(13 Feb 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4310989
Dozens of skaters took to the frozen surface of Amsterdam's historic Prinsengracht canal Saturday as the deep freeze gripping Europe briefly made it possible to skate on a small section of the canal for the first time since 2018.
People skated and walked on a small stretch of ice between two bridges close to the landmark Westerkerk before growing cracks in the ice forced all but the most daring off the ice.
One man even slithered across the ice on a skateboard deck without wheels.
One resident, Marc Burkett, described it as a "once-every-so-many-years experience" as he laced up his skates before taking to the canal.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands, people flocked to frozen lakes to enjoy the ice before the start of an expected thaw in the coming days.
Parents pulled children in sleds, youngsters played hockey, and even dogs took to the ice.
The country's skating association and local authorities called on people to take to the ice close to their homes to avoid overcrowding at popular lakes that would prevent social distancing amid the country's tough coronavirus lockdown.
Arguably the greatest skating event of them all, the roughly 200-kilometre (125 mile) 11 Cities Tour in the northern province of Friesland, is a non-starter this year even if the ice is strong enough to hold some 25,000 competitors.
Organizers have ruled it out amid the current lockdown.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Ещё видео!