Latest news with #JacobdeGroot
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Funny old world: the week's offbeat news
PARIS: From a hero lapdog Lassie to why tennis stars can't stop pinching Wimbledon towels. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world. --------------------------------------- A chihuahua saved a hiker who fell eight metres (26 feet) into a glacier crevasse high in the Swiss Alps. The lapdog's "extraordinary" heroics surely saved his master, the Air Zermatt rescue service said, refusing to leave the spot where the man disappeared into the crevasse, leading rescuers straight to him. While the man was able to call for help with a walkie-talkie, rescuers struggled to locate him. "The glacier surface was wide and the hole was barely visible," they said. But then they spotted the tiny shivering Chihuahua perched on a rock, refusing to budge. "Thanks to the dog's behaviour, the crew was able to abseil down to the casualty and save him." --------------------------------------- In the past, stricken alpinists could count on a sup of warming brandy from a St. Bernard dog. But these days, the gentle giants are more likely to be getting a massage, a manicure or a spot of hydrotherapy at the new Barryland theme park over the mountains at Martigny, where Switzerland's national dog is a major tourist attraction. Helicopters have now taken over their mountain rescue role, allowing the St. Bernards to enjoy their retirement as pampered pensioners or care dogs. --------------------------------------- Life can get a little dull on the flat Friesian polders, which may explain why the Dutch came up with one of the world's maddest sports, "fierljeppen." This involves crossing canals by clambering up a 12-metre (40-foot) pole – roughly the height of a four-storey building – so you can land (or be catapulted) to the other side. The uniquely Dutch sport combines pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, some unplanned swimming in the soup. Farmer and fierljeppen world record holder Jacob de Groot told AFP that the sport may not have caught on elsewhere because "in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy." --------------------------------------- Polish tennis ace Iga Swiatek powered through the women's singles at Wimbledon, bagging as many of the tournament's trademark towels as she could carry. "No one talks about it, but we love your towels," she admitted after dispatching Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday. "Every time I come back 10 members of my family want the towels. Sorry Wimbledon, I am not sure if I'm allowed." But the 24-year-old makes sure to keep some for herself. "I have lots at home. If I play on the circuit for another 15 years, I will have to build another room to keep them in," she laughed. - AFP
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Funny old world: the week's offbeat news
PARIS - From a hero lapdog Lassie to why tennis stars can't stop pinching Wimbledon towels. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world. - Chihuahua to the rescue - A chihuahua saved a hiker who fell eight metres (26 feet) into a glacier crevasse high in the Swiss Alps. The lapdog's "extraordinary" heroics surely saved his master, the Air Zermatt rescue service said, refusing to leave the spot where the man disappeared into the crevasse, leading rescuers straight to him. While the man was able to call for help with a walkie-talkie, rescuers struggled to locate him. "The glacier surface was wide and the hole was barely visible," they said. But then they spotted the tiny shivering chihuahua perched on a rock, refusing to budge. "Thanks to the dog's behaviour, the crew was able to abseil down to the casualty and save him." - Doggone luxury - In the past, stricken alpinists could count on a sup of warming brandy from a St Bernard dog. But these days, the gentle giants are more likely to be getting a massage, a manicure or a spot of hydrotherapy at the new Barryland theme park over the mountains at Martigny, where Switzerland's national dog is a major tourist attraction. Helicopters have now taken over their mountain rescue role, allowing the St. Bernards to enjoy their retirement as pampered pensioners or care dogs. - Leaping mad - Life can get a little dull on the flat Friesian polders, which may explain why the Dutch came up with one of the world's maddest sports, "fierljeppen". This involves crossing canals by clambering up a 12-metre (40-foot) pole -- roughly the height of a four-storey building -- so you can land (or be catapulted) to the other side. The uniquely Dutch sport combines pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, some unplanned swimming in the soup. Farmer and fierljeppen world record holder Jacob de Groot told AFP that the sport may not have caught on elsewhere because "in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy". - Centre Court steal - Polish tennis ace Iga Swiatek powered through the women's singles at Wimbledon, bagging as many of the tournament's trademark towels as she could carry. "No one talks about it, but we love your towels," she admitted after dispatching Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday. "Every time I come back 10 members of my family want the towels. Sorry Wimbledon, I am not sure if I'm allowed." But the 24-year-old makes sure to keep some for herself. "I have lots at home. If I play on the circuit for another 15 years, I will have to build another room to keep them in," she laughed.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Funny old world: the week's offbeat news
From a hero lapdog Lassie to why tennis stars can't stop pinching Wimbledon towels. