Mind-blowing Boarding

For the traveller with a bent for a board and the windblown look, South Africa with its sunny climes, and wide variety of terrains, is a country loved by adventure addicts, sport lovers and adrenaline junkies. Even snowboarders will find a wintry nirvana in the alpine-like mountainous regions of the southern Drakensberg. Boarding is also an ideal way to get off the beaten track and explore South Africa's unspoiled places and spaces. Various genres of boarding are enjoyed in all 9 provinces, including:

sand/dune boarding
snowboarding
wakeboarding
kiteboarding
mountainboarding
bodyboarding
skateboarding

Sand/Duneboarding

Downhill Adventures in Cape Town, the pioneers of sandboarding in South Africa, organises excellent sandboarding day trips to Atlantis, an idyllic location often used by the film industry because of its flawless white dunes and unique views of Table Mountain. They also travel up the east coast to Betty's Bay, a mere hour and a half drive from Cape Town. In Johannesburg, Pure Rush Sandboarding makes the most of the dunes in Boksburg and Benoni's Mount Mayhem on the Witwatersrand East Rand, offering day trips over the weekends. Their instructors are trained by Sandboard South Africa, the only South African association recognised internationally.

Snowboarding

The snowy peaks of the southern Drakensburg Mountains feature the one-of-its-kind Tiffindell ski lodge, a popular getaway for skiers, mountain boarders and snowboarders of all ages and competencies. Skilled instructors ensure you get to grips with your snowboard and learn the finer techniques of this intrepid sport. In Johannesburg, Snowscape in Fourways, Johannesburg, offers snowboarding tutorship on a 50 m indoor ski-slope, which enables you to brush up on your skills before you get to the real thing.

Wakeboarding

This fast-growing water sport, using a combination of water-skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques as you ride the wake of a speedboat, is popular on lakes and dams all over the country. Good wakeboard destinations are Bourne-2-Ride wakeboard camp at Misverstand Dam in Cape Town, Boardalign Wakeboarding Camp in Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal and Base 3 Leisure Lakes in Midrand, Johannesburg. These and other water sport training schools offer wakeboard training, a must for the novice. An enthralling spectator sport, wakeboarding draws a big crowd at its SA Cable Wakeboarding National Championships.

Kiteboarding

Kitesurfing in South Africa took off in 1999, made possible by the incredible developments in kite flying in general. The often blustery Cape coastline is perfect for this spectacular, graceful sport. The Cape Sports Centre, situated on the picturesque shores of Langebaan Lagoon, is an easy hour's drive from Cape Town. Instructors get you kitted out and teach you how to guide your board to achieve maximum speed. In Durban, the most popular kiteboarding school is the renowned Surfers Kite and Surf Shop. And for landlubbers in Johannesburg, there is an abundance of dams where kiteboarding is practiced, including Roodeplaat Dam and Hartebeespoort Dam near Pretoria, and the Vaal Dam on the Gauteng /Free State border. For lessons in kiteboarding, try Joluka, offering beginner's lessons on the Sterkfontein Dam in the district of Harrismith.

Mountain Boarding

Also known as dirtboarding and all-terrain boarding, mountainboarding is still a fledgling board sport in South Africa, but is fast gaining momentum. In Mpumalanga, Induna Adventures in Hazyview offers mountainboarding adventures down the beautiful forest roads into the Sabie valley. Tiffendel resort in the southern Drakensburg is also a natural hotspot for mountainboarders. If you're in the Cape, head off to Canal Walk, and if the weather gets gloomy – Cape Town has been known to show off all 4 seasons in a day – try Tyger Valley Shopping Centre for its sassy indoor park.

Bodyboarding

With beach around most of South Africa's circumference, bodyboarding is an enormously popular sport that anyone from toddlers up can enjoy; it attracts amateurs and professionals alike. Kommetjie in the Cape is the spot where Andre Botha, former World Champion Bodyboarder, found the perfect waves to hone his technique. Regulated by the South African Boarding Association, bodyboarding competitions are regularly organised, attracting hordes of enthusiasts.

Skateboarding

A boarding sub-culture all on its own, skateboarders are as identifiable in South Africa as they are in the US or UK, gravitating to skate parks in the capital cities. The Wave House at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga Rocks, outside Durban (designed by the renowned world skate champ Tony Hawk) and Boogaloos at Monte Casino in Johannesburg are among the most popular skateboard venues. The sport is organised and regulated by the National Skateboarding Association of SA, which arranges national competitions throughout the year.

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