Tour skating

Tour skating is recreational long distance ice skating on natural ice. It is particularly popular in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries. While Nordic skating usually involves tours over open ice on lakes or sea, in the Netherlands skaters follow marked routes on frozen canals and lakes. Consequently there are differences in equipment and skating styles between these two regions.

Nordic skating is a popular activity in Sweden but is also becoming more popular in Finland and Norway, where it is called långfärdsskridskoåkning (Swedish), retkiluistelu (Finnish) and turskøyting (Norwegian). In Canada and the USA this style is often called Nordic skating. Other names used are trip skating and wild skating.

Dutch skating is called toerschaatsen and is regarded by some as a sport in its own right.

Nordic skating

Nordic skating originated during the 1900s in Sweden. It usually involves choosing your own tours over the open ice, sometimes in groups normally with safety equipment. Nordic skates differ significantly from the Dutch tour skates.