Just in time for spring, Rotterdam is getting an exciting new attraction: Rif010 — an urban surfing paradise right in the heart of the city.

Ten years later than planned, the construction of Rif010 is finally nearing completion, writes the AD.

In just a few months’ time, you can catch some waves right next to the famous Rotterdam Foodhallen (if you dare ).

Surf’s up!

The dreamer behind this project? Edwin Van Viegen.

As a surfer himself, his idea was to create a wave pool in Rotterdam’s Steigersgracht canal so people could surf around in a truly unique setting.  

Rif010’s big opening is on July 6, when the water sports oasis will host a big surf competition. After that, the surf course will be open all year round, between 10 AM and 10 PM (except on Sundays).

READ MORE | Surfing in the Netherlands: where to go and what to know in 2024

Anyone who wants to ride Rotterdam’s artificial waves can either rent a board or use their own. On top of that, the canal will also be made suitable for kayaking, rafting and diving lessons!

Tickets selling fast

Now you may be wondering: what does this fun cost? Well, it depends on the wave you’re planning to catch.

One hour of surfing on a big wave will cost €50, while surfing on a smaller one will cost €35. These prices include the surfboard rental.

The pre-sale of the tickets has already begun, and tickets are flying off the shelves. “The first few weeks are already fully booked”, Van Viegen tells the AD.

Will you check out Rif010? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Amsterdam’s football club has dropped to the bottom of the Dutch Eredivisie ladder for the first time in 59 years after yet another crushing defeat.

Alright, internationals, here’s the best way to make small talk with Dutchies this week. Just say: “Ajax, hé?”.

The former darling of the Dutch football world (read: darling = untouchable behemoth) has suffered loss after loss this season.

So what the hell happened?

Picture this: It’s May 2022, and your football team finish at the top of the ladder for the fourth consecutive year. That was Ajax.

Then, just before that last grand finish, Ajax’s football director, Marc Overmars, got caught with his pants down.

(Literally: he was sending unwanted pics to a female employee.)

It turned out this behaviour wasn’t uncommon, so he left in February 2022, triggering a series of coach and player departures that led to Ajax’s demise.

Why is it such a big deal?

Well, Dutchies love their football. City rivalries are huge, especially those between Ajax (Amsterdam), Feyenoord (Rotterdam), and PSV (Eindhoven).

And when we say rivalries, we mean rivalries. A recent match between Amsterdam and Feyenoord was suspended mid-game after supporters began throwing flares and fireworks onto the field.

Once the game was halted, supporters turned to the streets to riot, leading to the mobilisation of anti-riot police.

For Ajax, once the Goliath of the Dutch football world, to be brought to the bottom is, quite simply, crushing for their supporters and Amsterdammers in general.

One Amsterdammer reporter blatantly said in the post-match interview after Ajax’s 5-2 loss to PSV on Sunday: “This means a lot to people. An inky black day. Also for Amsterdam.”

Dramatic? Yes, but they take it that seriously.

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How did the Netherlands’ women’s football team scoot around Tauranga, New Zealand, during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023? In true Dutch fashion, of course — atop the 30 orange bikes they purchased.

But now that their time at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has come to an end, what will come of all these Dutch-coloured two-wheelers? Tossing them in Amsterdam canals isn’t an option out there.

It turns out these neon orange bikes are being (very kindly) donated to charities — including Good Neighbour — in the local area, Tauranga City reports.

Contributing to the community

Apparently, the Dutch women’s football team, OranjeLeeuwinnen (Orange Lionesses), whizzed around the beachy suburb of Mount Maunganui and took full rein of the trails filled with beautiful views.

The Tauranga City Council commends the OranjeLeeuwinnen for their enthusiasm and generosity, with the Venues & Events Manager Nelita Byrne saying, “These organisations bring so much goodness to the fabric of our community”. Awww.

Not only is the donation charitable, but as Good Neighbour’s General Manager points out, hand-me-down bikes are also a form of “sustainability”.

READ MORE | Ajax cancels celebration of its own women’s football team

Plus, a large portion of the bikes are being gifted to students who need a budget-friendly mode of transport to get to school and back every day.

