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The Blade Runners

Even the penguins at the Amsterdam zoo were heading indoors to warm up as a cold snap slammed Europe this month. But in the Netherlands (Holland), the frigid weather warmed the hearts of skating enthusiasts. For the first time in 11 years, the race was on.

The Eleven Cities Tour, a tough, 124-mile skating race, can be held only when the canals of Friesland province up north are frozen solid. First run in 1909, the race is a reminder of the days when Dutch farmers skated between icebound villages.

Because Holland's winters are often mild, the tour has been held just 14 times. Champion skater Evert van Benthem and other racers have been waiting since 1986 for a crack at the tour. On January 4, Van Benthem finally got his chance. "This is the highlight of the year for me," he said.

Some 300 racers and 16,000 pleasure skaters braved a wind-chill factor of -4°F to participate. Nearly half a million spectators cheered along the route, which wound past windmills and farms, through 11 towns.

Even top athletes were frustrated by bumps and holes in the course. "I don't believe this," said Olympic speed-skating gold medalist Johann Olav Koss. "This is incredibly tough."

The surprise winner? A Brussels-sprout farmer named Henk Angenent, who battled icy winds to finish in under seven hours. Said Angenent: "I found my best legs during the head wind."

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