KDC Grand Slam tour kicks off in Mangaung with skate, mentorship and community focus

It’s once again that time for you to strap on your elbow and knee pads, skateboard lovers, as the Kimberley Diamond Cup (KDC) Grand Slam tour is about to get underway.

The KDC Grand Slam provides a platform for amateur and professional skateboarders to compete and make their mark in the skateboarding world.

Once again, skate fans can look forward to an exhilarating season of skateboarding, community, and youth empowerment as the roadshow makes its way to Kimberley for the KDC Championships at the Kimberley Skate Plaza in December.

Now, for anyone who’s experienced it, they will know that the KDC goes beyond being just another skateboarding event; it’s a movement aimed at inspiring the next generation, empowering local talent, and bringing local communities together through the spirit of sport.

So next weekend, Mangaung will host the launch of the 2025 Kimberley Diamond Cup Grand Slam tour. The first event takes place on Saturday, August 2, at the Thaba Nchu Skate Park.

The launch event at Thaba Nchu Skate Park kicks off the six-leg KDC Grand Slam series, with a R100,000 prize purse up for grabs and the chance to qualify for the national finals in Kimberley in December, where the stakes rise to R200,000.

KDC programme manager Andile Mlawu said the event series was built on the belief that skateboarding could be a vehicle for positive change. At each Grand Slam stop, the focus is not only on competition but also on youth development, he explained. 

Proof of this can be seen in the fact that, as proof of the programme’s reach, two local skaters from Kimberley have earned invitations to participate in the Grand Skate Tour in Moscow this August – an opportunity that reflects the growth and impact of the KDC initiative.

Meanwhile, during the Grand Slam tour, young people in the area can participate in free skate clinics, while outreach initiatives involve school visits and mentoring sessions with professional skaters.

These mentorship efforts, Mlawu said, are designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and values such as discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. He noted that many of the visiting pros share their personal stories of overcoming hardship, which resonates strongly with youth in the communities they visit.

This year’s tour spans six provinces, starting in Bloemfontein on August 2 and continuing to Durban (August 23), Port Elizabeth (September 13), Kimberley (October 4), Cape Town (October 11), and Johannesburg (October 25).

The campaign culminates in the flagship KDC Championships at the Kimberley Skate Plaza in December.

Behind the scenes, Mlawu acknowledged that hosting the Grand Slam series involves substantial preparation. Conditions vary across provinces, and in some cases, facilities have to be upgraded to meet the required standards. He recalled that one park needed significant improvements before it could host last year’s event.

Despite the challenges, he said the energy and appreciation from young people at each stop continue to motivate the team.