With athletes returning to national competition, the province is also developing volunteer trial judges to safeguard fairness and the sport’s long-term sustainability.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (03 March 2026) – While figure skating is often associated with elegance and medals, much of the work that sustains the sport happens behind the scenes. And we don’t often hear about those working on the ice. In KwaZulu-Natal, attention is now firmly on officials safeguard fairness and technical standards in the sport.
A year ago, when Jo Cossavella took over as Chairperson of KZN Figure Skating, two key focus areas were identified for rebuilding the Olympic sport in Durban: athlete development and judge development. These two pillars were seen as essential for long-term sustainability.
On the athlete front, progress is already visible. Following last year’s development programme, KZN will have 10 figure skaters competing at the Gauteng Inter-Provincial Championships in Pretoria in March. This will be the first time in five years that the province will be represented at this level.
However, judging is not a simple pathway. All figure skating judges are volunteers, and trial judges receive no funding. They carry the costs of training, travel and development themselves. To address this, KZN Figure Skating partnered with Alicia Benade, a National Senior Judge in Solo Ice and Synchronised Ice Skating from Western Province, to run a structured 12-month online development programme for five prospective trial judges.
Candidates completed theory modules covering ISU and SAFSA regulations, element recognition, ethical conduct, panel procedures and practical assessments with senior judges. Before promotion can be considered, trial judges must complete practical judging at two inter-provincial championships in different provinces.
Aquilla Fernandez described the experience as both daunting and rewarding.
“I feel nervous yet excited, nervous about the responsibility, but excited for the opportunity to learn and represent KZN Figure Skating at an interprovincial level.”
Having skated since the age of eight, she sees judging as a natural next step.
“Trial judging and what comes next feels like the perfect way to stay involved in the sport that has given me so much.”
Tannah Roode reflected on her journey through the programme.
“I’m super excited for the opportunity and looking forward to the continuous learning and experience I will gain. In the beginning, I found it a bit overwhelming, but the more the course progressed, the more knowledge and confidence I felt I had gained.”
At its core, the initiative signals a long-term commitment to rebuilding the sport by strengthening both athlete and official pathways.
Sources: Supplied
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Excellent read! I’ve been exploring similar ideas at Institute of Physical and Sport Sciences and your perspective adds great value.