We are sad to report that after decades of gracing Amsterdam’s streets with “bare buttocks”, legs, and roller skates, Henri Pronker (1956-2023) passed away from cancer on Wednesday night at age 66.
“Intelligent”, beloved, iconic, “colourful” — those are just some of the adjectives that fans and witnesses use to describe the g-string skater, reports Het Parool.
Pronker and his buttocks first came onto the Amsterdam scene in the late 80s, seemingly out of nowhere, whizzing around on rollerblades, sporting nothing but a g-string that reportedly left little to the imagination.
To locals and internationals alike, this man was an enigma, an urban legend. And that’s the way he liked it:
Let the string skater remain a mystery, he once said. A snapshot for those who saw him skating, a flash, an observation where everyone was allowed to have their own thoughts. ”I belong to the living street furniture of Amsterdam. Who else I am, people can guess.” (1956-2023) pic.twitter.com/uXfiXu2EvF
— Pieter Voogt (@voogt_pieter) June 1, 2023
One of Amsterdam’s enigmas
Why did he skate half-naked across Amsterdam? Who knows. Maybe it was a political statement, a demonstration of sexuality, or maybe he was feeling himself. Either way, we were here for it.
At least, most of us were. Titled “the creepiest skater ever”, New Zealand illustrator Toby Morris drew a black-and-white portrait of Pronker back in 2010 — which can be found in his book, “333 Drawings of A Year in Amsterdam”.
Whether passersby were horrified or intrigued, one thing was certain: he was not easily forgotten. We all secretly wanted to be him, and he knew it.
A legacy for us to enjoy
Miss him already? Well, there’s still a way to see him. Pronker’s art form has been immortalised through the medium of film.
That’s right, Henri Pronker managed to land roles as a scantily-clad “skater” (basically himself) in the Dick Maas movie Don’t Worry About It (1999), and even has his own IMDb page. (Whether he was genuinely acting, or just happened to stumble/skate onto the set, is beside the point.)
Het Parool claims this street-based string skater perfectly encapsulated the sexual liberation and “freedom” of Amsterdam’s culture.
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After all, it’s a city where sex work is not only legal but also officially regulated, with its own branch of tourism dedicated to sex tourism.
It’s likely that Pronker’s constant roller-bladed presence even contributed to that reputation.
Fewer appearances
In the last few years of his life, however, Pronker’s appearances were reportedly fewer and farther between.
After experiencing a nasty fall — an outlier in an otherwise flawless skating career — he decided the streets were no longer smooth enough to support his craft.
Not only that, but according to Het Parool, he was “increasingly being taunted” by the general public. Uh, oh. Is Amsterdam becoming “more boring” and “even less tolerant” these days?
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Fans wistfully reminisce about the gentler, more “cuddly” time period he represented. “With his death, a piece of Amsterdam dies,” a reader tells Het Parool.
Farewell to a national treasure. The Dutch capital won’t be the same without you.
Did you ever catch a glimpse of the g-string skater? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.