The Netherlands has an extended historical past of skateboarding relationship again to the Nineteen Sixties when Mr. Beenhakker, the proprietor of the Eerste Sprangse Metaalwaren Industrie (ESMI) roller-skate manufacturing facility in Deurne, expanded into skateboards.
The proprietor is interviewed in a implausible classic movie on the NCRV Teen Journal from November 5, 1965. The movie features a group of youth demonstrating their expertise at a curler skate rink in Eindhoven. The skate boarders are undoubtedly adapting their expertise as ice-skaters to their new toy.
Simply because the skateboarding trade took a dip within the Nineteen Sixties and reemerged within the Nineteen Seventies in the USA, so did the recognition of skateboarding return to Holland. And that is the place the story will get thrilling.
Within the August 1978 challenge of the Nationwide Skateboard Evaluate, I seen on web page 16, within the Worldwide Skateboard Affiliation Experiences (I.S.A.) that there was one “Laura Engel – Heemsteede, Holland” listed underneath the Amateurs membership listing. The title is fairly widespread, so I wasn’t hopeful that I’d ever discover her, however I jotted it down in my listing.
Curiously, on the identical web page, underneath the heading “Sustaining Board Associates” was one thing known as “Coala Sports activities” with the handle Koog a/d Zaan [Koog aan de Zaan], Holland, and I finally discovered that Coala sports activities was really Laura’s brother’s hang-gliding college – “The Coala Flying College.” Alex Engel was an entrepreneur and coach and started actively selling skateboarding amongst Dutch youth alongside his sister, Laura.
Images under: British skateboard group performing a demo in Vondelpark, Amsterdam in 1978 by Dutch photographer, Bert Verhoeff.
I used Google translate, and with some key phrases together with “1978” and “Laura Engel”, stumbled upon a newspaper clipping from the Zandvoort Newspaper with an article known as “Rolplankiers startten in bennenbad,” revealed on January 15, 1979. In unfastened translation, and with assist from my Dutch sister-in-law, I understood that Mr. Alex Engel had turn into a producer and importer of skateboards and had shaped a “Coala” skateboard demonstration group consisting of his sister, Mark van de Berg, Bert Rinkel, Tek Djie, Paul Jansen, and Rick Pimentel.
The article defined that the Engels have been promoting security gear, full skateboards, and coaching classes. Because of the recognition of skateboarding in Zandvoort, the primary Dutch Skateboard Affiliation was based there. And it feels like teaching grew to become Alex Engel’s calling since I used to be capable of finding him on-line because the founding father of the Dutch Order of Skilled Coaches (NOBCO). After I reached out, he was enthusiastic in regards to the venture and inspired Laura to answer.
One other Dutch newspaper, the Leidse Courant from August 19, 1978, additionally featured the Engel household in reference to skateboarding. The article, “Schaatsplank niet meer te stuiten” quoted Alex, who mentioned that skateboarding “is and stays a harmful sport… I additionally rely myself among the many enthusiastic practitioners however am quickly disabled resulting from an unlucky fall on my tailbone. The issue is that within the enjoyable that skateboarding provides, the chance is ingrained as a set factor. You’re continuously busy mastering methods that you haven’t but mastered. The fun lies in that self-conquest… it’s important to make errors frequently.” Alex priced out a helmet (25-30 guilders), arm and knee pads (50-60 guilders) and gloves (25-50 guilders), appropriate for skate boarders.
The Netherlands Skateboard Championship was marketed as developing that weekend at Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam, which is an ice rink named after a Dutch athlete. The venue has additionally hosted music live shows from ABBA, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden to Run-DMC. It was anticipated that, “A couple of hundred girls and boys will compete for honors in two classes: slalom and freestyle. Guests pay 2.50 guilders entrance price.”
Dutch Nationwide Skateboard Championships (1978) by Hans Peters
I then acquired an electronic mail from Laura who confirmed that she was the Dutch feminine skateboarding champion in 1978 and 1979! And, she shared a implausible video that featured her in a promotional video for Holland’s first skatepark on Flevopolder (an island close to Amsterdam).
Right here’s a montage of Laura, and right here’s the hyperlink for the full video – discover that Laura is carrying her Coala model t-shirt.
I continued to dig within the hopes of discovering a photograph of Laura and I got here fairly shut whereas reviewing the Fb web page of Claude Queryel, the main skateboard historian from France who runs the Countless Strains web site. I had searched his photograph albums utilizing the phrases “filles” and “femmes,” when a photograph of a thriller skater appeared. The caption acknowledged, “Skater of Workforce Amsterdam, Paris Worldwide Championships, organized by the F.F.S.S. [French Skateboard Federation], Levi’s [jeans], and Europe 1 [radio station], September 16-17 1978.” Claude additionally posted a photograph of the thriller lady skating freestyle.
That’s implausible that Rodolfo’s sponsored this younger lady who made it to Paris, and if anybody remembers her title or has a connection, I’d like to realize it!
The pictures appeared acquainted, after which I remembered they have been from an article known as “5 filles et 5 skates” had appeared within the French journal Djin in 1978, which acknowledged the demonstration in Paris from September. Whereas the Dutch lady wasn’t interviewed for the journal, 5 different French women have been: Pascale ? (22), Laurence Lannes (18), Naomi Harris (15), Valerie ? (18), and Veronique (14).
Nobody may establish the Dutch skater on the Fb publish, however I believed that it was Laura as a result of on the underside of the Powerflex skateboard, the phrases COALA have been repeated – Alex Engel’s firm.
However, Laura defined that it was not her, however fairly one other lady (title forgotten) who was sponsored by the Rodolfo’s skateboard store in Amsterdam. Rodolfo’s remains to be in enterprise, and was based by Rolf Veenendaal based on a Dutch article on-line and is revered amongst skateboard historians in Holland.
Skateboarding continued to outlive within the Eighties within the Netherlands, as described on the SkateLab Netherlands web site. And, inside the final twenty years there’s been an superior contingent of proficient Dutch feminine road skate boarders, all of whom are Olympians!
Sweet Jacobs led the way in which within the early 2000s on the European championships and past, identified for her mastery of skating ledges and rails, fashionable blunt-to-fakie flip-tricks on transition, and for her resilience contemplating among the accidents and set-backs she’s confronted.
Keet Oldenbeuving was a baby prodigy who continues to push the extent of technical methods for girls, at all times discovering distinctive methods to skate a road course, incorporating shuv-its and reverts out and in of boardslides and grinds with a smile.
After which Roos Zwetsloot has upped the sport, being the primary lady to 50-50 grind the legendary Hollywood 16 handrail in Los Angeles (celebrated in Thrasher December 2021) and she will now boast a variety of signature skateboard gear (wheels, board, sneakers!) due to her sponsors. The trio are at all times a risk at contests like SLS, Purple Bull, and the Olympics whereas sustaining tremendous constructive vibes, supporting their associates!
I’ve full confidence that feminine skate boarders within the Netherlands will proceed to thrive!