Katie Couric was subjected to widespread ridicule last month after suggesting during the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Pyeongchang that the Dutch in Amsterdam often get around by skating on frozen canals in the winter months.
But as it turns out, the veteran broadcaster, who had to apologize to the European nation after being called out for her perceived ‘gaffe’ by the Netherlands Embassy on Twitter, was not that far off the mark.
On Friday, photos emerged showing Dutch families strapping on their skates and gliding along the Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam, which remained in the icy grip of a cold snap dubbed ‘The Beast from the East’ that is affecting many parts of Europe.
One woman was even seen taking her dog out for a walk over the frozen waterway in the heart of the ancient Dutch capital.
People walk and skate on the frozen Prinsengracht canal in downtown Amsterdam on Friday
A skater skates on the ice of the lightly frozen Keizersgracht Canal in Amsterdam on March
A woman walks her dog on the frozen Prinsengracht canal in downtown Amsterdam during a brutal cold snap gripping Europe
Photos coming out of Amsterdam this week showing the Dutch skating on frozen canals appear to vindicate Katie Couric, who was slammed for saying during the Olympics that they do just that
During the NBC broadcast of the festivities marking the start of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, Couric turned the conversion to Amsterdam’s world-famous canals by way of explaining why the Dutch excel at speed skating.
‘It has lots of canals that can freeze in the winter… so for as long as those canals have existed, the Dutch have skated on them to get from place to place, to race each other and also to have fun,’ Couric said.
The newswoman’s remarks were rooted in historic fact, as evidenced by an entry on speed skating on the site Olympic.org, which says that the sport originated in the Netherlands where inhabitants have skated from ‘village to village as far back as the 13th century.’
Still, Dutch Twitter users wasted no time pouncing on Couric’s supposedly ill-informed comments and unleashing a torrent of deprecating and sarcastic memes.
Not very diplomatic: Dutch Twitter users wasted no time pouncing on Couric’s canal comments, and even the Netherlands Embassy got in on the fun
She’s on thin ice: Couric quickly backtracked and issued this apology on Twitter
Water under the bridge: The Dutch diplomats graciously accepted Couric’s mea culpa, quipping that they were ‘letting it slide’
‘In summer, us Dutch swim to work and grocery store via the canals. You’ll hear that next summer Olympics,’ one user mocked Couric.
Another joked, alongside a photo of speed skaters: ‘Rush Hour in Netherlands’.
While another said: ‘This is also why the British team does so well at cycling in the Olympics; it’s a little know fact that we all travel everything by Penny Farthing’.
One more added: ‘Yes, a few of us skate to work the 5 days we have ice (on average). The other 360 days we either stay home, or sometimes use bikes or cars or trains to get to work’.
He then joked further: ‘Busy day ahead, have meetings in 11 cities, better sharpen my ice skates’.
Dutch media outlets were also quick to tease Couric for her comments.
In an article titled, ‘It’s that rumor again: no, the Dutch do not skate to work in winter,’ DutchNews.ln shot down the claims.
‘Rather than skate to work, today’s Dutch are more likely to have time off in the rare event the canals freeze over. If someone is ijsvrij – literally ice free – it does not mean they have been defrosted, but that they have been given an extra day’s holiday to enjoy some skating,’ the news site said.
The blast of frigid air gripping much of Europe prompted water authorities in Amsterdam to impose a ban on boats on some of the city’s canals
Canal skating wasn’t without risks. In some places, there were holes in the ice, and in others the water had not frozen at all
Dutch diplomats also joined in on the fun, with the Netherlands Embassy inviting Couric via passive-aggressive tweet to come over for a visit.
‘We’d love to show you all the innovative ways the Dutch get around,’ the tongue-in-cheek message read, featuring emjois of a bicycle, car, light rail, train and boat.
It went on to say: ‘of course, we can also visit our famous skating rink. Let’s break the ice.’
Couric quickly backtracked and issued an apology on Twitter.
‘Congrats #Netherlands on your [medal] count so far!’ she wrote. ‘My apologies for being on thin ice for my comments re: skating on canals. I was trying to salute your historical passion for the sport but it didn’t come out that way! I’d ❤ to visit again & celebrate your success!’
The Dutch diplomats graciously accepted Couric’s mea culpa, quipping that they were ‘letting it slide’ and reiterating that the TV presenter was welcome to visit the Netherlands.
Dutch athletes took home a total of 20 medals, of which 16 were won in speedskating events – most than any other country competing in the 2018 winter Olympics.
The Netherlands came in fifth in the overall medal count, following Norway, Germany, Canada and the US.
The blast of frigid air gripping much of Europe prompted water authorities in Amsterdam to impose a ban on boats on some of the city’s canals this week and closed locks and sluices to help the ice develop.
Despite those measures, canal skating wasn’t without risks. In some places, there were holes in the ice, and in others the water had not frozen at all.
Still, dozens of people laced up skates in the city nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’ and took to the canals.
Tourists without skates also strolled along the frozen surface taking selfies of the unusual spectacle, which happens only rarely in the city.
Netherlands’ Ireen Wust (C) celebrates her gold win on the podium with silver winner Japan’s Miho Takagi (L) and bronze winner Netherlands’ Marrit Leenstra (R) during the women’s 1,500m speed skating event venue ceremony on Monday
Flag bearer Jan Smeekens of the Netherlands leads his country during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Friday
In Couric’s defense, DutchNews.ln said last month her remarks were not the first time an American spoke about the notion.
‘In winter months, skating is a sensible form of transportation, as commuters skate along frozen canals to visit family or friends who live many villages away,’ International Business Times sports writer Bobby Ilich wrote during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
‘Much of the country sits below sea level, so it’s frequently not a particularly arduous journey to travel by skates… The Dutch begin wearing skates as toddlers, so for some, skating is as common as walking. Some travel for hours and hours on their skates and see nothing strange about it.’
