Bosbaan
Encyclopedia
The Bosbaan is a rowing
lake
situated in the Amsterdamse Bos
(Amsterdam Woods) in Amstelveen
, The Netherlands. Amstelveen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands and is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. Confusingly, all built structures at the north-eastern end of the course fall under jurisdiction of the city of Amsterdam
. The Bosbaan (literal translation: Woods Course) is the oldest artificial rowing course in the world.
The course was built in 1936 as part of an employment project and originally had five lanes, but was then widened to six lanes in 1954 when Amsterdam hosted the European Rowing Championships
, the first international event where women were allowed to participate as elite rowers.
Following a major renovation in 2001, the Bosbaan measures 2200 metres in length, 118 metres across and features 8 lanes. In this reconstruction the boat storage facilities were also doubled in size, and the old grandstand demolished.
In July 2005 the first international championships (since the expansion of 2001) took place at the Bosbaan: the WU23 (World Championships Under 23). In 2006, the rowing course hosted the World Junior Championships and in 2007, it was the site of the 2nd Rowing World Cup Regatta. In 2014 it will host the 2014 World Rowing Championships
.
The Bosbaan hosts both the Olympic Training Centre for the national rowing association (KNRB) and the Vrije Universiteit
student rowing club R.S.V.U. 'Okeanos'. Both are housed in a modern dedicated training and club facility, designed to be reminiscent of the former grandstand.
The venue is also popular for other activities; recreational runners
use the marked 5 km perimeter path for casual and formal training. Non rowing events at the course include organised running events
.
, and dragonboat races as well as angling
.
The Bosbaan lies in parallel with the approach to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's runway 09/27, at approx 2 km distance.
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
situated in the Amsterdamse Bos
Amsterdamse Bos
The Amsterdamse Bos is an English park or landscape park in the municipalities Amstelveen and Amsterdam. And although most of the park is located in Amstelveen, the owner of the park is the City of Amsterdam...
(Amsterdam Woods) in Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...
, The Netherlands. Amstelveen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands and is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. Confusingly, all built structures at the north-eastern end of the course fall under jurisdiction of the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. The Bosbaan (literal translation: Woods Course) is the oldest artificial rowing course in the world.
The course was built in 1936 as part of an employment project and originally had five lanes, but was then widened to six lanes in 1954 when Amsterdam hosted the European Rowing Championships
European Rowing Championships
The European Rowing Championships is an international Rowing regatta organised by FISA .The first event was held in 1893 and as of 1962 was replaced by the World Rowing Championships, which then became an annual event from 1974...
, the first international event where women were allowed to participate as elite rowers.
Following a major renovation in 2001, the Bosbaan measures 2200 metres in length, 118 metres across and features 8 lanes. In this reconstruction the boat storage facilities were also doubled in size, and the old grandstand demolished.
In July 2005 the first international championships (since the expansion of 2001) took place at the Bosbaan: the WU23 (World Championships Under 23). In 2006, the rowing course hosted the World Junior Championships and in 2007, it was the site of the 2nd Rowing World Cup Regatta. In 2014 it will host the 2014 World Rowing Championships
2014 World Rowing Championships
The 2014 World Rowing Championships will be held at Bosbaan, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, from 24 to 31 August.The annual week long rowing regatta is organized by FISA . In non-Olympic years the regatta is the highlight of the international rowing calendar....
.
The Bosbaan hosts both the Olympic Training Centre for the national rowing association (KNRB) and the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
student rowing club R.S.V.U. 'Okeanos'. Both are housed in a modern dedicated training and club facility, designed to be reminiscent of the former grandstand.
The venue is also popular for other activities; recreational runners
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
use the marked 5 km perimeter path for casual and formal training. Non rowing events at the course include organised running events
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
.
, and dragonboat races as well as angling
.
The Bosbaan lies in parallel with the approach to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's runway 09/27, at approx 2 km distance.