Bored? Then get on board

If you’ve cast a weary eye round Jo’burg on more than one Saturday afternoon, lamenting the lack of a different form of outdoors entertainment for your kids, you’ve probably glanced over the many old mine dumps that pimple the city’s horizon. But, in doing so, you’ve also overlooked one of Joburg’s best-kept secrets and most unusual playgrounds. These dumps — that have recently caught the attention of modern-day prospectors, keen to strip them of their last traces of treasure — are proving to be worth their weight in gold in the eyes of another interest group: the thrill-seeking fraternity.

Just past Benoni’s Snake Road offramp, round a bend and behind a thicket of gums, ‘Mount Mayhem” — as this particular site has come to be known — sees a happy thoroughfare of adventure sportspeople every weekend as sand fans in the form of sandboarders, quad bikers and scramblers take to the hills.

Pure Rush is one such adrenalin-seeking enterprise intent on getting like-minded souls on board — on a sand board, that is.

Founded by Marco Caromba, a sports lecturer at Damelin, the adventure company has been making use of Jo’burg’s abundance of sandy slopes in the form of abandoned mine dumps for the past ten years to simulate the sensation of snowboarding all year round.

On the day that Earthyear decided to get a closer look, an intrepid birthday party group of a dozen 13-year-olds were appraising the shimmering slopes with glee.

Instructors Duncan Krause and Chantelle Jooste were on hand to strap each child on to a board, explain and demonstrate, encourage and coax, and — admittedly — administer a band-aid or two.

Despite a few acrobatic tumbles that would impress even the most hardened stunt artist, shiny-faced kids skidded to the bottom of the slope, picked the sand out of their braces and ran back up the hill for another go.

While there were a few scraped knees, the smiles all round suggested that sand boards are likely to feature on quite a few Christmas wish lists this year. But at up to R4 000 apiece secondhand, they don’t come cheap.

Sandboarding is still a relatively underground sport, says Caromba, but it is gaining in popularity and events draw competitors from all corners of the world.

A formal league was started four years ago and events are held as far afield as Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Jeffrey’s Bay and Namibia. And the prolific presence of mine dumps in and around Jo’burg has enabled competitions to be relocated inland, giving Gautengers a chance to impress their coastal-based colleagues.

If the adrenalin-fuelled shouts of ‘awesome” and ‘cool” from the birthday party brigade are anything to go by, South Africa is likely to see a new generation of talented sandboarders emerge in the near future. And a good deal of them might’ve cut their teeth on Jo’burg’s golden slopes.

Not to be outdone by the 13-year-olds, I decided to give it a go myself. Poised upon the ‘launch ledge” — a small area dug out of the sand, in which you balance your board — it was only when I started noticing the panoramic views of Johannesburg that I appreciated just how steep the slope was — and how high.

Jooste explained that, unlike with a snow board, the sand board requires that you put all your weight on your back foot as you propel yourself down the hill. Arms are outstretched on either side of you to help balance and knees are bent low towards the board, bum in the air.

A moment later I was off, whizzing down the sand at a very rapid rate and, admittedly, it took more than one attempt to master the descent. But wow — what a rush!

The speed at which you hurtle down the hill is startling at first, but after a few attempts you’re careering down the slopes like a pro. And then it’s all downhill from there —

But, of course, what comes down must go up again — for another go. Repeated hikes up the hill, board on back, are tiring work. One sandboarder aptly described it as ‘the stairmaster from hell”. But the sensation of riding, gliding or sliding down the slopes is well worth the slog.

Pure Rush uses snow boards for the more powdery sand of a mine dump, but you can get sand boards specifically designed for dunes. The fine sand makes for a lot of dust, particularly when a breeze picks up. But a breeze is a welcome addition on a sweltering summer afternoon. While I kept a cautious eye on the gathering rain clouds in the distance, the instructors were unfazed — wet sand is best for speed, apparently, and can generate velocities of up to 55km an hour, says Caromba. The world record was clocked at around 81km/h.

Caromba and his colleagues have been using this particular playground to perfect the techniques of ‘big air”, ‘drag racing” and ‘freestyle” for the past ten years. They have introduced the sport to a number of new fans, many of whom are accomplished snowboarders.

The site, says Krause, has been tested by the mines for hazardous waste residues and given the all-clear. Pure Rush says it boasts a 100% safety record.

Mount Mayhem, however — like many other dumps in and around Johannesburg — is currently being flattened. The sand on the side away from the activities is being used to make cement, and the reclaimed ground will be developed.

For the time being, the fun can be found at Mount Mayhem. So if you’re keen for a day outdoors with a difference, pack a hat, some sunscreen and plenty of water, and see what all the fuss is about. Although it may never snow in Benoni, you’re guaranteed heaps of fun and action.