In the Netherlands, they’ve turned crossing canals into an extreme sport called fierljeppen, where athletes yeet themselves over water with a carbon pole, aiming for sand but often landing in a soggy splash. It’s like pole vaulting’s quirky cousin who grew up on a farm, decided gravity was optional, and now soars over ditches for bragging rights. Who needs bridges when you’ve got this much style?
‘You get to fly’: Why Dutch athletes pole vault over canals
