It’s only my second time to Durban and I can’t really understand why. In some ways it feels a lot like Cape Town, but – and I only spent the day here so bear with me – with a more relaxed, less pretentious vibe. It may not have the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain, but you just can’t argue with the warm ocean waters and sunny, windless clime.
They may not be as good at rugby as the Stormers, but the atmosphere and setup around King’s Park has to be experienced to be believed. Where else in the country (in the world?) do you get such a carnival vibe around the stadium (and I’ve just been to Loftus – this beats it), with casual fans able to stroll round to the players parking area after the game and have their boot-braai next to the team, maybe grabbing a few autographs when the kids kick their rugby ball between the lines of sponsored bakkies and sizzling skottels? The Beast, JP Pietersen, Bismarck du Plessis, Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts and a string of other players stopped by for a bite and a chat and it really wasn’t staged at all – just a nice chilled braai with the management and players in the sports-field car park outside the ground. They’re pretty relaxed here in Durbs that much is clear.
Durban, for us, was all about surfing, curry and having a good braai with some lekker locals. We ticked all those boxes just about perfectly I think – at least as well as one can with just one day to cram it all into.
Jan started the day buying a new Spider Murphy surfboard from Spider’s famous Safari Surf shaping shop off North Beach. Spider has been shaping surf boards since 1965 and is the man behind Shaun Tomson’s legendary “˜gun’ – the surfboard which the Durban-born world surf champion used to crack the IPS World Title in 1977.
After a quick surf we hit the spice market and went to find ourselves a fiery Durban curry. Jan came out the water looking ecstatic with his new purchase, but the waves were awful (on-shore wind and negligible swell), and a quick curry before the Sharks v Lions game seemed a good option. We were not disappointed. Mutton bunny-chow is a lovely thing on an empty, hungry stomach.
It seems like we’ve been following the Lions around a lot recently which is a pity because they’re playing terrible rugby. The game itself at the “˜Shark Tank’ was just about the dullest live sporting event I think I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere around the ground was great and the stadium very impressive, but the Sharks dominated without getting out of first gear and, eventually, won the game 27-3 after 80 very long minutes. Any longer and we may have jumped off the grandstand just to end the tedium of it all. Our ex-cameraman Robert (sadly back in Cape Town now) would have loved it. He is a connoisseur of the long, drawn-out sporting spectacle.
We miss you Rob. Hope the editing is going well.
