A sporting event that belongs on a postcard. NH Sport reporter Stephan Brandhorst traveled to Aachen, just across the border in Germany, with pole vaulter Menno Vloon. There he saw one of the most beautiful entourages for an athletics competition. “This is how you really give a match prestige.”
The idea came about during a sunny Ascension Day. Menno Vloon, the best pole vaulter in the Netherlands, was jumping in the middle area. While many athletes are completely focused on their upcoming competition, I get to talking to the Zaandammer. “If you really want to film something cool, you should go to Aachen,” he said.
I had already seen some videos on Instagram of so-called ‘market competitions’. Vloon regularly drives to German cities such as Dessau, Düsseldorf, Wesel and therefore also Aachen. A large jumping festival takes place every year on the square in front of the Aachen Cathedral.
Jumping
After some mutual contact, I decided to travel to Aachen. The initial idea was to ride in Menno’s van, but schedules did not allow that. And so we agreed that we would meet in Aachen.
The Domspringen in Aachen was scheduled for September 11. Lost sunglasses caused some delays and the traffic jam along the way didn’t help, but I still got to the center in plenty of time. Vloon shared his location on WhatsApp and we met near the Cathedral.
For the movable poles, the pole vaulter, who had just finished eleventh at the Olympic Games, received a few questions from the Polizei. The idea was that he was not allowed to park there and the rather long object on his roof also raised eyebrows.
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Balancing the poles a few meters long on his shoulders, Vloon then walked to the competition site. I really didn’t expect what we found there. Grandstands with room for 3,000 spectators in one of the most beautiful places in Germany. Directly in front of the Aachen Cathedral. It was impressive to see how close everyone was.
As press, I was lucky enough to be able to actually stand on top of the track to film everything. The track was located on a wooden platform of one meter. Next to it was a narrow strip with the advertising boarding next to it and immediately behind it the audience sat. Little room to maneuver, but that makes it an extra cozy circumstance.
Gemütlich
What was also striking: by German standards it was not over-organized at all. I was able to walk around freely, stand next to the mat with my camera without anyone asking what I was doing or telling me to move to a different spot.Sehr gemütlichshall we say.
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Through the lens of the camera I saw the athletes flying over great heights. Very impressive when you stand right next to it. When jumping in, Vloon easily flew over about five meters. I wanted to interview him before the match. That didn’t seem to be possible anymore, because the run-up was a bit messy and check-in at his hotel took longer than usual.
But in his own unique way he unexpectedly stood next to me. “Shall we do the interview now?” he asked. Suddenly we found ourselves in a beautiful spot. On the stairs, next to the bobos, just before he was introduced to the audience. I still remember his enthusiasm. You could tell from everything that he loved jumping in Aachen. He was allhyped.
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The athletes started jumping at a rapid pace. One even higher than the other. Vloon had determined his starting height and reached it immediately. The next jump was also an immediate hit. It promised to be an exciting evening, until the weather gods in Aachen made themselves heard. It was raining cats and dogs and the Dom jumping literally fell into the water. Due to the slippery conditions it became too dangerous for the athletes and the evening ended suddenly. More than an hour and a half earlier than planned.
Although Vloon won the match, he was disappointed that the evening was over so quickly. He really wanted to treat the audience to an unforgettable evening and achieve great heights himself. Afterwards I sat at a Greek restaurant, one of the few where there was still room due to the weather, eating a pita gyros. Vloon was invited by the organization to have dinner in a chic restaurant. There must be a difference.
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A day later there was nothing left of the Domspringen. The site was cleared at breakneck speed and the Cathedral was as peaceful as ever. A special event that is unthinkable in the Netherlands, because pole vaulting has little prestige. But also perhaps because there are few such picturesque places to be found.
Stephan Brandhorst
