Tuks cheerleaders making impossible stunts look easy
Tuks finished second overall in the tertiary small co-ed section in the Gauteng Majorette and Cheerleading Association Provincial competition recently.
The man is utterly focused on keeping the woman standing on one foot in the palm of his hand in the air high above his head. One second passes, then another. The whole exercise lasts about eight seconds.
This was not a scene from some strongman competition. It was the Tuks cheerleading squad earnestly training for an upcoming competition.
Vandre Prinsloo and Chuma Msindo were practising the Cupie-move. He is the base, and she is the flyer.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Bulls cheerleader in storm over ‘racist’ video
For the eight or so seconds the move lasts, it is all about trust – for Msindo especially, since she has a fear of heights.
Being so high in the air, balancing herself on the hand of somebody else is really a case of mind over matter. However, she would have it no other way. One of the things that attracted her to cheerleading was the adrenaline. Those few seconds of feeling totally fearless.
Tuks finished second overall in the tertiary small co-ed section in the Gauteng Majorette and Cheerleading Association Provincial competition recently. Earlier this year, they won a competition in Boksburg.
In 2016, cheerleading was officially recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has been granted provisional Olympic status.
Last year, IOC sports director Kit McConnell said the International Cheer Union is now eligible to apply to become part of the Olympics programme. This does not necessarily mean cheerleaders will be going to the 2024 Games, but at least they are getting closer to doing so.
ALSO READ: SCHOOL: Maragon celebrates its birthday
Rindie Prinsloo, the Tuks head coach, explained that at a typical cheerleading competition teams perform a two-and-a-half-minute routine with music that includes stunts, pyramids, tosses and tumbling.
“Teams are judged by a panel of cheerleading experts on difficulty and execution.
“Some of the stunts a team might perform are the tick-tock, liberty, show-n-go, bow and arrows, and so much more. In all of it, precision is of the utmost importance. One leg of a flyer not being straight at a crucial moment can mean the difference between winning and losing.”
Seeing someone holding a woman up in the air with only one hand seems like a real show of strength. It is easy to conclude that it takes spending hours and hours in a gym playing around with heavy weights.
Vandre Prinsloo is, however, quick to point out that physical strength is not a requirement for being a base in a cheerleading team. Bases are the athletes that hold the flyer or top girl in the air during the stunt.
ALSO READ: Varsity Netball returns with a vengeance
“Look at me – I am one of the smallest guys in our team, and I can do everything and more than the bigger guys do. Also, we have fantastic female bases. Being a base is 70% technique and 30% strength.”
Flyers are usually, but not always, the smallest people on a cheerleading squad. Msindo weighs only 49kg, but laughs when asked if she purposely starves herself before a competition to make it easier for the bases.
“People will be surprised by how much I actually eat,” she says.
Photo: Reg Caldecott
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
