Well your geography is off insofar as the link you provided regards skating in the Netherlands and the author mentioned (and profile corroborates) that he is in

Well your geography is off insofar as the link you provided regards skating in the Netherlands and the author mentioned (and profile corroborates) that he is in Denmark. Not as many canals in Denmark, as I understand it, although I wouldn't know - I've only spent a lot of time in the Netherlands. Ice skating on the canals IS a big deal in the Netherlands.