Jan de Jong
Encyclopedia
Jan de Jong was the ice master of the Thialf
skating stadium in Heerenveen
, Netherlands
. De Jong was responsible for the ice in the pre-eminent Dutch skating rink
from 1967 when it opened as an outdoor 400-metre oval (the first with a concrete
floor under the ice), and then from 1986 on, when Thialf became the first indoor ice stadium in the world, until his retirement in 2000, when he was succeeded by Beert Boomsma.
An ice master's job consists of preparing and cleaning the ice; they control the temperature of the ice to create the fastest possible surface and clean ("mop") or shave the ice to repair damage done by skates. De Jong considered himself the last old-fashioned craftsman, much of the work now being controlled by computers.
near Salt Lake City and the Olympic Oval
in Calgary
, Thialf was the location for 35 world records, and De Jong is credited with a total of 38 world records. His importance to Thialf was recognized outside the Netherlands also, the German paper Die Welt
, for instance, making note of his retirement in 2000.
Despite the competition from high-altitude venues, Thialf remained (though by a small margin) the fastest oval in the world until at least 1993, for which De Jong was given credit--by that time producing the fastest surface possible had developed into a science. De Jong used ever-changing chemical mixtures instead of just water to create his ice, and was assisted by the School of Human Movement Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit
, Amsterdam
. In 1993 De Jong and his colleague Mark Messer (from Calgary) looked on in dismay when the Vikingskipet Olympic Arena
in Hamar
, built for the 1994 Winter Olympics
was inaugurated; Bjorn Lindstoen, the ice master in Hamar, could boast two world records and forty national records after two days of World Cup
skating. In 1997, Thialf invested in osmosis
equipment, giving De Jong cleaner water to make ice with.
was the first man in four years to beat Eric Heiden
in the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
. Heiden dominated international skating; he was world champion three years in a row, and had won five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid
. At the world championship, however, he managed only a second place (and retired afterward). Years later, De Jong admitted what many had thought at the time: manipulating the ice mopping schedule, he had favored Van der Duim by ensuring that he would skate the concluding 10,000 meters on newly refinished ice, while Heiden had to make do on relatively worn ice, slowing him down so much that Heiden, the Olympic champion on that distance, lost the World Championship to Van der Duim: "Even a five-fold Olympic champion can't go faster on worn-out ice than Hilbert on freshly redone ice," De Jong said later. Heiden said in response that he did not realize he had been short-changed, and laughed it off: "I remember the ten kilometer. When I came out of the dressing room, it was raining. The ice wasn't as fast as I expected, but I didn't think anything of it."
. Although De Jong desired a softer track for the 500 metres and a superhard surface for the 5000 metres, his machinery proved incapable of producing a decent surface for any of the races (though the high number of cigarette-smoking spectators was also cited as a factor). Dutch skater Rintje Ritsma
was the only skater who managed to cope with the ice, winning the European title, though he also complained, saying that calling the ice "super soft" was an understatement. De Jong took the blame: "I have made one serious mistake in 28 years, and that was today."
Thialf
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the...
skating stadium in Heerenveen
Heerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. De Jong was responsible for the ice in the pre-eminent Dutch skating rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
from 1967 when it opened as an outdoor 400-metre oval (the first with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
floor under the ice), and then from 1986 on, when Thialf became the first indoor ice stadium in the world, until his retirement in 2000, when he was succeeded by Beert Boomsma.
An ice master's job consists of preparing and cleaning the ice; they control the temperature of the ice to create the fastest possible surface and clean ("mop") or shave the ice to repair damage done by skates. De Jong considered himself the last old-fashioned craftsman, much of the work now being controlled by computers.
Thialf
De Jong was instrumental in the development of Thialf as the premier skating rink in the Netherlands and, for the first years of its existence, a world-record setting rink: until the construction of rinks at higher altitude such as the rinks in Utah Olympic OvalUtah Olympic Oval
The Utah Olympic Oval, an indoor speed skating oval built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is located southwest of Salt Lake City, in Kearns, Utah. The Oval hosted the long track speed skating events for the 2002 games. Inside the facility the 400-meter skating track surrounds two international sized...
near Salt Lake City and the Olympic Oval
Olympic Oval
The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Thialf was the location for 35 world records, and De Jong is credited with a total of 38 world records. His importance to Thialf was recognized outside the Netherlands also, the German paper Die Welt
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
, for instance, making note of his retirement in 2000.
