Start of a new tradition in water sports

An outdated image, it quickly becomes evident when Joop Bongers, director of Sportvisserij Nederland, takes the floor. He begins to talk enthusiastically about street fishing, which is very popular with young people. A sport that allows you to crisscross the city with your rod and travel 15 kilometers to hunt fish in various places. The town’s canals are known for their good whitefish and zander and the ponds and lakes teem with carp and bream. An added bonus is that you can be sitting on a terrace in the sun in no time if they don’t want to bite. I can honestly see my sons doing it.

Well, you think, fish, but what am I supposed to do with this story?

For me it’s the perfect bridge to Friday, the day when the Dutch Water Week https://dutchwaterweek.com/programma/ To start up. With this event we want to form a showcase for water sports and show and experience how versatile and special these sports are. We are targeting two target groups: water sports enthusiasts and non-water sports enthusiasts. The first group should feel: cool! And the second is surprised and excited to try it for himself. We do this by presenting as many spectacular competitions as possible in a few days, including the Allianz Regatta. At the same time, almost everything you see can be tried out for yourself. For example, two days after the first Dutch E-foiling Championship, you can do your first meters on an E-foil (an electric surfboard, with which you float on the water). In the days that follow, there are different catamaran, windsurfing, sup and rowing clinics. You can even canoe with rangers.

Where it all happens is the water area between Amsterdam, Lelystad and Almere. With Pampus Island in the middle of the sailing and competition grounds, which turned into a food festival site for this special week. But top sports enthusiasts will also get their money’s worth here. A watchtower has been built on the island, on which matches can be followed with a rare beautiful overview.

In addition, various water terraces have been created spread across the two Dutch Water Week cities. We hope to receive as many volunteers and associations as possible and we are also organizing our association conference: The Future Is Water, aimed at the green ambitions of boating. Already registrations exceed our wildest expectations, but there are still a few places left (send me a personal email just to be sure). And while the success of the event will depend on wind and weather, we hope to lay the foundation stone in the water, building the start of a tradition for years to come. A meeting place around water, which should find a place alongside the great nautical traditions of this country, such as the Skûtjesilen, the Sneekweek, the Zeeland Regatta, the Kaagweek and the Veluwe Rally. Now it’s not just about sports, because you don’t have to be a water sports enthusiast to have good memories of these events. They connect generations of Dutch people.

I look forward to seeing you at Dutch Water Week†

Look here for the full Dutch Water Week program

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Arno van Gerven is director of the Royal Dutch Water Sports Association. Each week he tackles hot topics in water sports. Do you want to answer? Do so at [email protected].