So, if you live in Tauranga or ever happen to find yourself there, do keep your eyes peeled for some bright orange bicycles burning rubber through the city.

What do you think of the women’s football team’s decision to donate their bikes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Featured Image: Liondartois/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

The Dutch women’s relay team has us all jumping for joy as they clinched a sensational victory at the World Athletics Championships in the 4×400-metre relay. 

With a final sprint that could give any superhero a run for their money, the Dutch women’s relay team seized the gold in a display of skill, speed, and sheer determination. 

The team consisting of Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters and Femke Bol are the first to win a world title in the 4×400 metre relay for the Netherlands. 

A bumpy start

On the opening day, Femke Bol had an unfortunate start when she fell on the ground just before finishing the mixed 4x400m final. But she didn’t let that stop her, and now she can say that she is a world champion.

Bol tells the NOS about how she felt tired in her warm-up and nervous at the start of the race, but she didn’t let that discourage her.

READ MORE | The Dutch women’s soccer team just pissed off their host country — and the World Cup hasn’t even begun

She says, “During the warm-up, I felt tired. As a fourth runner, you see three girls break. I told myself to stay calm. On the last stretch, I thought, I’ve got it. We end up as world champions”.

The Netherlands has been performing well in recent years since head coach Laurent Meuwly and his assistant Bram Peters have entered the picture. 

This victory isn’t just about a gold medal; it’s about the unwavering spirit of teamwork and the power of pushing beyond limits. These athletes have not only brought home the gold but have also etched their names in the annals of Dutch sporting history.

Did you catch the Dutch team’s victory? Tell us how you celebrated in the comments below!

Breaking records and taking names — Max Verstappen clinched the number one spot in the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving Dutchies another reason to have a celebratory biertje.

Not only did he nail the competition, but the beloved Dutchie earned his seventh Formula 1 win in a row, reports the NOS. And that’s not all, as he also set a new record for his team with twelve consecutive wins for Red Bull. Gefeliciteerd!

A perfect day for Verstappen

The two-time world champion said he was very pleased with his car on Sunday. “It was a perfect day, the car was really nice to drive. Days like this are rare. I’ve only had such a good drive before, that was at Spa last year, but then I started from the back.”

Verstappen was understandably very happy, not only for his own achievement but for the one he earned his team too. With their twelfth consecutive win, McLaren’s record of 11 wins in a row was broken.

READ MORE | Dutch Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen races to victory at British Grand Prix

“Remember, it’s hard to win 12 in a row,” Verstappen said about his team’s victory. “Even if you have the fastest car, it’s easy to make mistakes or have a weekend full of problems.”

Curious about which racers made up the top ten? Here are the current rankings!

Records weren’t the only things broken that day…

While Verstappen was bathing in the glory of his win during the podium ceremony, British racer Lando Norris accidentally caused the Dutch victor’s €400,000 trophy to fall and break.

READ MORE | Max Verstappen wins Miami Grand Prix, but loses ‘Sportsman of the Year’ to Messi

Norris, who placed second in the race, smashed his champagne bottle on stage, which resulted in the expensive and painstakingly handmade vase falling. Oeps!

No harm, no foul, right? Well, maybe if this was his first offence, but Norris seems to be making this a habit.

Two weeks ago at the Grand Prix of Great Britain, Norris also knocked over Verstappen’s cup. Uhmmm, a little jelly of Verstappen’s 44 wins, are we, Norris?

“Max put it too close to the edge,” Norris said later when asked about the incident. “But it’s not my problem, it’s his problem.”

McLaren, however, quickly rushed to apologise on social media.

We hope the trophy maker got an apology, too. Especially after NU.nl reports that they spent more than six months on the design of the vase. 

Do you think Verstappen will go on to win more victories? Tell us in the comments!

The Oranje women’s football team were seen by thousands on social media, presumably, doing the haka, a traditional Māori dance of New Zealand — and the internet didn’t hold back.

The Dutch football association (KNVB) proudly posted a video and images, via Instagram, of Oranje players Sherida Spitse and Merel van Dongen doing movements that very closely resemble the traditional New Zealand ceremonial dance, the haka, reports NU.nl. 

