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Meet the skateboarder representing South Africa in Tokyo

general06 July 2021 10:23
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Brandon Valjalo © Red Bull Content Pool

Brandon Valjalo blasted onto the world skateboarding radar in 2014, at the tender age of 14 when he claimed his first South African Championship as well as the World youth Championship at the Kimberley Diamond Cup (KDC). Valjalo backed-up that performance a year later by successfully retaining his South African Championships title.

In 2017 he stepped it up even further at Ultimate X, taking on the best skateboarders from all over the African continent to battle it out for the title of African Champion. He battled through the qualifiers and came up on top going into the finals.

The head-to-head format of the finals tested his consistency and stamina but he proved his contest pedigree by winning title of African Champion. Since then Valjalo has competed all over America and Europe for the World Cup skateboarding contest circuit.

Now, he’s preparing to represent his country on the highest stage as the sport makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo, something he never thought would happen when he started competing.

In the lead up to the biggest event of his life, he spent some time taking skateboarding to one of Africa's most iconic resorts, Sun City.

HOW AMPED ARE YOU ON REPRESENTING YOUR COUNTRY IN TOKYO?

The Olympics represents the highest level of any competitive sport. I read somewhere that less than 1% of people ever get to go there and represent their country, so it’s a huge milestone in my career and I feel will also give me a great platform to further my goals. I can’t wait to go and fly the South African flag, it’s a privilege and an honour to go out there and represent!

IT’S A PRETTY GOOD TIME TO BE A PRO SKATEBOARDER, RIGHT?

I believe it’s a very exciting time for skateboarding as a sport in general and also for the Olympics, yes. Skateboarding has great spectator value, whether the skaters land a trick or bail (fall), so people are definitely going to enjoy watching skateboarding. For skateboarding as a sport it’s great because people will hopefully no longer view us in a stereotypical, ‘outcast’ kind of way and rather view us as professional athletes, especially in South Africa. When you speak about the Olympics it’s quite universal so the mass market are actually starting to believing in it as a sport. As an athlete I’m also looking forward to showcasing how it’s not so much about ‘just’ going skating, but also about eating healthy and focussing on your training and cross-training to make sure your body is 100%.

DO YOU THINK SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT SKATEBOARDING HAS A LONG COMPETITIVE HISTORY?

For sure. Skateboarding, much like snowboarding, has had a very structured, multidisciplinary contest history for many years. For example, within street skateboarding (which is my specialty) we’ve had the street league format for probably more than a decade. It consists of two 45-second runs and then you have five best trick attempts in which your best four scores count overall. The judging is super structured and objective, with a panel judging on style, execution, trick difficulty, and the obstacle on which you are performing the trick. Also, parks have to be set-up in a specific manner to give the regular-footed (left foot forward) and goofy-footed (right foot forward) skaters equal opportunity to execute the same amount of tricks and lines.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE TRAINING?

Firstly, the best training for skateboarding is skateboarding, so I skate for between five and eight hours every day. My cardio work usually involves runs, between five and 10kms and I do some core and strength sessions in the gym. Then, one day a week I go to either physio or chiropractor to make sure my body stays aligned. I also do a lot of mobility work in the form Yoga, pilates and stretching to help safeguard against injury.

HOW’S THE REST OF THE YEAR LOOKING?

I’m feeling fit and strong at the moment and am eating well, all of which powers the confidence levels on the board. Going forward I’m working with a sport psychologist to help with all the competitive pressures and to keep the mental game sharp, so the build up to Tokyo is looking exciting.

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