Latest news with #Friesland
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ajax loan Van Axel Dongen to SC Heerenveen
As Voetbal International previously reported, Ajax's Amourricho van Axel Dongen will play for SC Heerenveen next season. Ajax are letting the 20-year-old winger leave on loan. This is a loan deal without an option to buy, meaning he will return to Amsterdam next summer. Advertisement Heerenveen had been on Van Axel Dongen's trail for some time. He had several conversations with manager Robin Veldman, who previously worked with him during his time as a youth coach at Ajax. Veldman hopes to get Van Axel Dongen, whose contract with Ajax runs until the summer of 2027, back on track in Friesland after injuries have previously blighted his progress. 'Loaning Amourricho to SC Heerenveen is a good deal for all parties,' said technical director Alex Kroes on the club website on Tuesday evening. 'The most important thing is that Amourricho will get playing time at the highest level. This arrangement is a great opportunity and will help him take the next step in his development.' Heerenveen's technical manager Johan Hansma said of the move, 'With Amourricho, we add speed, creativity, and depth to our squad. He's a two-footed winger who can play on either flank. We know he hasn't played much due to injuries. Together with the coaching staff, we'll do everything we can to get him back to match fitness.' GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield
Malay Mail
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Canal-jumping, pole-vaulting, and a bit of swimming: Why ‘fierljeppen' is the Netherlands' craziest sport
LOPIK (Netherlands), July 8 — Smiling and relaxed, Dutch farmer Jacob de Groot grips a pole and walks to the water's edge — chasing a thrill he first felt aged 10, vaulting across a canal. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into 'fierljeppen' season — a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. 'This is really a typically Dutch sport,' De Groot, holder since 2017 of the long jump record at 22.21 metres (73 feet), told AFP. 'I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy.' The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole — roughly the height of a four-storey building. But the vault is only half the challenge. Mid-flight, competitors must climb the pole, tilt it forward, and aim to land as far as possible on a sandbank. If the timing is off, they plunge straight into the water. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into 'fierljeppen' season — a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. — AFP pic 'It's just extreme and crazy and addictive,' said the farmer, who trains year-round and has introduced his children to the sport. The sport traces its roots to farm life, when Dutch farmers used wooden poles to cross their fields, vaulting over their canals and ditches. Over time, it evolved from a daily task into a folk challenge, and then into a formal sport. The earliest known competitions date back to around 1767. Local legend has it that in 1575, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, one man hid a secret message in his pole before slipping through enemy lines. The shift to a sport reportedly happened in a bar, according to Eelco Tigchelaar, spokesperson for the local fierljeppen association in Lopik, central Netherlands, where an annual Friesland-Holland grudge match is held. 'Farmers' sons got together, drank a little and said, 'I can jump a canal of two metres'. 'Oh, I can jump three metres'.' 'And the barman said, 'oh, maybe there's money to be made. I'll make a canal of five metres and they'll have to jump'.' Today, fierljeppen — 'long jump' in Frisian — is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. Today, fierljeppen — long jump in Frisian — is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. — AFP pic 'With a lot of women, once they go to study or they have kids, they quit,' said Tessa Kramer, who is part of the Holland team. 'I'm one of the oldest now... But that's good, you're setting an example as well,' said the 31-year-old software developer. — AFP
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dutch canal-leaping pole vaulters aim for the sky
The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole (JOHN THYS) Smiling and relaxed, Dutch farmer Jacob de Groot grips a pole and walks to the water's edge -- chasing a thrill he first felt aged 10, vaulting across a canal. