In 1948, Mr Jaap Havekotte Sr. and Mr Co Lassche founded Schaatsenfabriek Viking in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam.
Mr Lassche was an excellent ice skate maker, while Mr Havekotte Sr had an outstanding talent for development and sales.
The combination of those skills paved the way for a successful company.
Mr Jaap Havekotte Sr. becomes the sole owner of Viking and moves the factory to Weesp.
First Olympic gold medal won on Vikings by Yevgeny Grishin
First Dutch Olympic gold with Vikings, achieved by Kees Verkerk
“The first generation of Blackies, which Yvonne van Gennip and Hein Vergeer rode, had a plastic sole (later reinforced with carbon and Kevlar). Viking was the first producer to work with a fibre built shell as the basis for the shoe (cup shoe). This is in contrast to the shoes with loose glued soles. An innovation that changed skating forever.
How easy would it be if you could change your blades and change your insert, a question founder Jaap Havekotte got a lot from the worldcup skaters we has assisting in those days. The starting point for developing the Marathon skates, wich were the first skate shoes made out of a glassfibre cup, mounted on two cups between the shoe and blade. With this set you could change to new blades easily and slighty adjust the standing of your anckle position inwards. An major innovation in skating.
It was Tonny de Jong in 1996, however, who drew international attention to the clap skate by winning the Allround European Championship in Berlin.
skate shoe in the world. How this came to be? Through
the unparalleled fit and shoe construction.
The innovative application of VT-tech and the
use of advanced materials ensures
a perfect combination of stiffness and torsion. The
construction of the Gold shoe gives you stability,
comfort and maximum control!
Combined with one of the competitive Viking blades they
guarantee a foundation for success.
Skate like a pro!
For several years now we've been making handmade skating boots of high quality materials for recreational skaters, with the same procedure we use for our top level skaters, and completely adapted to the individual needs of the skater.
The Custom Superlight has been specially developed for competition skating and due to the use of different and specific materials, this model is slightly lighter than the standard Custom made shoe. Just like the standard custom made, the SL shoes can be completely composed by the skater himself, from the stiffness to the color and design!
Viking is the most dominant speed skating brand in the world.