I've heard that speed skating was invented in the Fens during the 19th century. Is this true?
Answers:
Why did China get the Olympics ?
NO- In the Netherlands Skating served as a way to travel over the canals. The Netherlands is the birth place of speed skating 1676 is the date given for the first official competition. From there the sport spread throughout Northern Europe.Speed Skating was introduced to England by the Frieslanders (Islands that are part of the Netherlands) in an area from Cambridge to the Walsh known as the Fens. As a result Speed Skating in England was originally known as Fens Skating. First official competition in England 1814.
Maybe, - but, to ME, anyway, - it seems a bit more LIKELY, that the sport came from somewhere, like NORWAY, or SWEDEN, originally! Their CLIMATE is much better SUITED to it, than that of the United Kingom!
No, silly, it was invented by the 'Dutch' ( correctly called Netherlanders ), in 1637.
In 1593 a man called Conrad Guestner brought the first tulip bulb to Holland from Constantinople. By the 1630's the desire to own tulips had become such a craze that trading in tulips exceeeded virtually all other markets. At one point a single tulip bulb could fetch today's equivalent of about 57,000 euros.
Needless to say the market crashed, in 1637. And prices dropped down to less than one euro.
Speed-skating was invented, in 1637, by thousands of Netherlanders trying to escape their bulb debts !
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