By Sara Payne
This past February, Erik Wardenaar took first place in the 50 km race and is the new North American 50 km Speed Skating Marathon Champ!
In January this year, Sven Kramer, from Heerenveen, Friesland, became the European Champion in long track speed skating, and he and his teammates brought home several medals from the Vancouver Olympics in February. The heats span from 500 to 10,000 meters and are skated on a 400 meter oval. The Dutch team’s performance was no surprise as Dutchies have dominated the sport since the 17th century when races were held on frozen canals and lakes. Ice speed skating was evolved into a sport in the Netherlands, and for years was most popular in the Netherlands and in Norway. Today, it is considered the Dutch national sport, and its orange fans are famous for their enthusiasm, colorful attire, their cheery ompah-band, the Kleintje Pils, and their universal appreciation of speed skaters regardless of their countries of origin.
Beginning in the era of Eric Heiden, then Dan Jansen and Bonnie Blair, the US has produced some amazing speed skaters as well, often under the tutelage of veteran Dutch coaches. More recently, the number of elite U.S. speedskaters has expanded because of the cross-over with in-line skaters, many of whom developed their racing legs in southern states far from any ice ovals. Speed skating doesn't have a big following outside the Netherlands. In fact, U.S. speed skating long track phenomenon Shani Davis has remarked ruefully that he walks the streets of his native Chicago totally unrecognized, but the moment he steps off a plane at Schiphol, he is greeted by chants of “Shani, Shani, Shani” and high fives from his Dutch fans.
Another area of skating that has long been dominated by the Dutch is marathon skating. Many may be familiar with the Elfstedentocht, the 200 kilometer, 11-city race originally organized as a competition in 1909 and held at irregular intervals, whenever natural ice on the waterways is safe. Unfortunately, natural ice in the Netherlands seems to be more rare than ever, and the race has been held only 15 times in the past 100 years. Alternative races are held in other countries with colder winters and more ice, and Minnesota is becoming a central point for U.S marathon speedskating.
For the past three years, Bemidji, Minnesota and its solidly frozen Lake Bemidji have been the venue for the North American Marathon Speed Skating Championships. One of NAAM’s members, Erik Wardenaar, participates in the competition annually and is helping to spread the Dutch love of skating.
Erik lives in Golden Valley and trains each year for the Bemidji Marathon Championships. In the summer, he prepares with frequent 40 kilometer in-line training skates. During winter, he skates at the official 400 meter ice oval in Roseville and on his regulation-size, self-built oval that he maintains on a small neighborhood lake, Rice Lake, near his home just one block from Minneapolis. In winter, Erik makes daily (and often evening) rounds to shovel fresh snow, groom the ice and expand his skating period for as long as possible. In some years he is able to maintain his oval for two months, depending on weather conditions.
Erik’s local training has paid off well. He was able to officially compete in the National Marathon Championships beginning in February 2008 after Erik became a dual Dutch/US citizen. He raced again in 2009 and 2010. The first day of competition (Saturday), he skates the 25 kilometer race, and Sunday, he skates his favorite, the 50 kilometer race. From 2008 to 2009, Erik increased his standing by one place in the 50 km race, moving from 4th overall to 3rd place overall. This past February, Erik took first place in the 50 km race and is the new North American 50 km Speed Skating Marathon Champ!
Erik and his family are thrilled about his 2010 Marathon Championship. While he is very passionate about his training and the camaraderie of the competition, Erik is quick to point out that if this competition were held in the Netherlands, his performance would not show up on the radar. Still, for a Dutch/American man who grew up skating in Noord Holland and then was pleased to find more natural ice in his adopted Minnesotan homeland, Erik is proud that in the year that he will meet Abraham (on the 4th of July!), he can spread his enthusiasm for skating far from his native land in his role as the 50 km marathon champ.
While speed skating may not have a strong following outside of the Netherlands, the Dutch are highly popular with all speed skaters. For the past three years, it has been touching to Erik and his family that the officials of the North American Marathon Championships in Bemidji fly the Dutch flag along with those of the US and Canada, and also play the Wilhelmus (the Dutch national anthem) along with The Star Spangled Banner and O Canada at the beginning of each race in recognition of Erik and in homage to the fabulous Dutch who developed this sport over the centuries.
