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Accomplished Somerset West cyclist and certified International Commissaire (referee) Johan “Spook” Groenewald has been selected to be part of the panel of mountain biking referees at the Olympics to be held in Paris, France in July and August.
He is only the second South African to have been selected for the prestigious task, following in the footsteps of Arno Neethling, a “house friend” of Groenewald who has since passed away.
Speaking to DistrictMail and Helderberg Gazette at his home, Groenewald explained that the process towards commissaire certification can be somewhat tedious and costly.
It starts by attending courses and writing exams, which qualifies one as a trainee regional commissaire. This is followed by officiating numerous events under the watchful eye of the technical director, and follows approvals and evaluation by a national commissaire.
After four years in this role one may step-up for training as a UCI or international commissaire, which includes several trips to Switzerland before certification is finally obtained.
According to Sharon Ruddock, national convenor of Mountain Biking SA in the Western Cape, there are currently about 15 to 20 national commissaires in the country, 10 regional, and just three internationally certified commissaires.
“I never dreamt that I would one day be in this position and selected as commissaire at the Olympic Games,” Groenewald said. “Financially, the process towards certification is not very viable for many. It seemed an impossible achievement, but after my friend went through the education and qualification process, I thought I’d give it a shot. It took years and years of hard work, and I was really surprised with the Olympic Games selection.”
He is better known as “Spook” in the cycling fraternity and has vast experience, having worked at three World Cup Mountain Biking events in 2021. Last year Groenewald got a call from Warner Brothers Discovery, which delivers a full spectrum of event-management services at the World Cup of Mountain Biking.
His main job description as course manager is to travel the globe attending all World Cup Mountain Biking events, where he is ultimately responsible for the course set-up, spectator and participant placing. He also works closely with local organising committees, medical teams and environmentalists towards providing the cameras the perfect, uninterrupted angle to capture all the action.
“I roped in my son, Tim, who has lots of experience in downhill mountain-bike events, to work with me,” Groenewald said. “It’s an incredible privilege that we can experience the global event world together.”
Regarding his experiences as a commissaire he said he never felt pressurised and was in contact with other commissaires to ensure correct decisions are made, and that the mutual respect within the industry goes a long way in ensuring sportsmanship all round.
“Being a mountain biker, having worked as a bike mechanic for big teams, setting up mountain bike events and having been part of national team management, has really made me part and parcel of the industry,” Groenewald related.
Together with his wife Erica Green, he’s been involved in mountain biking since 1991. She operates a coaching academy, Daisyway Coaching Systems, and is an accomplished mountain biker herself, having competed at two Olympic Games. Green has also managed Commonwealth Games and World Championships teams among other achievements.
“We’re so intertwined in the industry that many of the aspects of mountain biking come to us as second nature,” Groenewald said. “We’re in a unique position and feel very privileged that we can serve the sport in this way.”
He added seeing people smile when they cross the finish line has been all the motivation they’ve needed throughout the tireless years.
“We love giving back to the sport and see the sport grow. Erica has also been very involved in setting up NPOs, such as the songo.info (Stellenbosch) and Velo Khaya (Khayalitsha) programmes, which provide cycling opportunities to the less privileged. The sustainable programmes operate on their own 15 years after its establishment. It’s really beautiful to see.”
