Powerslides and Smiles on Mandela Day

As Has Become the Norm for This Event, the Day Didn’t as Much Dawn as Rather Dripped Its Way Slowly Into Illumination. The Clouds Hung Low and, as Usual, It Was Raining.

-  Alex Wheeler

AT 8am, 32 volunteers and their steeds gathered in the gloomy parking lot of the recently revamped Atlantis Dunes office facility, awaiting the arrival of 40 eager kids from the Atlantis School of Skills, who were chosen by the City of Cape Town (CoCT) to join in the fun.

Both event and venue have matured since this event began nine years ago. When Atlantis Dunes off-road executive (Adore) and CoCT initially came together to organise this event, the continued use of the Atlantis dunes as a 4×4 venue was in doubt. The dunes were on the verge of being named a nature reserve and CoCT officials were unsure about the 4×4 fraternity as a whole. Volunteers are, after all, hard to come by and you never quite know what you’re going to get.