Skatescool Taupō: From a Few Secondhand Pairs of Skates to a Rink Full of Confidence

 I really love hearing how an idea starts small and just grows, and Kazna’s story is a really good example of that.

 Before any of this, Kazna trained as a nanny and later a midwife, but with four kids at home, being on call 24/7 wasn’t going to work for her family. So she pulled out and found herself asking the question a lot of us end up asking: Well, what can I do now?

 She still wanted to be home with her kids, and she knew herself well enough to know that if she signed up to teach a class, she’d have to make sure she turned up. The one thing she genuinely loved doing for exercise was skating, something she’d done as a kid, rolling along Mission Bay in Auckland. So that was it. No grand business plan, just a passion and a bit of self-honesty about what would actually get her moving. A friend running classes in Whangārei told her to “just start”, so she did. With basically nothing to her name, Kazna went on TradeMe and collected any secondhand pair of skates she could find, some even shipped down from Auckland, just so there’d be enough for a disco in the local hall. It was never about the money, she told me, just a passion thing, and a couple of classes a week that kept growing and growing. 

A true family business 

What started as Kazna’s thing quickly became everyone’s thing. Her kids helped run the discos from the start, the older ones on the door taking money, the younger ones doing tricks and helping out. The culture they built was like one big family; best friends were always there, sleepovers happened most weekends, and even kids who wandered in without knowing anyone soon made friends and became part of it. It’s also, funnily enough, how Kazna met her husband Pierre. His three daughters were in her very first ever term of classes, and years later, the youngest 4 of their combined 7 children competed together for many years, winning numerous National titles. Pierre handles the behind-the-scenes work, maintaining the skates and gear, while Kazna focuses on the teaching. As she put it to me, she’s very hands-on and prefers to just get in and do things herself, but Pierre complements that perfectly, picking up the things she might not get round to. She was honest enough to say she probably wouldn’t have landed either of her venues without him. I was lucky enough to see this firsthand when I came to have a look, they seemed to work together seamlessly, and both looked like they were having such fun at the same time. 

Starting fresh in Taupō

 After ten years running a rink in Tauranga, close to 800 square metres of space, Kazna felt done with how big and full-on it had all become. She had a coach who’d competed alongside her for eight years and was ready to take over, and Kazna knew it was time to step back and enjoy life a bit more. So in 2025, she and Pierre relocated to Taupō and started again, and the Taupō community has welcomed them warmly. At Kazna’s very first disco here, Three sisters thanked for moving to town and bringing the Roller skating, and she hears that kind of thing from mums all the time, that it’s such a good asset for the area, especially through the colder months. 

Watching kids come out of their shell 

I asked Kazna what keeps her doing this, and she didn’t hesitate. It’s watching confidence grow, particularly in kids who come in nervous and nearly give up before they’ve even started. She told me skating is especially good for neurodivergent kids, since there’s no pressure to compare yourself to anyone else, you just go at your own pace. She’s had parents tell her their shy child has completely blossomed, with that confidence spilling over into school and everything else. She wants people to feel comfortable the moment they walk in, and for parents especially, she loves that it’s one of those rare places where nobody’s looking at their phone; everyone just switches off and has fun. 

What running it all has taught her

I ask everyone I interview the same two questions, and Kazna’s answers stuck with me. On what it’s taught her about herself or others, she was honest that she prefers to rely on herself and just do it all, finding it easier to maintain full control herself. Running Skatescool has also taught her to trust her instincts about who she brings close. These days she prefers to keep things within the family and the small circle of people who share the same vision for Skatescool, and stay focused on the love and joy of skating. She was quick to credit Pierre as the one who sees the things she might not get to, and admitted she’s often harder on herself than she needs to be. 

And if she had unlimited money and resources? A much bigger, purpose-built space, similar in size to what she had in Tauranga, with rooms for private functions, and enough funding to run more free classes. As she put it, she never wants money to be the barrier stopping someone from trying it. 

Seriously, give it a go 

If you’ve never put on a pair of skates before, Kazna’s advice is simple. For adults, dont overthink it, your body remembers more than you think. For kids, she likes to remind them it’s just like learning to walk: you fall over a few times, but nobody gives up on walking, and skating’s exactly the same. 

Her suggestion for anyone curious is to come along to a Friday or Saturday disco first, get the vibe, and see if it grabs you or just sign up for classes. 

I took her advice and went along to the Friday night disco with my daughter and her two friends. I’ll admit it, I’m more of a rollerblades generation girl than a rollerskates one, and after a lazy winter the thought of heading out on a Friday felt like a fair bit of effort. But I’m so glad I went. We had such a good time, It took me a few minutes to find my rhythm on the skates, and once I did, it was such a lot of fun. Kazna was right, you really don’t forget. What actually blew me away was the buzz of the music, the dim lights, and everyone just doing their own thing, with some genuine help given when needed so you never feel awkward or embarrassed when you catch a speed wobble. And afterwards, hearing the girls chatting and laughing, and feeling the buzz in the car, was just about as good as the skating itself. 

I’d assumed this was going to be a thing for my 11 year old daughter and her friends, but I was pleasantly surprised to see all ages there, guys and girls, everyone just having a go. You can really feel Kazna’s passion the moment you walk in, and I completely understand why people randomly thank her for moving to town and bringing her skate school. We’ll definitely be back, my daughter is already keen to get her own skates.

So, are you keen to give it a try?