The Dutch team came under heavy fire for disrespecting and mocking Māori culture without learning about the culture and the meanings behind the dance.  

The haka or not?

The KNVB reacted by asserting that the players weren’t imitating the ceremonial dance, but just doing some sort of physical training “to evoke inner strength”.

In the video, Spitse can be seen clapping her hands and bending her knees — okay, until here, arguable…

But a few seconds later, Van Dongen is heard shouting “haka, New Zealand.” Oh nee…

Dutch and Spanish teams have shared videos of players spoofing the haka. Amazing the privilege they feel having previously colonized half the world WoSo has plenty of issues to solve already, let's not be making a mockery of other cultures too. https://t.co/UjaDU5NW7t

— SᐰRᐰH (@manic_swens) July 9, 2023

If you thought it couldn’t get worse, buckle in. 

The reason that so much attention was drawn to the Dutch’s clumsy faux pas is that four players from Spain had done the exact same, just a week before.

The traditional New Zealand ceremonial dance

While everyone is free to do the ceremonial dance, it has to be done with respect for the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand, the Māori. New Zealanders saw none of that respect anywhere on the field. 

People quickly took to social media to share their opinions. The New Zealand-Australian actor from Star Wars, Jay Laga’aia, said “You come to our home and have no respect for our culture,” tells NU.nl.

READ MORE | Why does the Netherlands love orange? The full explainer

The Dutch quickly realised that it hadn’t gone down well. 

After not-very-convincingly denying that the players had performed the haka, the KNVB took down the images “out of respect.” 

The Dutch national coach, Andries Jonker, then added that Van Dongen’s blurt, “haka, New Zealand”, was just a joke. “If there’s something that we as a country are good at, it is respecting other countries and cultures.” (Umm, have you heard of Zwarte Piet?).

What do you think of Oranje’s faux pas? Tell us in the comments below!

]]> https://dutchreview.com/featured/dutch-womens-soccer-team-pissed-off-host-country-world-cup-haka/feed/ 7 https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/max-verstappen-wins-british-grand-prix/ https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/max-verstappen-wins-british-grand-prix/#respond Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:07:22 +0000 https://dutchreview.com/?p=122559 Dutchies, you just won more bragging rights. Max Verstappen has taken home yet another victory this past weekend at the British Grand Prix.  Everyone’s favourite Dutchie (arguably 😉) enjoyed another […]]]>

Dutchies, you just won more bragging rights. Max Verstappen has taken home yet another victory this past weekend at the British Grand Prix. 

Everyone’s favourite Dutchie (arguably ) enjoyed another one of many victories this Sunday, July 9.

It was his 11th consecutive Formula 1 victory for the Red Bull team and his second win in the British Grand Prix Silverstone circuit. The first time he won the British Grand Prix was in 2020, to mark the 70th anniversary of Formula 1.

READ MORE | Hoera! F1 Champion Max Verstappen receives royal honour

He recovered from a rocky start in the race and ended in first place, to the pride of Dutch people everywhere. Hoera!

Verstappen can’t stop winning

11 wins aren’t for anyone, much less consecutively! In total, Verstappen has had 43 wins during his time at Formula 1. Dare we say, that’s impressive.

11 wins in a row for the team, what an amazing achievement @redbullracing This is an extraordinary job by everyone #KeepPushing

Thank you Silverstone #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/JvY7dR54ij

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 9, 2023

Finishing in second, just behind Verstappen, was Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton, the eight-time Silverstone winner, lost his throne and finished in third place, according to the official Formula 1 website.

So if you’re a Verstappen fan, rejoice! This wasn’t his first win (far from it), and it certainly won’t be the last!

Are you a fan of Verstappen? How did you celebrate his win? Tell us in the comments!

]]> https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/max-verstappen-wins-british-grand-prix/feed/ 0 https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/ajax-cancels-celebration-of-womens-football-team/ https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/ajax-cancels-celebration-of-womens-football-team/#comments Thu, 25 May 2023 09:56:48 +0000 https://dutchreview.com/?p=119352 For once, Ajax has decided to tone down the festivities — for women, though, not men.  When it comes to gender, the Netherlands probably strikes you as an equal opportunities […]]]>

For once, Ajax has decided to tone down the festivities — for women, though, not men. 

