Jikke Gaastra

Jitske "Jikke" Minderhout - Gaastra (3 January 1888 - 6 April 1963) was a Ductch speed skater. She was the first women who started an Elfstedentocht in the second edition in 1912; the most prestigious speed skating tour in The Netherlands over 200 km.

Jikke Gaastra
Personal information
Full nameJitske Minderhout - Gaastra
Born(1888-01-03)January 3, 1888
Oldeboorn, Netherlands
DiedApril 6, 1963(1963-04-06) (aged 75)
Arnhem, Leeuwarden
Sport
CountryNetherlands
SportSpeed skating

Biography

Gaastra was born in Oldeboorn. She was the daughter of Jan Jelles Gaastra (1855-1920), worker, and Geeske Jisses van der Werf (1855-1938), seamstress. In 1909 she saw the finish of the first Elfstedentocht from the side line and was inspired. The second Elfstedentocht was on 7 February 1912. She rode the tour together with her brother Jelle Gaastra. The weather conditions were not favorable: it was raining, there was a fairly strong wind and it started thawing. The Elfstedentocht continued; with 37 to 28 votes of the participants. Gaastra voted against, but started the tour. At 19:06 they arrived at the Waterpoort in Sneek, usually the second-last city. Only a few minutes earlier, the ice on the Leeuwarder Trekvaart had been declared unreliable and Sneek had been declared the official end point. All skaters that made it to Sneek were considered finishers and received the elfstedenkruisje.[1][2]

During the tour she received a lot of attention. Post cards with her picture were being sold, and she gave out autographs. The press, including the Leeuwarder Courant and Winschoter Courant, followed her and praised her accomplishment. In the weeks and months after the tour, Gaastra received letters and gifts, even from abroad.

Gaastra married Jakob Minderhout (1892-1970), a cobbler and factory supervisor, in Capelle on 18 May 1917. They had four daughters and one son. Gaastra died on 6 April 1963 in Arnhem, aged 75. She was buried at the Algemene Begraafplaats Noord in Oosterbeek. Her skates and a memorial sign, which brother Jelle had made in 1960, are kept in the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum in Sneek.[3][4]

References
  1. "Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland". resources.huygens.knaw.nl. September 17, 2019.
  2. "elfstedentocht 7 februari 1912".
  3. "Een paar Friese schaatsen, gebruikt door Jikke Gaastra". friesscheepvaartmuseum.nl.
  4. "Nu ook vrouwen in Schaatsmuseum". NRC.
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