Fierljeppen

thumb|Fierljeppen in Linschoten thumb|Newsreel footage of the 1961 Fierljeppen Championships in Winsum, Friesland|Winsum Fierljeppen (West Frisian compound of fier—"far" and ljeppen—"leaping") or polsstokverspringen is a traditional sport of the Netherlands, and of West Frisian people in the Dutch province of Fryslân. The sport is also traditionally popular in the province of Utrecht which produced record holder Jaco de Groot and Theo van Kooten.

==Description== The sport involves a long pole and a body of water. The pole is typically made of cedar wood or some composite materials. The pole is between long and has a flat round plate at the bottom to prevent it from sinking into the muddy river or canal bottom. Its material has evolved from wood which was heavy but prone to breakage to aluminium and currently to carbon-fiber reinforced polymers.