When it comes to gender, the Netherlands probably strikes you as an equal opportunities kind of country. After all, “going Dutch” is literally named after them, the decreasing gender pay gap seems optimistic enough. And that’s not all: 

The Amsterdam Football Club Ajax have had an ass-kicking team of vrouwen for over a decade. Earlier this month, they claimed the national title they’d spent the past five years fighting for. 

Naturally, supporters of the team were all set to party out the victory in Leidseplein, Amsterdam next Monday. 

Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is

That is, until their plans were brought to an unexpected halt. 

Ajax decided to cancel the festivities honouring the women’s team’s image because… well, because it would be bad for their “image”? *eyetwitch* 

Yep, you read that correctly: Ajax has deemed a celebration of women “unwise”, because the “momentum” of their win has supposedly died down since the championship (which happened on May 7) and people are just over it. 

A men’s team, on the other hand…

“Unwise”, they say. As opposed to the oh-so-wise “Feyenoord fever” from May 12, which saw a mob of sweaty hooligans blocking trains, belly flopping into the Hofplein fountain, setting random objects on fire, or possibly sacrificing animals, all in celebration of the Rotterdam men’s team winning. 

@jordivdam could barely breathe and see anything but it was worth it #feyenoord #rotterdam #coolsingel #huldiging ♬ original sound – Jordi

But hey, a bit of chaos is needed sometimes — and shouldn’t the women’s team at least be given the chance to be celebrated in the same way? 

READ MORE | King Willem-Alexander breaks coronavirus rules during football frenzy

Cancelled by Ajax, not Amsterdam

According to the NOS, the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, and Sofyan Mbarki of Sport were all set to give the Ajax vrouwenteam official, public recognition — that is, until Ajax butted in and the mayor and alderman were forced to cancel the ceremony without the club’s support. 

Turns out, men are also partly to blame for the overall “lack of joyful mood” surrounding Ajax, the club said. Due to the failings of Ajax men 1 this spring, venerating the success of the women’s team is decidedly “not a good signal” to put out. 

Heaven forbid we uplift women in any way if it means hurting some widdle egos.  

Does this reasoning make sense to anyone out there — Ajax included? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

]]> https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/ajax-cancels-celebration-of-womens-football-team/feed/ 1 https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/feyenoord-fever-rotterdam-train-chaos/ https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/feyenoord-fever-rotterdam-train-chaos/#respond Fri, 12 May 2023 09:06:36 +0000 https://dutchreview.com/?p=118686 If you’re planning to go to Rotterdam on Monday for reasons that aren’t Feyenoord related, you might not want to take the train. The city is going to be buzzing […]]]>

If you’re planning to go to Rotterdam on Monday for reasons that aren’t Feyenoord related, you might not want to take the train. The city is going to be buzzing on both Sunday and Monday. So, what the hell is going on? 

Feye-what?? In case you’re super new here, Feyenoord is the beloved football club of Rotterdam-South, and they stand to win the Dutch league this Sunday. 

If Feyenoord wins — and Roterdammers strongly believe they will — the NS expects train carriages on Sunday and Monday to become more packed than tuna in a can due to large crowds of Feyenoord fans heading to Rotterdam by train.

Sunday and Monday will be affected

First, Feyenoord should and is expected to become the national champion in the match against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday, reports AD — and considering how intense Rotterdam supporters are, it’s best to be prepared. 

This will then be followed by the ‘huldiging’ on Monday, which will celebrate the win on Rotterdam’s main street, the Coolsingel, at 12 PM.

Ok, when can I expect the chaos to start?

Technically, the match on Sunday kicks off at 4:45 PM. However, the gates of De Kuip will open at 2 PM so supporters can start amping themselves up for the match. 

This means you might want to be an early bird if you have plans in Rotterdam. You can expect the city to be in a “jolly” mood the whole day.

