Top 10 Weird Dutch National Sports – Interesting NL Sports

In this article, you will find the most interesting national sports in the Netherlands, some of which have been passed over generations for hundreds of years. To learn more about the native culture and its history, you should get familiar with the top 10 weird Dutch National sports.

Weird Sports in the Netherlands – Native Dutch Sports

If you start researching the subject on your own, you will lose some time because there are plenty of popular Dutch national sports you won’t find in other countries. We assume that you might know some of them. Therefore, we will allow you to choose which sport to examine first.

1. Kaatsen
2. Korfbal
3. Paalzitten
4. Fierljeppen
5. Beugelen
6. Elfstedentocht
7. Sjoelen
8. Tegenwindfietsen
9. Skûtsjesilen
10. Klootschieten

You should start from scratch if you know nothing about these strange Dutch sports. Some will resemble other popular sports worldwide, while others are more of a physical and mental trial than regular sports. If you like the idea of betting on those strange sports, know that some of them are available at the best casino sites in the Netherlands. Keep reading to learn all about the top 10 weird Dutch sports.

1. Kaatsen – Traditional Hardball Sport of the Friesland Province

Kaatsen, also known as Frisian handball, is a weird sport in the Netherlands that resembles tennis and handball. Two teams of three players play it on a green field of 32 by 10 meters. It is played with a small leather ball that must be served by one of the players. It is interesting to mention that all of them use leather gloves.

One of the players serves the ball while the other two defend. Similar to tennis, if the defenders miss to hit the ball and It falls in their field, that score for the opposite team. Meanwhile, if the server misses the opponent’s field, it is a score for the opponents. This weird Dutch national sport dates to the middle of the 17th century.

2. Korfbal – Netherlands Basketball

This is a typical Dutch sport that resembles basketball and the Swedish ringball. It was invented in 1902 by the Dutch teacher Nico Broekhuysen in Amsterdam. This is one of the weird Dutch national sports that consist of unisex teams, meaning that women and men can play together. Similar to basketball, there are two rings/baskets and the two ends of the field, and the teams must score as many points as possible.

The teams consist of eight players, four by four, gathered around both baskets. At the half of the game, they switch places. The height of the basket is 3.5 meters, while the field is 20 by 40 meters. Players cannot run or dribble with the ball. They can only make one step and then pass or shoot. Interestingly, the players cannot score points below the basket, also called the defence zone.

3. Paalzitten – A Game of Patience & Endurance

Literally translated, “Paalzitten” means pole sitting, which is what this weird Dutch sport is. This sport was played for the first time in 1920, but the first official world championship was held in 1970. Essentially, this is more of an endurance game than a sport. All you have to do is sit on a board with a footrest and back support for as long as possible.

The pole is situated in a lake, and you will get wet if you fall. Participants are not allowed to go to the toilet but can eat whatever they want. The only way to relieve themselves is with a bucket. There is no age or gender requirement for this weird sport in the Netherlands. Usually, players stay on the pole for around 70 hours, while the longest in history record is 92 hours.

4. Fierljeppen – Long Pole Canal Jumping

Translated to English fierljeppen means “far leaping”, and the game is literally that. This is one of the most interesting national sports in the Netherlands known worldwide. If you have ever seen someone jumping over a water channel with a substantial wooden stick, this is ferljeppen. This traditional sport in the Netherlands was initiated in the West Friesland region in the middle of the 16th century.

The point of the competition is to jump as far as possible. The pole is eight to 13 meters long with a flat round place at the bottom. First, they must sprint, then grab the pole, climb as fast as they can, and jump on the other side of the canal. It looks easy, but it’s not. This is one of the top 10 weird Dutch national sports that became famous worldwide. The current record for a senior player is 22.21 meters by Jaco de Groot in 2017.

5. Beugelen – Sort of Heavy Indoors Golf

Beugelen is a unique and popular Dutch national sport that is also practised in Belgium. At first, it will remind you slightly of golf, but the truth is that it has nothing in common with it. Beugelen is played on a field with dimensions ten by five meters. At one of the sides is a metal bracket through which you must push one of the two four-kilogram balls with a wooden stick.

