Thursday, March 18, 2021

Fierljeppsen

The game can be quite well summarized by breaking down its name: in West Frisian, “fier”means “far”, and “ljeppen” means “leaping”. In essence, it is a bit like the Pole Vault, but instead of jumping over a bar and on to a large crash mat, you jump over waterways in Friesland.

Oh, well, that makes perfect--wait, what?

This is a sport, with championships and world records. 

The pole is between 26 and 43 feet in length. You don't sprint with it. Instead, it's already in the canal, and you run and grab it and climb like hell as it moves forward, trying to get as high as possible before it comes down on the other side, where you land on a mat or in a sand pit. 

Well, if you got high enough on the pole. Otherwise, welcome to the waterway.

Video? Of course there's a video: Fierljeppen.

If you're wondering where this takes place, it's the Netherlands. 

I feel like this could be combined with another sport, like archery, to provide hours of entertainment for everyone.

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