What Is a Slackline?
Where Did it come from?
Who uses A Slackline?
Why Would you Start?
How Do you Tension A Slackline?
What Is the Easiest way to Start?
Is Slacklining Hard to Learn?
Do I Always need Tree's?
What Is the best Size Webbing?
How tight should i make the slackline?
What Is a Slackline?
The basic idea is that you tension a length of webbing between two points and balance on it. Sounds pretty simple but what happens when you do this is really quite amazing.
Slacklining is very different from tight rope walking in that the line is not rigidly taut, it is dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a huge rubber band, it kind of a cross between a tight rope and a trampoline! The lines tension can be adjusted to suit the user, and every line that you set up, can have a different height, length and tension. The line itself is flat, which keeps your foot from rolling off, as would be the case with an ordinary rope. The dynamic nature of the slackline is what makes it unique, in that you can do tricks and stunts, the line is totally responsive to you body.
Take a look around and you will find everything you need to know about Slacklining and how to get started! (return to top)
Where Did it come from?
While tight rope walking has been around at least two thousand years, this form of slacklining was developed from chain walking back in the sixties and seventies at Yosemite national park.
The modern form of the slackline which uses tubular webbing started in the early eighties by Adam Growsowski and Jeff Ellington. They inspired other people in that area and it was quickly being taken to new levels. Many started to do high lines which evolved into a whole new way of Slacklining. You can read more about it here
Since those early days it has spread across the world and being pioneered by many, with new tricks and records being set all the time. How will you help evolve this sport?
Who uses A Slackline?
Slacklining started in the rock climbing community, but in the past 20 years it has spread across the world. Now all walks of life are using it. Due to its versatility it has now become its own sport and is being pushed to new limits everyday, and many sub cultures have come from this. It can be used as
· A physical workout ( core strength and stabilizer muscles)
· A mental workout ( reaction time, increase neural pathways between left and right hemispheres )
· Sports training ( proprioception and balance, all sports require it! )
· Rehabilitation ( great for knee and ankle injuries)
· Recreation ( Tricks and stunts, see the tricks page)
· A form of Meditation ( find that quiet place inside )
· Balance Therapy ( see balance therapy page and links )
· As a form of Yoga and Tai Chi ( moving meditation )
· Highlining ( Our kits are not designed for this! but check it out on the videos )
· Social gatherings ( its so funny watching your friends try for the first time! )
And anything else you can think of, because it can be done anywhere there are two points to attach to, you are bound only by your imagination!
Why Would you Start?
Apart from being totally addictive, extremely fun and unique, being balanced is our natural state. With today's lifestyle many of us are out of balance. Whether it be our physically, mentally or spiritually, balance is essential. LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCE! It is a feeling, and being able to recognise that feeling within yourself allows you to draw upon it when you need it. Having a sense of balance in your life is priceless, and you know that saying " like riding a bike " well that applies to slacklining too. Once you start to slackline you only ever get better, you never regress.
So the benefits of balance are there for everyone to enjoy, and whether you play sport, surf, meditate, are an adrenaline junkie or just want to try something new, be a part of the slackline revolution. Its EVOLUTION IN MOTION
How Do you Tension A Slackline?
Like the old saying goes.... there is more than one way to tension a Slackline!
What is needed to tension a Slackline is two sturdy anchors and a means of creating mechanical advantage to pull the line tight. There are three main ways to do this.
1. Using carabiners.
This is also known as a primitive setup and uses carabiners to create a "pulley" system which has to be pulled tight with your hands. There are many variations on the rigging techniques, which can create a 3:1 or even a 6:1 mechanical advantage. If you like this style then the HOPLITE Kit is for you!
Pro's -
Can be cheap to set up, especially if you already own some carabiners
very light weight, great if you are travelling.
Con's-
Can be hard to pull tight by yourself
Harder to pull longer lines
Webbing creates friction which reduces the mechanical advantage.
2. Ratchet System
Using a ratchet to pull the tension on your line is by far the quickest and easiest way to tension a slackline. A ratchet is very easy to use and has a 13:1 mechanical advantage which means you can pull a tight line by yourself. Our ratchets are rated at 5T so they are very heavy duty!
