The Dutch Figure Skating Championships (Dutch: Nederlandse kampioenschappen kunstschaatsen) are an annual figure skating competition, organized by the Royal Dutch Skating Federation (Dutch: Koninklijke Nederlandsche Schaatsenrijders Bond; KNSB) to crown the national champions of the Netherlands. While skating competitions had been held in the Netherlands prior to 1950, official national championships were not recognized until 1950. Competitions in ice dance did not achieve championship status until 1956. For the first several years, the competition was held in The Hague. Since 2017, the Dutch Championships have been contested as part of the International Challenge Cup. The top Dutch competitors at this competition are recognized as the Dutch national champions.
Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels, although each discipline may not necessarily be held every year due to a lack of participants. Wouter Toledo holds the record for winning the most Dutch Championship titles in men's singles (with seven), Karen Venhuizen holds the record in women's singles (with nine), Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba hold the record in pair skating (with three), and Marie-Louise and Xander Gijtenbeek hold the record in ice dance (with seven).
History
Figure skating in the Netherlands has historically never held the same popularity as ice hockey and speed skating. A lack of training facilities, certified coaches, and funding from the Royal Dutch Skating Federation (KNSB) led to decades of poor turnout and relatively poor results from Dutch figure skaters. While skating competitions had been held in the Netherlands prior to 1950, official national championships were not recognized until 1950. Likewise, competitions in ice dance did not achieve championship status until 1956. In 1959, plans were made to build an artificial ice rink in Amsterdam, but they were scrapped when the funds could not be raised. Only after a Dutch skater won the World Speed Skating Championships in 1961 were the necessary funds allocated. "Without an artificial ice rink in the Netherlands, it is impossible to ... sustain international competitive skating," Mr. H.W. Vliegen, chairperson of the KNSB, said at the time.
Figure skaters had limited access to ice compared to hockey players, speed skaters, and recreational skaters. In 1981, there were 24 skating clubs comprising approximately 900 members, and only 20 ice rinks in the entirety of the Netherlands. Many of the Netherlands' most successful skaters were the children of Dutch emigrants who had moved to Canada or the United States. They lived and trained in North America, but returned to the Netherlands once a year to compete at the national championships. In some cases, this led to feelings of resentment among those who lived and trained in the Netherlands with fewer available resources and less access to ice. Media outlets often emphasized that these competitors lacked the ability to communicate in Dutch.
Since 2017, the Dutch Championships have been contested as part of the International Challenge Cup, the marquee figure skating competition of the Netherlands. The top Dutch competitors at this competition are recognized as the Dutch national champions. No championships were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the International Challenge Cup was held for several years in The Hague, the competition was relocated in 2023 to Tilburg.
Although competitions in ice dance were held concurrently with the Dutch Figure Skating Championships prior to 1956, the ice dance event was not elevated to championship status until 1956.
↑Arnoud Hendriks did not achieve the minimum required score to be named the Dutch champion.
12Neither of the competitors in the men's event achieved the minimum required score to be named the Dutch champion.
↑Rob Ouwerkerk did not achieve the minimum required score to be named the Dutch champion.
↑Ed van Campen did not achieve the minimum required score to be named the Dutch champion.
123None of the women achieved the minimum required score to be named the Dutch champion.
↑Gerard van Hattem did not achieve the minimum required score to be named the Dutch junior champion.
↑Alex Vrancken did not achieve the minimum required score to be named the Dutch junior champion.
References
↑"Kunstrijden: nog meer show"[Figure skating: Even more show]. Trouw (in Dutch). Vol.36, no.10610. 17 November 1978. p.23. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. Nederland is een duidelijk voetballand en bij het schaatsen gaat de voorkeur duidelijk uit naar het hardrijden en het ijshockey.[The Netherlands is distinctly a football nation, and when it comes to skating, the clear preference lies with speed skating and ice hockey.]
↑"Kunstschaatsen in Niemandsland"[Figure skating in no man's land]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Vol.17, no.87. 12 January 1987. p.13. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. Maar is deze tak van sport in Nederland al jaren in weerwil van enkele families gedoemd tot de definitieve ondergang.[However, in the Netherlands, this particular field has, despite the efforts of a few families, been doomed to definitive demise for years.]
↑"Kunstrijden mist talent en geld televisierechten"[Figure skating lacks talent and revenue from television rights]. Trouw (in Dutch). Vol.41, no.12026. 3 December 1983. p.13. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. Het verhaal is wat dat betreft gauw verteld: er is geld noch ijs. En met de emigratie naar Canada vlot het ook al niet.[In that regard, it is a short story: there is neither money nor ice. And the emigration to Canada isn't going smoothly either.]