If the beloved Rotterdam team win, don’t be surprised to see supporters taking a dip in the Holfplein fountain at the Coolsingel as is tradition — and many more shenanigans.

If previous years of Feyenoord fever are anything to go by, pre-celebrations will probably start earlier on Sunday, with the city centre filling up with celebratory hopefuls and, most likely, drinking fans. 

Although the match is on Sunday, if the Rotterdam team wins, the celebrations will then stretch to Monday, where the team will be honoured in front of Rotterdam City Hall.  

And they’re going to be BIG, the city is expecting more than 100K people to rock up for some classic football hooliganism — we mean celebration.

Rotterdam transport is prepping for a Feyenoord frenzy

To prepare for the hectic Monday in Rotterdam, more metros will be running in the city between 9 AM and 4 PM. 

Given that the team will be celebrated on the Coolsingel, the centre of the city will be closed to traffic. So if you’re travelling, you should treat yourself to a caffeinated drink before your commute and take detours and large crowds into consideration.

Feest!! #Feyenoord pic.twitter.com/a71zemCHq4

— bianca (@19BiancA08) May 7, 2023

Yes, the municipality of Rotterdam is expecting many thousands of supporters in the city centre. But geen probleem! If you’re nervous of football fans, you can still rest easy. 

The city is prepared, with police deploying hundreds of people on Sunday and Monday to ensure that everyone has the best possible time celebrating. 

In 2017, when Feyenoord also won the league, the celebrations were ecstatic but also relatively peaceful.

Are you a Feyenoord fan? Well then, enjoy folks, the weather forecast is looking good and it’s been a long time coming. Tell us about your experience in the comments!  

Feature Image: Wouter Engler/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> https://dutchreview.com/news/sports/feyenoord-fever-rotterdam-train-chaos/feed/ 0 https://dutchreview.com/featured/max-verstappen-wins-miami-grand-prix-loses-sportsman-of-the-year/ https://dutchreview.com/featured/max-verstappen-wins-miami-grand-prix-loses-sportsman-of-the-year/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 08:31:46 +0000 https://dutchreview.com/?p=118331 Dutch Formula One driver Max Verstappen had a spectacular win on Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix, but lost out to Lionel Messi who bagged the prestigious ‘Sportsman of the […]]]>

Dutch Formula One driver Max Verstappen had a spectacular win on Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix, but lost out to Lionel Messi who bagged the prestigious ‘Sportsman of the Year’ Laureus Award the very next day.

Mondays can be hard for everybody, no matter if you’re a teacher, a lawyer — or even Dutch Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen. 

Verstappen races to first place in Miami

Due to a poor qualifying session the day before, Verstappen started further back on the grid, but refused to let that stop him. Despite starting the race in ninth place, he swiftly rocketed up the ranks to first place by 21 laps — not even halfway through the race, reports NU.nl. 

In fact, the Dutch-Belgium driver seemed to effortlessly take first place, where he was joined by Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso in second and third place, respectively. 

Simply… lovely!

What a great win today! A very strong race

The car felt really good and the strategy paid off perfectly @redbullracing This is a fantastic 1-2 team result again, let’s keep this going

Thank you, Miami – You have been great pic.twitter.com/FdTdxeMITR

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 7, 2023

With this win in his pocket, Verstappen has taken yet more points to strengthen his 119 point lead in the World Cup standings, 14 more than his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez. 

Yet Messi nabs 2023’s ‘Sportsman of the Year’

Despite Verstappen taking home the Miami Grand Prix trophy, world-famous football player Lionel Messi beat him to the prestigious Laureus Award ‘Sportsman of the Year’ trophy the very next day, reports NU.nl. 

READ MORE | 11 Dutch sports that are 100% weird (but wonderful)

Verstappen and Messi also faced tough competition from the other nominees. These included the Dutch tennis player Diede de Groot, Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten, football player Kylian Mbappé, tennis player Rafael Nadal, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, and basketball player Stephen Curry.

Taking home the prize, however, was the Argentinian football player that led his national team to its first World Cup win since 1986.

Whilst not bagging the win this year, Verstappen was named the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ in 2022. 

Who do you think should’ve won the Laureus Award this year? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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