Pro's-
Quick set up time, easy to use.
tension can be increased easily.
set tight lines by yourself.
Con's-
heaviest component ( 1.15kg )
Webbing can fill up the spool capacity ( the TITAN Kit has the RTS to solve this problem)
3. Rope and pulley system
Using rope and pulley systems can be great when setting a really long line, as you can greatly increase the mechanical advantage by adding more pulleys to the system. It can get quite expensive to get all the parts you need to set this system up but is really fun to rig.
Pro's-
Can be used to set really long lines
looks great
Con's-
Long set up time
Expensive equipment
need rope as well as webbing
What Is the Easiest way to Start?
To start slacklining, basically all that is needed is a length of webbing, two slings to attach to the anchors, and a tensioning system. We have everything you need if you want to build your own, but we have spent years researching and developing our Slackline Kits to be the fastest and easiest way to start Slacklining. We have Kits to suit every body's needs and skill level.
Check out our Slackline Kit comparison page
Is Slacklining Hard to Learn?
There is a certain amount of wonder associated with tightrope walking, i remember as a child watching it on TV and thinking how hard that must be!
Slacklining has that same affect on people, and it is really not that hard to learn. In the beginning, you put your foot up onto the line and it shakes like crazy! It is like the line has a mind of its own. If you are learning with a friend, hold onto their shoulder for support and step up onto the line. It helps if you try to relax, as tension creates shakes on the line.
Every time you get on the line your brain and body are working together to try to keep your body upright, and a connection is being made.
The saying " just like riding a bike" applies to slacklining as well. Each time to practise you will get better and better, not losing your progress from the time before. Then one day, you step onto the line and...........you have it! you no longer are fighting to stay on, but a beautiful natural freedom exists, balancing on your line, totally present.
This is the magic of Slacklining!
Do I Always need Tree's?
Trees are not always necessary for anchors but they are the easiest and most available natural anchors.
"A" frames can make a suitable alternative to trees, you just need some heavy duty steel pegs to anchor the line into the ground. Extreme caution must be used if you plan on hammering anything into the ground as there may be power/water/gas lines underneath the ground.
Climbing bolts can be used in concrete walls to set a permanent anchor point.
When selecting an anchor point, we suggest that it would be able to hold a minimum of 1000kg (1T) of force.
Trees are your safest option, as long as the tree you are using is at least 6" ( 150cm ) in diameter and is alive and healthy and has a good root system. Get out into the park and enjoy them! And always use some protection for the trees, where the sling goes around. Carpet is the best / cheapest and easiest solution we have found!
What Is the best Size Webbing?
When it comes to choosing the webbing for a slackline, we have used every type and size webbing you can possibly think of and we always come back to a 25mm nylon tubular webbing! The reason for this is pretty simple, it gives you the best feel under your foot without losing the dynamic qualities, which is what Slacklining is all about!
Can you get a truck strap and tighten it and walk on it?
Yeah sure you can, but it is what they call a static line and has very little stretch and bounce. The straps that are 50mm would appear to be easier to balance on at first glance but is not always so. The point of balance remains the same on a 25mm line, it is more of a physiological advantage with a 50mm line, if anything.
There is a BIG difference between Nylon tubular webbing and your everyday tie down straps, and if you want to really experience what Slacklining is all about, we highly recommend using it!
How tight should i make the slackline?
The great thing about the Slackline is it can be set at different heights, lengths and tensions to suit the user. Obviously the longer the line the more tension that will be required so as not to touch the ground ( bottom out ) when you stand in the middle of it.
As a general rule we recommend that you follow this simple rule of thumb, for lines that are 5m long we recommend having about 30cm of sag when you stand in the middle for line that are 10m long we recommend having about 60cm of sag when you stand in the middle for lines that are 15m long we recommend having about 90cm of sag when you stand in the middle.
This will keep you well in the working limits of our Slackline Kits, and is a nice tension. If you like doing lots of jumping tricks, then a nice tight line is recommended for that, while if you like "surfing" the line, a looser one would be much better. Just play around with it until you find a tension that feels good for you. Slacklining is such a personal thing and everyone is different.
