Hell of ’63 (2009)

Everywhere you turn in The Netherlands you see water: lakes, canals, streams, ponds, rivers. And in the winter, every Dutchman and woman hopes that all of that water will freeze. If it does, the Tour of Eleven Cities is held in the north of the country: a 200 kilometre route past checkpoints in eleven different towns, to be completed by midnight if you want to receive the coveted medal awarded to all those who finish the route.

The Hell of ’63 tells the story of four hardy skaters, determined to finish the race at all costs despite the punishing conditions in the winter of 1963: plunging temperatures, rough terrain, frostbite and injuries beset the 10,000 skaters on the ice that fateful day. Only a handful of them made it across the finish line, but for those who did, it was a life changing event.