Gyro Gearloose
Jan Maarten Heideman is also known to be the Willie Wortel (Gyro Gearloose) of the speed skating peloton. Together with his sponsor Raps he tested various techniques. In 1997 he was the first and until today the only skater who skated the Elfstedentocht on clap skates. He was also the first skater to show up with the 3D-skate, the carve-skate, the shark suit, the bird suit, the kluun shoe, the heater skate and the change skate.