The Skate School Academy in Ferndale achieved strong results at the recent KDC Johannesburg, headlined by junior rider Ntokozo Dludla, who topped the open women’s division.

Up against older and well-seasoned skaters, Dludla was sitting in seventh position going into her final trick. She needed to land something big to make it to the podium finish. Along with coach and founder of the academy Shayne Robinson, they chose a trick she had already fallen on three times.

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This time, however, she stuck it, moving her into first place by a margin of two points, and winning her the Best Trick Award, as well as a complete skateboard from the organisers for the Performance of the Day.

“She was sitting seventh,” explained Robinson. “You do not get from seventh to first by being careful. We had a quick chat and decided we would hit the biggest thing on the course again. Ntokozo is good under pressure, and she went at it. She nailed that late grab frontside air over the box and the whole place erupted.”

The academy sent five riders to KDC, all girls, and all five placed. Sasha Mnguni took third in open women. In U16 girls, Chloe Shaw placed second and Charlie de Beer placed third. A seven-year-old rider, Alexa Ndlovu, the academy’s newest rider, placed fourth in the same division, competing against skaters up to nine years older than her.

Robinson added that with the series still to run, nine of the 13 riders coached by the academy have already earned a place at the KDC Championship Final in December – the season-ending event of the six-stop Grand Slam Series. Ntokozo, Sasha, Chloe and Charlie qualified in Johannesburg.

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Ayanda Ndlovu, Auralia Robinson, Thendo Masinga and Ronewa Mudau qualified earlier in the season, across other stops on the series, while Thabiso Mashiyakgomo, a former coach at the academy, took second in the open women division in Kimberley. Kaylin Booysen will ride in the final in academy colours.

The achievement showcases the talent the academy has despite training on the municipal tennis court in Ferndale. “People see the podium photographs and think it happens on the day,” said Robinson. “It happens on a broken tennis court when nobody is watching. We are here for the little wins. The big ones look after themselves.”

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