↑"Het grauwe decor van het kunstrijden"[The drab backdrop of figure skating]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Vol.15, no.88. 12 January 1985. p.10. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. Oorzaken hiervoor worden voornamelijk gezocht in de geringe faciliteiten en een chronisch geldgebrek. Met enige jaloezie wordt dan gekeken naar de Verenigde Staten, waar reeds op de onderwijsinstellingen tijd en middelen worden gecre eerd, en het Oostblok dat veel sportlieden in staat stelt zich geheel op de sport toe te leggen. Daarentegen stelt de Nederlandse schaatsbond van de 500.000 gulden aan jaarlijkse sponsorgelden iets minder dan 40.000 gulden beschikbaar voor het kunstrijden, heeft Den Bosch de enige ijshal die permanent openblijft, is er geen train(st)er die pupillen driedubbele sprongen kan leren en blijkt een internaat in binnen- of buitenland financieel niet haalbaar.[The causes for this are primarily attributed to limited facilities and a chronic lack of funds. With a certain degree of envy, eyes turn to the United States, where educational institutions already make time and resources available, and to the Eastern Bloc, which enables many athletes to dedicate themselves entirely to their sport. In stark contrast, the Dutch Skating Association allocates just under 40,000 guilders of its 500,000 guilders in annual sponsorship funds to figure skating; Den Bosch boasts the only ice rink that remains open year-round; there is no coach capable of teaching pupils triple jumps; and attending a boarding school, whether at home or abroad, proves to be financially unfeasible.]
123"Rietje van Erkel kampioene kunstrijden"[Rietje van Erkel figure skating champion]. De Waarheid (in Dutch). Vol.9, no.269. 20 March 1950. p.4. Retrieved 11 May 2026– via Delpher. Aan deze wedstrijden was voor de eerste maal de kampionstitel verbonden.[For the first time, the championship title was attached to these competitions.]
1234"Joan Haanappel weer kunstrijkampioene"[Joan Haanappel again figure skating champion]. Het Rotterdamsch Parool (in Dutch). Vol.16, no.56. 6 March 1956. p.7. Retrieved 11 May 2026– via Delpher. Ditmaal pas zijn nl. de jaarlijkse nationale danswedstrijden tot kampioenschap verheven.[For it is only this year that the annual national ice dance competitions have been elevated to championship status.]
↑"Van 1 november tot 1 maart schaatsen in de Middenmeer"[Skating in the Middenmeer from November 1st to March 1st]. Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch). Vol.15, no.88. 22 February 1961. p.2. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. In april 1959 kon de kunstijsbaan te Amsterdam ... worden aangelegd voor het bedrag van zeshonderdduizend gulden, doch de Stichting moest er van afzien omdat opnieuw de centen ontbraken.[In April 1959, the artificial ice rink in Amsterdam ... could have been constructed for the sum of six hundred thousand guilders; however, the Foundation was forced to abandon the project because, once again, the funds were lacking.]
↑"Alex Vrancken Nederlands kampioen kunstschaatsen: „Het is geen meidensport""[Alex Vrancken, Dutch Figure Skating Champion: "It's not a girls' sport"]. Limburgsch Dagblad (in Dutch). Vol.64, no.15. 19 January 1982. p.17. Retrieved 13 May 2026– via Delpher. Mogelijkheden zrjn in Nederland nu eenmaal beperkt. Daardoor worden de kosten erg hoog. Ik ben nu wel Nederlands kampioen geworden, maar internationaal gezien stelt dat niets voor.[Opportunities in the Netherlands are simply limited. As a result, costs become very high. I may have become the Dutch champion, but from an international perspective, that counts for nothing.]
12345"Kunstrijdster Van der Velden krijgt als enige concurrentie"[Figure skater Van der Velden faces only one competitor]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Vol.72, no.21120. 10 January 1994. p.19. Retrieved 12 May 2026– via Delpher. Op clubavonden staan we met twintig ukkepukkies. Als ik Anita optil, moeten we uitkijken dat we met die vlijmscherpe messen onder de schaatsen geen kind verwonden.[On club nights, there are twenty little tots out there with us. When I lift Anita, we have to be careful not to injure any child with those razor-sharp blades on our skates.]
↑"Strijd om kunstrijtitel geheel open"[Battle for figure skating title wide open]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Vol.84, no.27.714. 14 January 1977. p.23. Retrieved 14 May 2026– via Delpher. Astrid Jansen ... is een Canadees meisje, maar doordat ze in Nederland geboren ouders heeft, mag ze ook de Nederlandse nationaliteit dragen.[Astrid Jansen... is a Canadian girl, but because her parents were born in the Netherlands, she is also entitled to hold Dutch citizenship.]
