Slackline in details

Slackline is a type of entertainment that appeared not so long ago. However, it slackline has already spread around the world, and today it is gaining more and more populiarity.

What is slackline?

Slackline is a fun, active and useful pastime. It has many variations, some of them are way too dangerous for an ordinary, physically unprepared person, but others are easy to master even for young people.

Classic slackline walking develops coordination, concentration, and pumps the leg and arm muscles. Depending on your goals and preferences, the emphasis can shift to acrobatics, strength training and even yoga! Thus, slackline itself can be a full-fledged fitness workout or a great addition and warm-up for many other sports disciplines.

More and more people are taking up slackline at a professional level. They push the boundaries of human capabilities and set records in their disciplines.

Various competitions and highline festivals are held every year. Since August 2015, the International Slackline Association (ISA) has been active, promoting the development of the slackline community, uniting national organizations, developing safety regulations and testing equipment.

Disciplines

As it was mentioned previously, there are many types of slackline. Let us take a look at them.

• Lowline is the initial level of walking in a sling: the length is up to 30 meters, the height above the ground is very small, the tension of the sling is average. This is where everyone starts.
• Longline involves walking long lines. The longer the line, the more difficult its dynamics, the more intense physical stress it causes, the greater it depends on the terrain and the weather.
• Waterline is walking over water. It is a fun activity to do in warm weather and in a cheerful company!
• Rodeo / Rodeoline involves covering the distance on a slackline when there is a horse nearby. In addition to the unique feeling, such lines give the opportunity to swing from side to side.
• Tricline involves performing various acrobatic tricks and stances on the line. The lines are short, but tightly stretched. Crash pads are placed underneath as a means of protection.
• Highline means walking on a height with a safety net. In view of the technical complexity of self-hanging, the line is only available to experienced athletes.
• Free-solo is a type of highline that involves covering the line without insurance. This is the most dangerous type of slackline.

Yet, modern highlines exceed the length of the longlines, making the latter not so “long”. On the highlines, stunts are performed and rodeos are rocked. This means that different types of slackline can be combined in order to create a new, extraordinary activity.

Equipment

Slackline, especially trickline, longline and highline, is risky and therefore requires a thorough knowledge of equipment and an extremely responsible approach to safety. Here is a list of the most important pieces of equipment (although it is not full).

Ratchet is a mechanism used for tensioning the slackline. It is mainly used for tensioning lines up to 30 meters. It is used in most kits for beginner slackliners.. One ratchet or two ratchets can be used for tensioning. Two ratchets are used to tension narrow slings, due to their greater elasticity, or to achieve more tension on long tricklines.

Soft-release is a device used for smoothly releasing the load from a sling.

When the sling is very tight, it becomes very hard to release the load from the same ratchet. The process is accompanied by a loud click and a sharp relaxation of the sling as it is pulled through the device. To relieve the load from the sling in any other way, a soft release is used.

The device is a long sling with a loop on one end. The sling is placed between the station and the ratchet and then looped repeatedly and secured at the end with a buckle. When it is time to remove the slackline, the end of the sling is released and gradually unwound, which smoothly relieves the load from the sling. The longer the line and the greater the load, the longer the soft release should be.

Linegrip is a sling clamp. It consists of two plates, on the inner surface of which there is a tenacious rubber. The plates clamp the sling between them, allowing it to be pulled by a tensioning system.

Pulley is a device that is a wheel with a groove around the circumference for a sling or rope. It is used in poles to reduce friction and increase efficiency.

Slackline also requires other equipment that should be checked to ensure it works  before you begin. It is also very important to buy protection for the head (a helmet) and joints (knee and elbow pads).

Technique

Walking on a sling is performed without special balancers (unlike walking on a rope), keeping the balance is done by bending the body and hands. Due to the fact that the sling cannot be stretched, it is impossible to take the optimal position of balance and maintain it, as the line reacts and changes its position to any movement of the equilibrist.

As the skills develop, the walkable length of the line increases (the line is considered passed when starting to walk at a small distance from the starting station and completing the walk not far from the second station without falls and “stumbles”), as well as the number of static and dynamic tricks performed.

The type, width and structure of the sling varies depending on the goals of the athlete: whether it is a performance of complex acrobatic tricks, passing of long lines, lines over water and on the sling stretched at high heights above the ground with or without insurance.

Security

Of course protection is used by people who practice slackline, but it is necessary to follow some rules as well.

1. Before pulling the slackline, make sure that the ground under and around the slackline is mostly level and free of hidden holes, rocks, etc. Preferably, there should be no other trees, bushes, fences or other obstructions two meters away from the slackline
2. Check for fallen branches, broken bottles and other debris on the ground near the slackline. Even a small twig can cause significant discomfort if you fail to land on it with bare feet
3. For the reason described in the previous paragraph, it is better to train in the city with shoes, not barefoot.
4. Do not stretch the slackline too high, especially at first. 50 cm is a safe height for beginners.
5. Warm up your muscles before you start your workout. Doing a small warm-up will help to avoid sprains and injuries.
6. Don’t try new, cool tricks at the end of your workout when you are already tired. This is a bad idea as tired muscles can let you down and the trick will end up in a long hospital bed.
7. In general, it’s better to try difficult tricks first in the gym with insurance in the form of mats under the slackline.
8. Never go on slackline when you are drunk. Consequences of one bad fall can then be treated for several months.
9. Do not go on slackline at night.

History

For many centuries, walking on the stretched ropes, and later steel cables was the prerogative of circus performers only. Rope walking is a form of equilibrium, a genre of circus art that involves keeping your body in an unstable position. Slackline, despite its obvious connection with rope walking, came from a climbing environment.

Slackline originated in the 1960s in Yosemite National Park, California. Local climbers tried balancing on parking lot fencing chains to practice concentration, coordination, and simply have fun.

The pioneers of slackline were Adam Grossowsky and Jeff Ellington, who in the early 80’s were the first to stand on a nylon sling. Walking on the sling, as opposed to walking on the cable, was done without special balancers, and keeping the balance was done by bending the body and hands. The rope could not be pulled out in a string, which meant that the slackliners had to adjust to its dynamics by adopting the appropriate body position.

However, Adam and Jeff’s greatest achievement was their attempt in the summer of 1983 to complete a 17-meter line of steel rope on Lost Arrow Spire at 880 meters. Although the line was never completed, their attempts inspired 20-year-old Scott Balcom and 17-year-old Chris Carpenter.

In the fall of that year, these young guys were the first in the history of highline – they covered a 9-meter line of sling between the supports of the bridge on the highway SR 134 in California, called The Arches. To protect themselves from falling from 35-meter heights, slackliners insured themselves with a climbing harness and safety leash connecting them to the sling.

In the years that followed, slackline slowly but surely spread around the world. Nowadays, it is not only a competitive sport, but also a fun activity.