“Feels like Austria”: families enjoy rare Dutch skiing opportunities
Several people have been skiing in the Hoge Veluwe today. The snowy weather has led to children and their parents using the military training area by Soestduinen, known as De Stompert, to practice the sports. Some have also been skiing or cross-country skiing at the Maximapark in Utrecht.
A dedicated cross-country skiing track was laid out in the De Stompert nature area, an exceptional sight in the Netherlands. This led to some jealousy among the Stichts Langlauf Team, some of whom are in Austria at the moment, where they are competing in the Dutch Championships. “People are really frustrated. Damn it, why does the snow have to come exactly now?” Said Jantinus Ziengs, a team member.
Ziengs joked that he saw many children who were meant to be in school on the slopes on Monday. “I saw some people skipping school there.” The team organized an outing on Tuesday morning for anyone who had missed it on Monday.
Nova, 10, and her father Jop spoke to RTV Utrecht about their joy regarding the weather. Jop, talking about skiing in Máximapark: “Skiing through it gives you the feeling of being in Austria.” This comparison was also made by a member of the Stichts Langlauf Team, who said that there is currently more snow in the Netherlands than in their location in Austria.
The snow is expected to remain in the Netherlands until Saturday, when temperatures rise to about 5 degrees Celsius.
