With the many surfers there is often enough going on on the beach of IJmuiden. The World Cup livesaving for soldiers this weekend meant that there was even more to experience.
It looks spectacular and soon one thing is clear: this is a sport for go-getters, especially with this strong wind and high waves. Wim de Klerk, official: “How tough do you have to be? Very tough. We can’t do anything here with sissies.”
Although there was not a lot of audience, saving in competition is an interesting spectator sport, according to him. “There are so many different parts. That makes it very attractive. Is it a real competitive sport? I think the participants especially cherish the Olympic thought: participating is more important than winning.” Nynke Ytsma is one of the female participants in the Dutch team, which performs differently. “In many other countries it is taken a lot more seriously.”
Olympic rings
Nick Alink, another member of the Dutch squad, even just spotted a Brazilian with Olympic rings tattooed on his body, meaning he has been a participant in the biggest sporting event in the world. Nick: “That says enough. We will compete with that. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s great to be able to participate here.”
The World Cup is having its last day on the beach of IJmuiden today.