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into "fierljeppen" season -- a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. Advertisement "This is really a typically Dutch sport," De Groot, holder since 2017 of the long jump record at 22.21 metres (73 feet), told AFP. "I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy." The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole -- roughly the height of a four-storey building. But the vault is only half the challenge. Mid-flight, competitors must climb the pole, tilt it forward, and aim to land as far as possible on a sandbank. If the timing is off, they plunge straight into the water. Advertisement "It's just extreme and crazy and addictive," said the farmer, who trains year-round and has introduced his children to the sport. The sport traces its roots to farm life, when Dutch farmers used wooden poles to cross their fields, vaulting over their canals and ditches. Over time, it evolved from a daily task into a folk challenge, and then into a formal sport. The earliest known competitions date back to around 1767. Local legend has it that in 1575, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, one man hid a secret message in his pole before slipping through enemy lines. The shift to a sport reportedly happened in a bar, according to Eelco Tigchelaar, spokesperson for the local fierljeppen association in Lopik, central Netherlands, where an annual Friesland–Holland grudge match is held. Advertisement "Farmers' sons got together, drank a little and said, 'I can jump a canal of two meters'. 'Oh, I can jump three meters'." "And the barman said, 'oh, maybe there's money to be made. I'll make a canal of five meters and they'll have to jump'." Today, fierljeppen -- "long jump" in Frisian -- is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. "With a lot of women, once they go to study or they have kids, they quit," said Tessa Kramer, who is part of the Holland team. "I'm one of the oldest now... But that's good, you're setting an example as well," said the 31-year-old software developer. sh/srg/ric/giv
France 24
08-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Dutch canal-leaping pole vaulters aim for the sky
Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into "fierljeppen" season -- a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. "This is really a typically Dutch sport," De Groot, holder since 2017 of the long jump record at 22.21 metres (73 feet), told AFP. "I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy." The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole -- roughly the height of a four-storey building. But the vault is only half the challenge. Mid-flight, competitors must climb the pole, tilt it forward, and aim to land as far as possible on a sandbank. If the timing is off, they plunge straight into the water. "It's just extreme and crazy and addictive," said the farmer, who trains year-round and has introduced his children to the sport. The sport traces its roots to farm life, when Dutch farmers used wooden poles to cross their fields, vaulting over their canals and ditches. Over time, it evolved from a daily task into a folk challenge, and then into a formal sport. The earliest known competitions date back to around 1767. Local legend has it that in 1575, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, one man hid a secret message in his pole before slipping through enemy lines. The shift to a sport reportedly happened in a bar, according to Eelco Tigchelaar, spokesperson for the local fierljeppen association in Lopik, central Netherlands, where an annual Friesland–Holland grudge match is held. "Farmers' sons got together, drank a little and said, 'I can jump a canal of two meters'. 'Oh, I can jump three meters'." "And the barman said, 'oh, maybe there's money to be made. I'll make a canal of five meters and they'll have to jump'." Today, fierljeppen -- "long jump" in Frisian -- is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. "With a lot of women, once they go to study or they have kids, they quit," said Tessa Kramer, who is part of the Holland team.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- New York Post
Coast Guard intercept over $20M worth of cocaine, marijuana in massive Caribbean drug bust
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) says they have intercepted over $20 million worth of cocaine and marijuana from alleged drug traffickers. Approximately 2,220 pounds of cocaine and 3,320 pounds of marijuana were offloaded Wednesday at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, the USCG said in a media release. 'Stopping harmful and illicit narcotics from reaching our shores and entering our communities is a team effort,' Cmdr. Brian Gismervik, Coast Guard Cutter Northland's commanding officer, said in a statement. 'In the dynamic maritime environment, it takes the combined efforts of our joint force DoD, DHS, and international partners to combat transnational criminal organizations,' he concluded. The huge amount was the total result of four separate encounters on the Caribbean Sea, USCG said. It was an international effort, with participation from Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy ships, along with the U.S. Navy. In a statement, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said it intercepted over $20 million worth of cocaine and marijuana from alleged drug traffickers. USCG The USCG announced that it had received approximately 2,220 pounds of cocaine and 3,320 pounds of marijuana. USCG Along with video of the drugs being offloaded in their black plastic wrappings, the Coast Guard shared images of when a deployed Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron team aboard the Royal Netherlands navy ship Friesland encountered a suspected drug smuggling vessel off the coast of Venezuela on June 15. The Coast Guard has not yet provided any information on the suspects involved.
