by Liptonice/Bauer. It features a fun tour (10 kms), a 10 kms race, a street hockey tournament, fastest street hockey shot competition, ramps, shows and a street circuit with lots of obstacles. They have a Dutch web page.

Saturday, June 14th 1997, in Weert (L), there is an inline skating competition. Distances, 2.4km, 6.2km and 10km. Admission costs: f3,-, f5,- or f7,-. Starts at 18:15, call Huub Neijnens at 0495-532744 for registration, or go to Cafe de Tramhalt, Maasstraat 47, Weert. Afterwards, at 21:00, there is a skeeler match, 30 minutes plus one round.

Rai Unlimited is a yearly event in the Rai in Amsterdam. It has inline skating, skateboarding, snowboarding and much more. Last year (1996) it had the finals of the International In-Line Skate Series and the Highest Air Contest, with lots of well-known skaters. (Of course, if you don't want to compete, you can still try all the obstacles!) And it was held from the 13th until the 15th of december. Go and take a look at the Dutch web site, which appears not to exist anymore. Perhaps the event will not be as yearly as planned?

In Den Haag, there is Skateland, an indoor skatehall of about 1000 m2 with what sounds like a lot of obstacles. Their opening hours are wednesday afternoon from 13 to 17, entrance f6,00, friday night from 19 to 22, only for experienced inline skaters, from 06/03/1998, entrance f7,50, saturday afternoon from 14 to 17, entrance f6,00, only for skateboarders, saturday night from 19 to 23, entrance f10,00, sunday afternoon from 14 to 18, entrance f7,50. There are discounts for members. They rent gear, too. The address is Loosduinseweg 631, Den Haag, or write to them at Postbus 2384, 3000 CJ Rotterdam. You can take tram 2 or 12, bus 122, 123 or 126 to get there. Their phone number is 070-4272509.

Frans and Kaarina told me that there is a roller skating club in Rotterdam who have two tracks. Apart from rollerhockey etc., there is a small group of people who practice icedancing (rollerdancing), and would like to meet other people who are interested in this. Send them a mail if you're interested.

Older information.

'Sky & Hi', who according to Peter Foliant (peter@win.tue.nl) might have some links with Lageja, have organised a three-day skate party in the Beursgebouw in Eindhoven. They also have plans to organise a couple of one-day parties. Peter went to the three-day party, and writes: There was a track around the middle of the hall, with some space for demos and a half-pipe inside it. Also I saw some stands with skates and skating clothes and there was a stand of In-Line Magazine Nederland. Off to the side was a smaller half-pipe, and some other jumping stuff, such as a quarter pipe (?) and a grind bar. They played mainly house music. Outside there was a jumping cushion, and a climbing wall. I'm not sure if all this will be there on a one-day party.

I went to the one-day party on the 23rd of october, in the Brabantballen in Den Bosch, and it seems like they had mainly the same stuff as what Peter writes about, above. They played rather loud music, and had bad lighting conditions, quite unfit for taking photographs. Lots of stands by Bauer, K2, Rollerblade, etc. And lots of skaters. It was perhaps a bit too crowdy at the worst moment, but it was a lot of fun.

There's also a chance that there will be another skate-party in the ZeelandHallen in Goes. However, it seems the ZeelandHallen are quite booked up, so there might not be any time to fit in a skate-party. Keep looking, though.

At RSI I picked up a flier of 'Bibelot', who seem to organise regular skate evenings. This is both for quads and inlines, but no boards. Their address is Bibelot, Wijnstraat 117, Dordrecht, 078-133482. Parties are on both the first and third thursday in a month. For the coming months this is: 20th october, 3rd and 17th of november, 1st and 15th of december. Entrance is free, and you can rent skates (quads or inline?) for f5,- + identification.

RSI is also going to be at the roller-ski track in Rotterdam every sunday during the summer, so you can practice and rent skates there. Rent is approximately 40 guilders for a whole weekend, though you have to deposit one check or 300 guilders, which you'll get back when you return the skates. (Does anyone know prices per day?) You can find the roller-ski track in Het Hoge Bergse Bos in Bergschenhoek (Rotterdam), near the climbing tower and the mountainbike track. RSI will be on the parking place.

Every sunday, from 19:30-21:30, there's a roller disco at Sporthal Oostenburg, Oostenburgergracht 151, 1018 ND Amsterdam, 020-6206767 or 020-6388921. Entrance is f4,50, and they have music and disco lights. There's a maximum of 75 people, and the doors are open from 19:00. There's a couple of conditions your skates have to meet: No black brakes, no sharp parts, clean, have to put them on inside, and you have to tape your skates when you don't have a brake.

Every thursday there is a skateparty in the Nieuwe Silo, Westerdoksdijk 51, Amsterdam. It starts at 20.00, and lasts until around 3.00. The music is disco until 22.00, and changes to house after that. They have interesting lighting: slides and movies, etc. Admission is f5,-, with discounts for CJP, Stadspas and 65+. There is also a special arrangement with NOPPES Amsterdam. For more information, mail to bor.

Again, this is only a very meagre bit of information right now. I know that, but I hope it will grow. You can actively contribute to that growth by sending me information on skating in the Netherlands.

johannes@nada.kth.se