Where is the origin of Fierljeppen?
The Netherlands
Considered the oldest continual sport in The Netherlands, and one of the oldest in the world, the origins of fierljeppen trace back to the 16th Century. Early mentions come from the book Then en Nu (Then and Now), which speaks of Willem van der Meij.
When and where was the first Fierljeppen match held?
In 1771 the first official match was held in Friesland. By the 1930s the sport already closely resembled what it is today, and professional jumping arenas were created.
What equipment is used in Fierljeppen?
When it comes to fierljeppen, not just any pole will do. A polsstok has a round, flat base to prevent it from sinking into the muddy bottom of the canal. In the past, the poles were made of wood, then later constructed from aluminium.
What are the rules of Fierljeppen?
This bizarre Dutch sport is called Fierljeppen. The aim is to sprint towards the pole, then climb up as high as you can, and try to jump off and land on the sand island on the other side of a waterway. The pole is between 8 and 13 metres and it has a flat plate at the bottom to stop it sinking into the mud.
Where is Fierljeppen played?
province of Friesland
Fierljeppen (West-Frisian compound of fier—”far” and ljeppen—”leaping”) or polsstokverspringen is a traditional sport of the West Frisian people in the Dutch province of Friesland. The sport is nowadays also popular in the province of Utrecht which produced record holder Jaco de Groot.
Who invented canal jumping?
The unusual sport of canal jumping comes from The Netherlands (Holland), where it is called Fierljeppen. The contestants run and jump onto a pole, then do a shimmy to the top of the pole (some with the aid of bicycle inner tubes strapped to their feet), and then vault off to try and land on the opposite bank.
What is modern day Frisia?
Frisia, historic region of the Netherlands and Germany, fronting the North Sea and including the Frisian Islands. It has been divided since 1815 into Friesland, a province of the Netherlands, and the Ostfriesland and Nordfriesland regions of northwestern Germany.
What do you need to play Fierljeppen?
The goal is to jump over a water tank with a pole and land on the other bank. The competitor runs towards the canal with water, inserting the pole into the water, climbs up as high as possible, then to land as far as possible on the opposite sandy shore. The pole is 8 to 13 meters (from 26 to 43 ft).
What happened to the Frisians?
It is now a Dutch province. East Frisia was taken over by the Kingdom of Prussia, then annexed by the Kingdom of Holland and after that became a part of the French Empire before being re-annexed by Prussia. Today it is a district of the federal state of Lower Saxony in the Federal Republic of Germany.
What is Frisian descent?
Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are closely related to the Dutch, Northern Germans, and the English and speak Frisian languages divided by geographical regions.