Brandon is ready to kickflip his way to Olympic glory after competing in the first Olympic street skateboarding competition in Tokyo 2020 (which took place in 2021).
Brandon first stepped on a skateboard at the age of three after picking up the board riding bug from his dad Clint and older brother Sheldon.
“There was always a skateboard in the garage because my dad and brother used to skate back in the day. That accessibility sparked the initial attraction for me,” explains Brandon.
Putting in the work
As he got older, you could find Brandon ripping up the streets and skateparks around Jozi. Growing up in the YouTube era allowed Brandon to watch videos about trick tips to help him develop his skills.
“I would first take just the skateboard deck and jump on the trampoline so that I would have more air time to learn new tricks. Once I learnt how to do it on the trampoline, I would head into the street outside my house and practise for hours until I would get it right.”
This process of mastering skills has made Brandon renowned the world over for his innovative and technical tricks.
“I think the most important factor in becoming a better skateboarder is the practice for hours part because you have to put in the work.”
Taking it up a level
While skateboarding was always a fun activity for Brandon, what initially started as a hobby would eventually become his profession.
“Once I was exposed to reality shows like Life of Ryan and Rob & Big on MTV, and event coverage from the X Games and Streetleague on ESPN, I realised that I wanted to pursue skateboarding as a career,” recalls Brandon.
By applying his meticulous approach to skills development and dedication to training, Brandon was soon dominating local competitions.
In 2014, he won the South African and World Youth Championship at the Kimberley Diamond Cup, and successfully defended his South African title in 2015.
He continued his meteoric rise in the sport by becoming the African skateboarding champion at the 2017 Ultimate X festival and joined the World Cup of Skateboarding tour later that year. He also competed at the World Skateboarding Championship in 2019 and 2021.
Chasing Olympic glory
Brandon is now putting the finishing touches to his preparations for Paris 2024 after completing an Olympic qualifying series event in China in May.
“It’s an honour to be able to represent my country. I feel so proud to be South African and always feel that I want to give my best efforts to make my friends, family and country proud. I aspire to give my people pride, hope, happiness and unity every time I get to represent our flag while being the best possible representation of our beautiful country.”
Taking place at the famous Place de La Concorde in the heart of the French capital, the street event runs on a ‘street-like’ course with stairs, handrails, and other structures set up to resemble the urban environments where skateboarding started.
Athletes perform a range of tricks and are judged on how they control their board during the two 45-second runs and five tricks they perform.
Brandon’s preparations for the Olympics entail a combination of intense training, smart eating and the intelligent use of supplements and Red Bull Energy Drinks.
Covering his training bases
He structures his weekly training plan to include skills development and freestyle riding, as well as strength and conditioning work.
“I always like to get my skills development and contest consistency training done at the beginning of the day. Due to the world skate training schedule, we only get between 45- to 90-minute training sessions, so I structure my practice sessions accordingly.”
After these training sessions, Brandon has some fun and skates however he wants. “At the end of the day, skateboarding is still my freedom of expression and a way that I like to express my creativity.”
Brandon typically does his strength and conditioning work or recovery sessions at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Los Angeles.
“It’s really beneficial because all my training is specified to strengthening the muscles I use when I skate.”
He stretches and does mobility drills before and after each skate session to help prevent injuries, and cycles before every gym session as a warmup.
“I do a lot of cardio work to get the blood pumping before I focus on strengthening the specific muscle groups I need to perform at my best on the board. This fits into my schedule almost every day or sometimes 2-3 times a week if I have content pieces I am working on for my sponsors.”
Recovery sessions include stretching, mobility work, foam rolling, ice baths, saunas and tools like Normatec compression boots. “The other crucial factors for my recovery include nutrition and sleep.”
Fuelled for success
What he eats and drinks also plays an important role in Brandon’s performance during training and competitions.
“My diet plan varies. I try my best to get all the carbs, protein, natural fats and nutrients I need to meet my energy requirements. I try to change up my sources of carbs and protein so I don’t get tired of eating the same thing.”
Brandon likes to start his day with a smoothie that contains protein and collagen in it. “Between sessions, I like to snack on pistachios, protein bars, trail mix and bananas to give me some extra fuel. If I need that extra energy before or during my session, I always drink a Red Bull to help boost my performance.”
He generally eats a light lunch like a salad after his session or something more substantial if he feels depleted. “I normally would keep it light though because I know dinner is right around the corner.”
Brandon works closely with Craig Moore, the Performance Nutritionist at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Los Angeles.
“He has helped me a lot in terms of balancing my diet, getting creative with meals and understanding how nutrition is as important to my training and recovery as any other aspect of my program.”
Brandon keeps his diet the same before competitions.
“If I don’t have an appetite, I will always have a solid protein smoothie and eat natural sugars by indulging in more fruits. I always drink a Red Bull at least 1 hour before competing so that the caffeine can kick in to ensure I have the most amount of energy possible before I drop in.”
Brandon supports his diet with a comprehensive supplement plan that includes protein powder to aid muscle recovery, collagen to support joint recovery and a range of vitamins and minerals.
“I like to take calcium, magnesium, MSM, B vitamins and vitamin C to help ensure my body is ready to take on all the physical challenges that skateboarding imposes on it.”
Support team
Brandon does most of the planning behind his training schedule and program with help from his girlfriend, Jasmine.
“She helps with my day-to-day operations and she is incredible when it comes down to scheduling. She is also there with me for my training sessions and holds me accountable for actually doing my drills to keep my training consistent, and she sees me work on my tricks.”
When it comes to strategising about how he can use his tricks to maximise scoring during competitions, Brandon connects with his coach Hector Barnett, usually over Zoom as he is based in London.
“After my training sessions, we discuss all the tricks I have been working on so that he knows what I have in my arsenal.”
In addition to the physical training, Brandon also trains his mind to stay focused and overcome nerves, especially in the lead-up to events like the Olympics.
“I have been working with Irene Oyang, a Mental Performance Specialist at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre. She helps me with certain techniques to make sure I can control my mind in high-pressure situations.
We work a lot on visualisation and always manifesting the best-case scenario because, at the end of the day, we create our reality.”
Giving back
Beyond the Olympics, Brandon says he aims to keep working towards feeling the best he can as he continues competing.
“As you get older, the most challenging aspect of being a pro skateboarder is making sure your body feels as good as possible before you step on the board. Everything I do, from strength and conditioning to mobility, recovery and nutrition, all aim to ensure I feel as good as possible and that all the injuries don’t eventually catch up to me.”
Ensuring greater longevity in the sport also entails proactive injury prevention, which Brandon does by taking it a lot easier in the streets or when filming for content pieces.
“Skateboarding is dangerous and you always tend to get injured when you doubt yourself. For me, the key to avoiding injuries is being confident every time you approach a trick in practice at a skatepark, in the streets and in competition.”
However, his ultimate goal is to give back to the sport and community that have supported him throughout his career.
“My greatest ambition in life is to give back to the African skateboarding community by creating the best facilities to help skateboarders progress faster and become more competitive in international competitions.”
Brandon’s efforts at grassroots development include making donations available to get talented local skateboarders on fresh boards so that they can focus on their progression.
“At the end of my career, I want to feel that I truly gave back to the industry and inspired the next generations of African skateboarders to know that it is possible to fulfil your dream.”