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world. Funny old world: the week's offbeat news A chihuahua saved a hiker who fell eight metres into a glacier crevasse high in the Swiss Alps. The lapdog's "extraordinary" heroics surely saved his master, the Air Zermatt rescue service said, refusing to leave the spot where the man disappeared into the crevasse, leading rescuers straight to him. While the man was able to call for help with a walkie-talkie, rescuers struggled to locate him. "The glacier surface was wide and the hole was barely visible," they said. But then they spotted the tiny shivering Chihuahua perched on a rock, refusing to budge. "Thanks to the dog's behaviour, the crew was able to abseil down to the casualty and save him." In the past, stricken alpinists could count on a sup of warming brandy from a St. Bernard dog. But these days, the gentle giants are more likely to be getting a massage, a manicure or a spot of hydrotherapy at the new Barryland theme park over the mountains at Martigny, where Switzerland's national dog is a major tourist attraction. Helicopters have now taken over their mountain rescue role, allowing the St. Bernards to enjoy their retirement as pampered pensioners or care dogs. Life can get a little dull on the flat Friesian polders, which may explain why the Dutch came up with one of the world's maddest sports, "fierljeppen". This involves crossing canals by clambering up a 12-metre pole roughly the height of a four-storey building so you can land to the other side. The uniquely Dutch sport combines pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, some unplanned swimming in the soup. Farmer and fierljeppen world record holder Jacob de Groot told AFP that the sport may not have caught on elsewhere because "in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy". Polish tennis ace Iga Swiatek powered through the women's singles at Wimbledon, bagging as many of the tournament's trademark towels as she could carry. "No one talks about it, but we love your towels," she admitted after dispatching Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday. "Every time I come back 10 members of my family want the towels. Sorry Wimbledon, I am not sure if I'm allowed." But the 24-year-old makes sure to keep some for herself. "I have lots at home. If I play on the circuit for another 15 years, I will have to build another room to keep them in," she laughed. bur-fg/giv/sco This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kuwait Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Canal-leaping pole vaulters aim for the sky
LOPIK: Smiling and relaxed, Dutch farmer Jacob de Groot grips a pole and walks to the water's edge — chasing a thrill he first felt aged 10, vaulting across a canal. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into 'fierljeppen' season — a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. 'This is really a typically Dutch sport,' De Groot, holder since 2017 of the long jump record at 22.21 metres (73 feet), told AFP. 'I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy.' The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole — roughly the height of a four-storey building. But the vault is only half the challenge. Mid-flight, competitors must climb the pole, tilt it forward, and aim to land as far as possible on a sandbank. If the timing is off, they plunge straight into the water. 'It's just extreme and crazy and addictive,' said the farmer, who trains year-round and has introduced his children to the sport. The sport traces its roots to farm life, when Dutch farmers used wooden poles to cross their fields, vaulting over their canals and ditches. Over time, it evolved from a daily task into a folk challenge, and then into a formal sport. The earliest known competitions date back to around 1767. Local legend has it that in 1575, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, one man hid a secret message in his pole before slipping through enemy lines. The shift to a sport reportedly happened in a bar, according to Eelco Tigchelaar, spokesperson for the local fierljeppen association in Lopik, central Netherlands, where an annual Friesland–Holland grudge match is held. 'Farmers' sons got together, drank a little and said, 'I can jump a canal of two meters'. 'Oh, I can jump three meters'.' 'And the barman said, 'oh, maybe there's money to be made. I'll make a canal of five meters and they'll have to jump'.' Today, fierljeppen — 'long jump' in Frisian — is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. 'With a lot of women, once they go to study or they have kids, they quit,' said Tessa Kramer, who is part of the Holland team. 'I'm one of the oldest now ... But that's good, you're setting an example as well,' said the 31-year-old software developer. — AFP
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Canal-jumping, pole-vaulting, and a bit of swimming: Why ‘fierljeppen' is the Netherlands' craziest sport
LOPIK (Netherlands), July 8 — Smiling and relaxed, Dutch farmer Jacob de Groot grips a pole and walks to the water's edge — chasing a thrill he first felt aged 10, vaulting across a canal. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into 'fierljeppen' season — a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. 'This is really a typically Dutch sport,' De Groot, holder since 2017 of the long jump record at 22.21 metres (73 feet), told AFP. 'I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy.' The sport involves competitors sprinting toward the water and launching themselves into the air on a 12-metre carbon pole — roughly the height of a four-storey building. But the vault is only half the challenge. Mid-flight, competitors must climb the pole, tilt it forward, and aim to land as far as possible on a sandbank. If the timing is off, they plunge straight into the water. Every summer, Dutch provinces from Friesland to Utrecht leap into 'fierljeppen' season — a uniquely Dutch sport combining pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, unplanned swimming. — AFP pic 'It's just extreme and crazy and addictive,' said the farmer, who trains year-round and has introduced his children to the sport. The sport traces its roots to farm life, when Dutch farmers used wooden poles to cross their fields, vaulting over their canals and ditches. Over time, it evolved from a daily task into a folk challenge, and then into a formal sport. The earliest known competitions date back to around 1767. Local legend has it that in 1575, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, one man hid a secret message in his pole before slipping through enemy lines. The shift to a sport reportedly happened in a bar, according to Eelco Tigchelaar, spokesperson for the local fierljeppen association in Lopik, central Netherlands, where an annual Friesland-Holland grudge match is held. 'Farmers' sons got together, drank a little and said, 'I can jump a canal of two metres'. 'Oh, I can jump three metres'.' 'And the barman said, 'oh, maybe there's money to be made. I'll make a canal of five metres and they'll have to jump'.' Today, fierljeppen — 'long jump' in Frisian — is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. Today, fierljeppen — long jump in Frisian — is a recognised sport with its own regulations, practised mostly by men, though a small number of women have also made their mark. — AFP pic 'With a lot of women, once they go to study or they have kids, they quit,' said Tessa Kramer, who is part of the Holland team. 'I'm one of the oldest now... But that's good, you're setting an example as well,' said the 31-year-old software developer. — AFP