↑Schreijnders, Ab (10 January 1983). "Li Scha Wang zet progressie met titel kracht bij"[Li Scha Wang underlines progress with title win]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Vol.61, no.17744. p.12. Retrieved 14 May 2026– via Delpher. Van Campen is meer Amerikaan dan Nederlander ... Omdat hü bij de verplichte figuren, evenals in voorgaande jaren trouwens, faalde, haalde hij het vereiste minimum aantal punten om zich Nederlands kampioen te mogen noemen, niet.[Van Campen is more American than Dutch... Because he faltered in the compulsory figures, just as he had in previous years, for that matter, he failed to attain the minimum number of points required to claim the title of Dutch Champion.]
↑Schreijnders, Ab (14 November 1983). "IJsdansduo zakt nog en plaats"[Ice dance duo drops another place]. Der Volkskrant (in Dutch). Vol.62, no.18005. p.11. Retrieved 27 May 2026– via Delpher. Van Bommel ... de enige van de vier „Nederlandse" vertegenwoordigers in Den Haag die een vraag in onze taal begrijpt...[Van Bommel ... the only one of the four "Dutch" representatives in The Hague who understands a question in our language...]
↑Oudshoorn, Erik (14 November 1983). "Kunstrijden onder overzeese invloed"[Figure skating under overseas influence]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). p.9. Retrieved 27 May 2026– via Delpher. Het toernooi ... een deelnemersveld met louter Nederlanders die zijn opgegroeid aan de andere kant van de oceaan. Ed van Campen, Barbara-Ann van de Hogen en het ijsdansduo Marianne van Bommel — Wayne Deweyert moesten de nationale eer hoog houden, maar vraag hen niet om de eerste coupletten van het Wilhelmus mee te zingen. De deelneming van deze emigrantenkinderen uit Canada en de Verenigde Staten ... geeft aan hoe bedroevend het kunstrijden er in Nederland voor staat.[The tournament ... featured a field of competitors consisting entirely of Dutch nationals who grew up on the other side of the ocean. Ed van Campen, Barbara-Ann van de Hogen, and the ice dancing duo Marianne van Bommel — Wayne Deweyert were tasked with upholding national honor, though one shouldn't ask them to sing along to the opening verses of the [Dutch national anthem]. The participation of these children of emigrants from Canada and the United States ... serves to illustrate the dismal state of figure skating in the Netherlands.]
↑"Announcement – Challenge Cup"(PDF). Royal Dutch Skating Federation. p.9. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 22 November 2025. For the National Championship, gold, silver and bronze medals will be presented to the winning athletes in each category.
↑"Challenge Cup & NK Kunstschaatsen"[Challenge Cup & Dutch National Figure Skating Championships]. Royal Dutch Skating Federation (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026. Dit evenement wordt gecombineerd met het Nederlands Kampioenschap.[This event is combined with the Dutch National Championships.]
123"Dianne de Leeuw prolongeert titel"[Dianne de Leeuw prolongs title]. Newsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). Vol.84, no.298. 20 December 1971. p.23. Retrieved 12 May 2026– via Delpher.
123"Drie medailles voor de KCG"[Three medals for the KCG]. Newsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 7 January 1980. p.17. Retrieved 12 May 2026– via Delpher.
12"Aalders onttroont Rudina Pasveer"[Aalders dethrones Rudina Pasveer]. Newsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). Vol.95, no.14. 18 January 1982. p.19. Retrieved 12 May 2026– via Delpher.
123"Winkelman herovert titel kunstrijden"[Winkelman reclaims figure skating title]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Vol.68, no.19894. 15 January 1990. p.15. Retrieved 12 May 2026– via Delpher. Joanne en Eerde van Leeuwen (nationaal kampioen ijsdansen)[Joanne and Eerde van Leeuwen (national ice dance champions)]
12345"ONK Kunstrijden 2010"[Dutch National Figure Skating Championships 2010]. Royal Dutch Skating Federation (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
123456"ONK kunstrijden 2012"[Dutch National Figure Skating Championships 2012]. Royal Dutch Skating Federation (in Dutch). 18 December 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
1234"Challenge Cup 2017". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
123"Challenge Cup". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
12345"Challenge Cup 2019". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
123456"Challenge Cup 2020". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
12345"Challenge Cup 2022". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
↑"Kunstrijder Wouter Toledo overleden"[Figure skater Wouter Toledo passed away]. Royal Dutch Skating Federation (in Dutch). 30 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
Netherlands
