King of the Mamba crowned

Durban skater Troy O’Sullivan was crowned King of the Mamba after an adrenalin pumping competition at the Mamba Skate Park in Salt Rock on Saturday.

The event was held in conjunction with the official opening of the Mamba Skate Park.

Skaters from Cape Town and Johannesburg traveled to take part in the inaugural event.

It was a tight contest between the riders with Bradley Stevens, Lungelo Mntambo and Troy O’Sullivan facing off for the top three spots.

While Stevens lead most of the event in the time trials, it was O’Sullivan who stepped up the plate and pushed the hardest with his final time trial, clinching the best time of the day, and the title, with 32.107 seconds.

It was a welcome surprise when the 15-year-old Lungelo Mntambo from Umlazi, Durban, edged out Stevens for second place.

Nick Fisher from Johannesburg said there is nothing like this anywhere else in South Africa.

“I’m going to try and come skate here again as soon as possible. This track is so gnarly,” said Fischer.

For those who don’t know, ‘gnarly’, meaning extreme or challenging, is a well deserved description for the Mamba.

A coaching clinic was hosted in the morning where some of the pro skaters taught the young fearless children some basic skills.