The ice thickness in North Holland is still much too thin on the puddles and ditches to be able to skate. That says ice master Jan Koene of Jisper Ice Club. “It won’t get thick enough to skate in the coming week either.”
According to the 75-year-old ice master, it is now irresponsible to go on the ice. How is it possible that we sometimes see people skating on television and social media? “Because of course you can skate on a flooded meadow or ice rink, but here in the polder on natural ice it is really not possible. 1.5 centimeters is life-threatening. Now it may grow to 3 centimeters in the coming days, but also that’s still too thin. You just sink through it,” says Koene.
Elfstedentocht
Jan Koene is not yet suffering from skating fever. “The media have gone crazy. As soon as it starts to freeze you talk about the Elfstedentocht, but that is not the case at all. I also hope that we could organize the Bannetocht again here in our region. That is ten years ago was the last time ago. Then there will be 20 to 25 thousand people on the ice, but I also don’t see that happening for the time being. According to weatherman Jan, it will thaw again at the end of the week.”
Good news
“The good news is that winter has just started. So we will definitely have another winter season and hopefully we can skate later. In any case, I don’t see it happening in the coming week. The ice is much thin and unsafe. Go so absolutely not on the ice,” notes the experienced ice master.
Yet sometimes there are people who try very quickly every year with a few centimeters of ice and that surprises Koene. “I strongly advise against it, but if you go into the polder to skate, at least do it in pairs and take a piece of rope with a lancing device with you to hoist yourself out of the water. You are now guaranteed to go through it .”
Presenter and reporter Koen Bugter dares it anyway because “someone has to be the first” and that immediately results in soaking wet and ice-cold pants at the first step on the ice. Ice master Koene can laugh about it: “that’s what I mean: now you’re sitting with wet legs.”