The Frisian Solar Challenge for boats

Like most sports, skating only has organised events going back just beyond the 20th century. As with motor-racing, events were most easily established between two landmark points, and most of the early competitions, as with cars, were between two points. In Holland, when the canals freeze in winter, the canal system joining the eleven major cities of the Dutch province effectively became a ready made roadway just for skaters and a wonderful high speed and scenic route for speed and endurance skaters. The tour became a popular pastime for skaters across Europe, with crowds attracted from many miles around to witness what was then perceived as a modern progressive leisure activity. The progressive Friesland councils of the day seized on the new activity to make it their own and promote ice-related sports in its area.

A particularly long and cold winter (1890/91) saw the unofficial tour become so popular with the general public that pioneer sporting entrepreneur William 'Pim' Mulier conceived the idea of an organised tour, which eventually happened in 1909.

The aim of the organization has changed little in a century and has brought much sports related industry and commercial activity to the area. Not surprisingly, the solar boat racing is doing similar.

The resultant Elfstedentocht (English translation: "Eleven-cities Tour") is a speed skating competition and leisure skating tour held irregularly in the province for more than 120 years.

The tour, almost 200 km in length, is conducted on frozen canals, rivers and lakes which link the eleven Frisian cities: Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, Dokkum and finally again Leeuwarden.

The tour is not held each year, mainly because the weather does not yield sufficiently thick ice each year to achieve the safety of racetrack desired.

The increased popularity of extreme sports in western society, which has seen such novel and difficult events (marathons, triathlons, bike racing) achieve cult athletic status capturing large proportions of the public as participants, saw a similar growth in numbers for the skating event.

The fastest skaters from around the world regularly lined up to challenge and be defeated by the locals. Apart from the professional competitors, the event attracts 15,000 amateur skating athletes, significantly increasing public risk if the field thins the ice within the regulatory minimum thickness of 15 centimetres.

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