By the 12th century, the pole vault was already a part of Dutch life, first mainly as a way to jump over ditches, later a fanatically contested sport, continuing today with events like Red Bull Fierste Ljepper, which takes place in Utrecht this weekend.
Only in 1972 were the first Dutch Fierljeppen Championships held. A year later, Aart de With arrived on the scene. Now with 50 titles to his name, he can rightly be called the best ever fierljeppen. Let's meet him.
Why Fierljeppen?
With the Fierljeppen, it's all about reactions – each part of the sport must be equally good to succeed. The components of placing the pole, the start, the indentation, climbing on the pole and take-off, all in a few seconds, all depend on each other. The result varies only between complete failure or the ultimate leap. This makes every leap unpredictable and exciting. The first games I jumped at were when I was aged 13, in Benschop, a good time and place to start. Before that, I had practised for a few years, but in the dry.
'A jumper once lost his false teeth. After a long search, they were finally found and immediately put back in his mouth, covered in sand and mud' – Aart de With
What's your best fierleppen memory?
There are really too many to mention. There are the personal achievements, obtaining records and championships. Another hilarious moment, though, was when a jumper once lost his false teeth. After a long search, they were finally found and immediately put back in his mouth, covered in sand and mud to great applause from the crowd.
What do you need to be a good fierljeppen?
Fierljeppers are often good at other sports such as athletics, soccer, gymnastics or skating. Important features are speed, acceleration and power. Body length is not critical, but being too short is often a disadvantage. It is also very important that you deal with competition and tension during the contest. You have to be mentally strong and possess a good ability to concentrate, because it takes a leap of 10 seconds to succeed. The hardest part, I often find, is waiting for the next jump, especially if your opponent has put in a good performance – you just want to get going immediately afterwards.
Are you looking forward to Red Bull Fierste Ljepper?
It seems a lot of fun and very challenging, especially because it doesn't take place in a traditional rural setting. Unfortunately I won't be in the hunt, as I am no longer an active jumper, you need to stop eventually, right? Of course, I'd like to be 25 years younger so I could have a go with the new carbon poles, but no one stays forever young, do they? In any event, I've had a great time over the years.
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