New skate attraction ramps up excitement at Durban North park
The mini skate ramp, which was donated to the park by an uMhlanga family has been a breath of fresh air at Beachway Bike Park.
A NEW mini skate ramp at the Beachway Bike Park is attracting a new, diverse crowd of thrill seekers who are ollieng, nollieing and performing heel flipping tricks on a nearly daily basis.
The ramp, which was donated to the park by an uMhlanga family has been a breath of fresh air as it ramps up excitement, explains chairman of the park, Chris Charlton-Jones.
Since its inception in August last year, the bike park has grown from strength to strength thanks to the north Durban community, Enviro Fixers Durban North and an army of volunteers, made up of residents passionate about reclaiming green spaces.
Prior to the bike park’s opening, the section on Beachway was prone to illegal dumping, an overgrowth in alien invasive plants and delinquent behaviour.
“This addition to the park has brought a whole new aspect to the area and allowed for participation in another niche in extreme sports. We have boys and girls from all age groups coming here on a daily basis to enjoy the mini skate ramp. What has made this even more special is the community involvement, it’s been a wonderful experience and a way for the community to unite. Incredibly this all stemmed from an Enviro-Fixers clean-up and it’s spiraled to create a community driven and funded project,” Charlton-Jones explained.
He added through donations and help from residents in the area, the park now boasted higher jumps for the bike track, an MTB track and of course the skate ramp.
“I must send a huge shout out to Dave de Witt who has helped improve sections on the ramp and made it safe for the community. There aren’t many spaces for skaters in and around Durban so this new addition is fantastic. We needed something like this to uplift the space even more and the reception we’ve had so far has been unbelievable. The one thing we would like to do is try and increase the longevity of the ramp as most likely, within a year the ramp will need to be replaced.
“We are hoping to continue the upkeep of this community project which has been quite costly. We are hoping to generate funds to help improve the park. We welcome any contributions and appeal to the community around us to get involved to give back,” he said.
The addition of the bike park has also seen a number of bicycles and skateboards being donated to the families of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), whose homes border the park.
If you would like to get involved or help contribute, visit their Instagram page @beachwaybikepark.
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