Despite the competition from high-altitude venues, Thialf remained (though by a small margin) the fastest oval in the world until at least 1993, for which De Jong was given credit--by that time producing the fastest surface possible had developed into a science. De Jong used ever-changing chemical mixtures instead of just water to create his ice, and was assisted by the School of Human Movement Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. In 1993 De Jong and his colleague Mark Messer (from Calgary) looked on in dismay when the Vikingskipet Olympic Arena
Vikingskipet Olympic Arena
Vikingskipet , officially known as Hamar Olympic Hall , is an indoor multi-use sport and event venue in Hamar, Norway. It was built as the speed skating rink for the 1994 Winter Olympics, and has since also hosted events and tournaments in speedway, rally, association football, bandy, ice sledge...
in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, built for the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
was inaugurated; Bjorn Lindstoen, the ice master in Hamar, could boast two world records and forty national records after two days of World Cup
Speed Skating World Cup
The Speed Skating World Cup is a series of international speed skating competitions, organised yearly by the International Skating Union since the winter of 1985–86. Every year during the winter, a number of competitions on a number of different distances are held...
skating. In 1997, Thialf invested in osmosis
Osmosis
Osmosis is the movement of solvent molecules through a selectively permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, aiming to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides...
equipment, giving De Jong cleaner water to make ice with.
Incidents
A number of incidents have made Jan de Jong an important character in Dutch speed skating, and he went on record in 2000 discussing some of them, not long before his retirement from Thialf (there were rumors that he was hired in Salt Lake City, and had guaranteed them a monopoly on world records).Heiden vs. Van der Duim, 1980
In 1980, Dutch skater Hilbert van der DuimHilbert van der Duim
Hilbert van der Duim is a former speed skater. A two-time world and European champion, Van der Duim "won often but also fell often", and has become famous for some of the incidents that happened to him during his career.-Career:Hilbert van der Duim became World Allround Champion in 1980, being the...
was the first man in four years to beat Eric Heiden
Eric Heiden
Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
in the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men since 1893. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1889-1892.-History:-Distances used:...
. Heiden dominated international skating; he was world champion three years in a row, and had won five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
. At the world championship, however, he managed only a second place (and retired afterward). Years later, De Jong admitted what many had thought at the time: manipulating the ice mopping schedule, he had favored Van der Duim by ensuring that he would skate the concluding 10,000 meters on newly refinished ice, while Heiden had to make do on relatively worn ice, slowing him down so much that Heiden, the Olympic champion on that distance, lost the World Championship to Van der Duim: "Even a five-fold Olympic champion can't go faster on worn-out ice than Hilbert on freshly redone ice," De Jong said later. Heiden said in response that he did not realize he had been short-changed, and laughed it off: "I remember the ten kilometer. When I came out of the dressing room, it was raining. The ice wasn't as fast as I expected, but I didn't think anything of it."
Soft-ice to prevent premiums
In 1986, when the newly covered Thialf stadium reopened, the organization promised skaters 25,000 guilders per broken world record. On the first day, six records were broken, and management asked De Jong to make the ice slower. He did, by softening the ice; no more records were broken that weekend."Super soft ice, to put it mildly"
De Jong came under severe criticism in 1995 during the European Speed Skating Championships for MenEuropean Speed Skating Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the European Speed Skating Championships for Men since 1893. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1891-1892.-History:-Distances used:...
. Although De Jong desired a softer track for the 500 metres and a superhard surface for the 5000 metres, his machinery proved incapable of producing a decent surface for any of the races (though the high number of cigarette-smoking spectators was also cited as a factor). Dutch skater Rintje Ritsma
Rintje Ritsma
Robert Rintje Ritsma is a former Dutch long track speed skater. His nickname is the Beer van Lemmer, which translates to the Bear from Lemmer.-Speed skating career:He has won the World Allround Championships 4 times...
was the only skater who managed to cope with the ice, winning the European title, though he also complained, saying that calling the ice "super soft" was an understatement. De Jong took the blame: "I have made one serious mistake in 28 years, and that was today."