Each time you succeed, you score two points. Another way to make a point is to push the opponent’s ball out of the short side of the field. This popular Dutch national sport can be played with two players or four in teams of two. The team or player who scores first 30 points is the winner. This is one of the oldest weird sports in the Netherlands. Its history dates from the middle of the 13th century (1400y-1500y).

6. Elfstedentocht – The Biggest Ice Skating Tour Worldwide

Elfstedentocht is one of the strange Dutch sports that has been a tradition since 1760. It originated in the Friesland province, and up to this date, it is one of the most popular and preferred ice skating events in the Netherlands. To participate in the 200km tour, you need to be approved by the local skater’s committee. There are two types of terms: a fast race with 300 contenders and a leisure tour with 16,000 participants.

They all must go through 11 cities and three secret checkpoints where they need to collect stamps. The event occurs when the committee says so, meaning that all skaters must be prepared to take their positions on short notice. Usually, it is in the coldest month – January or February when the temperature reaches -22 degrees Celsius. To finish the race, you must go through the course of 200km until midnight.

7. Sjoelen – A Game for Precise Shooters

Next in our top 10 weird Dutch sports is the board game of Sjoelen. This is simple, entertaining and suitable for all ages game. It was invented in the 19th century, and up to this date, it is among the most popular Dutch sports for indoor play. There are several versions, but the classic one includes a board with 20 wooden disks that must be slid into four slots/chambers through their gates.

Each player has three turns to put all wooden disks in the designated chambers, and then the results are counted. The board is two meters long, but you might encounter L-shaped boards where you must put the disks in the designated slots by a ricochet, making the game more challenging. It is essential to mention that the different gates bring different scores, so if you are a precise shooter, you can aim at those getting more points.

8. Tegenwindfietsen – Storm Riding

Literally translated, it means “headwind cycling”, but it is genuinely storm riding, and we consider this one of the weirdest Dutch national sports. This is a relatively new sport because its first official tournament occurred in 2013. There is not that much to explain about it. All competitors ride bikes in bad weather conditions against solid winds – 10 to 50km/h.

The number of participants increases each year, but currently, 300 individuals are allowed, plus 25 teams of four cyclists. The total distance of the race is 8.5km. The event takes place on the Dutch flood defence called Oosterscheldekering. There are many weird sports in the Netherlands, but this one is definitely among the craziest ones.

9. Skûtsjesilen – Reggates Race in Rotterdam

In its essence, the Skûtsjesilen is a boat race. This popular Dutch sport started at the beginning of the 19th century. Reggates were the most convenient way of transport in the Netherlands and all Nordic nations, so it is not surprising that there is such a race. The Iepen Fryske Kampioenskippen Skûtsjesilen (Frisian Championship Skûtsjesilen) is organised by the Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen which is the Central Skûtsjesilen Commission.

Nowadays, there are four different classes of skûtsjes, and the total number of boats participating is 60. The competition usually occurs in Rotterdam in the spring and summer. This is not precisely typical Dutch sport because regatta races can be seen in many locations worldwide.

10. Klootschieten – Throw the Kloot as Far as You Can

This is the last game in our top 10 weird Dutch sports, but not the least bizarre. Its history started in the 13th century in the Haarlem and Amsterdam region, while in the 16th century, it was already popular in all parts of the Netherlands. It can be played on any soil, on the street or in the forest. The track needs to have bumps, so the players must think of how to throw the balls and where they will land.

The game is pretty simple. All you have to do is throw the ball as far as possible but with your palm facing up, and you should not stretch it above the shoulders. It could be played solo or in teams, while the winner in each throw is the one whose ball is the farthest from the throwing position.

Nowadays, there are several variations of the game that share similar but slightly different rules. They could vary if you are curious about the ball’s weight. The allowed weight is between 250 and 950 grams, with a seven to eight centimetres diameter.

Conclusion

We can state that there are plenty of weird Dutch national sports, some dating back to the 13th century. Many of them were adopted and are currently available in other countries like Ireland, Belgium, the UK, Canada, the USA, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and many more.

We can’t decide which is the weirdest, so we will leave that to you. Most of them are super fun and easy to play, and we highly recommend you try them. You will see that you can enjoy them with your friends or family and have a great time.

FAQ

We thought you might have further inquiries because we shared many details that could easily slip your mind. Therefore, we have prepared the most frequently asked questions on the weird Dutch national sports. Follow the links in each answer to explore each subject more thoroughly again.