Ice skating... Interesting... My guess was it having to do with ships rocking side to side.

Maar waarom een schaatsterm?

At first I read that as `schatsterm` and thought it was cute, but then I looked it up to double check and it's still cool!

But now I know that the word I thought it was is actually a `bijnaam`. Your language is fun and I have been enjoying learning it over the last couple of years. :)

Maybe the ice skaters took it from ships, also an old Dutch tradition I suppose.

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but: I have read that back in the day (1500s-1700s), the Dutch built flat-bottomed boats that could carry a lot, and the English built round-bottomed boats that handled better in the ocean. Maybe the way a Dutch boat handled in heavier seas is the origin of the term?

Sounds plausible, your guess is as good as mine

That was indeed my guess.