2 days ago
How Bloemfontein's Robin Fortuin gained confidence through spinning
Most pre-teen girls just want to dress up with their Sunday best, go to the mall with their friends and catch up with the latest gossip that's trending in the halls of their school, but not Robin Fortuin.
At 12, the Bloemfontein spinner was gifted her first car by her father Rodger, a BMW E30. Before entering her teenage years, Robin already knew that she was going to be a spinner and coming from a family of motorheads solidified that dream.
Now 19-years-old, Fortuin is already a brand name in the world of spinning and even has her own signature salute while standing on a moving vehicle. So what happened in 7 years that turned this young woman into a role model for South African teenagers?
Robin Fortuin Robin Fortuin sits on the bonnet of her BMW E30 at the Gas Motor show in Durban.
Image: Auto Rush
Well, touring the country with her twin brother Roberto, who also spins, and sister Alison, again, who also spins, made life as a teenager very exciting this past decade.
With her parents backing her 100%, Fortuin is hoping to make a career out of spinning and if that does not work out, she wants to be a nurse.
Being an introverted person made the sport a little difficult to get into at first, because let's face it, spinning is about showing off. Introverts stay far away from such activities, but if you are destined for the spotlight, then it's only a matter of time before it finds you.
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'Spinning makes me feel like I'm in control," said Fortuin.
"It gave me so much confidence. I am naturally a shy person, even my siblings are all introverts but spinning changed us. I don't really know how to explain it, but it makes me happy.
'My parents expected me to do ballet when I was 12. In fact, they kept my car a secret.
"When I was 12, they had this conversation with me about getting into ballet. But I said 'no, I really like spinning and want to do that'. Later that day, they surprised me and bought the car."
Her BMW E30, draped in 'Southside Crew' stickers, runs on a M52 B29 engine with Wild Cat branches and is brought together by a Dicktator engine management system. It's a common weapon in the world of spinning, mainly because of the lure that the shape has here in South Africa.
The E30 is seen as the gangster of vehicles, which presents a rare sighting to see a petite young lady twisting it around so violently. Fortuin indicated that the octane is in her blood and learnt how to spin from her elder sister Alison, who also competed in the sport.
Her twin brother Roberto is also a spinner and the mechanic that works on her vehicle when he isn't destroying the rear wheels. The Fortuin family spends most of their time driving around South Africa and entering spinning events, making it a family sport and hobby. Both her siblings also drive an E30.
Fortuin was arguably the highlight of the Gas Motorshow in Durban this month, pulling off stunts in front of a crowd that never saw a young lady 'operate' at that level. Stunts aside, Fortuin is also quite the drifter and thinks she can make it in the sport if she ever considered entering. But for now, spinning is her love.
'My dad used to do it back in the day when it was just something to do on the streets. Obviously, it wasn't legal at the time so it had this negative stigma attached to it.
"He was the one that taught us how to spin but we kind of took it to another level. Even at the recent Gas Motorshow in Durban, he came to me and said 'I never knew you could do those things'.
'Spinning at that time was mainly in the first and second gear, I am already using third and fourth gear so the style of driving has changed over the years.
"I think my Matric year was most important for me because it's when I went to M-fest and also won at Orange Farm. That's when I decided to take a gap year but I am planning to go into nursing.
"I like helping people and think it's something I'd enjoy. I'm not so much into business or money and prefer to be hands on,' Fortuin concluded.
