h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I must say I have never had a real great passion for professional sports.
Since the eightees for me it became to artificial, to sterile,
although the Tour the France and international football could beat my heart faster.

When I heard that skáteboarding was part of these wintergames I was uplifted. Well, I have worked as a social worker/streetcorner worker for many years and to see fresh,new, young blood in a rather new sport in the arena of the wintergames; yes, that created expectations in me.

And it did.
Móre than I expected.
I remember a girl board skater and in words, acts and charism she told me óne thing; "I lóve what I am doing, if it is at the olympics or in the South of Argentina, I don't mind at all! I just happen to be here because I took this extra opportunity. This is my great pleasure, like a bunch of friends from all over the world has too".

Appearently there is a group of about hundred semi/professional boardskaters that meet all over the globe to do their thing.
This girl earns her money for boardskating in advertisements. Boardskating on ice or over handrails;"why walking, if you can glide".

Those fresh, sparkling eyes. Great to see, great to feel.

There is at this Ol. also a way of iceboard skating in which five skaters go all the way down the mountain and fight to be the first one who arrives.
That was great to see as well. A new sport with "adventure".What an energy.

But - yes, it's me - there is something that I heard and did not want to ignore. Especially this "group iceboard skating" so to speak, seems to be very dangerous. Last year, 2005, a girl died in Argentina.
And a sportanalyst told me on T.V. that this one at the winter-olympics was just as dangerous, while it could have been safer as well.
And I'm sorry, but I don't like it, because somehow that full speed enthousiasm of young girls and guys gets misused by the wintergames.
It is simple; there was no real necessity to make it that dangerous as it was here in Italy.
So I want to make this point loud and clear.


Of course, those who skate have brains too and make their own choices. I know. It's not an excuse to make it very dangerous. Especially not when óthers create the facilities like here in these wintergames. These are organised games.


And some words about the conventional ice skating.
Well,skating on ice in nature is for me an absolute "duende" and I am one of the very few in Holland that runs for a spot in the North of The Netherlands if it has been freezing just óne night.
It is absolute pure poëtry, it is magic, it is fighting the elements,
it is pleasure as there are no upper- and underclass at the ice in nature.It is freedom, it's the world upside down. It is tenderness and friendship. It can be like flying in a froozen fairy tale.

So whenever there is a possibillity to see at T.V. a ice marathon on natural ice in nature; well, my heart can beat as it can because of sheer joy.But that's maybe once every ten years.Our winters get warmer.

Since 1985 I have hardly ever watched the professional indoor ice skating.
Far too; well I don't want to be a partypooper. Not my cup of tea anymore.
But the Olympics might give it an extra push, so I watch now and then at the icescating and I was surprised and glád to see the first black (american) icescater win a golden medal ! Wonderful!

Thát makes my/the world go round.
Thats the world as a village with games.
Yes, it gave me goosepimples.

And a last comment;
I discovered since about 1985 the - I can't find the right word -
dancing on ice for one person or two. And especially for two, the choreography has evolved enormously the last decade. It can be spellbinding. Especially when it is "free style".
It's magic to see. Like modern dance on ice. And it is not destructive for your body as performed gymnastics sometimes can be.
Great !!

Well, that's what suddenly all came up in my mind and heart at this saturdayevening febr. 18 in 2006.


Enjoy your very own olympic wintergames.

Greetings from Amsterdam