| Article Index |
|---|
| World Recognition |
| Page 2 |
| All Pages |
Riders from Down Under - Slackline Australia thanks to Slackline Sam for the warm words.
ABC Article
We met up with reporter Sara Hicks from the Gold Coasts ABC and here is what she had to say, you can see the full article here http://www.abc.net.au/local/
What do you get when you tie a piece of inch-wide flat nylon between two points?
"It's evolution in motion," a man calls out, the grin lighting his face as he gently and gracefully walks along a thin line suspended between two trees.
There's no chance to ask him what he means, he's focused on staying on the line.
"One kid said it's just like walking in heaven," says Ryan, jumping off and still buzzing from the enjoyment....
In a park on Burleigh's Esplanade, children laugh while they run, jump and take fairy steps across a network of 'slacklines'. The inch-wide webbing is tied between trees and close enough to the ground to climb onto.
But there's more going on than meets the eye.
"There's a direct outcome with slacklining," says Ryan Gittoes, possibly the first enthusiast to introduce the sport to Australia. "You express tension and the line wobbles, you relax and it stops."
"At any moment on the line your brain is firing on all cylinders, processing a massive amount of information coming in through different sensory inputs.
"It's a fantastic workout for cognitive and motor skills and for forming stronger links between these senses and the brain."
Stepping onto a line is initially a little daunting, but the fear is bizarre knowing there's only a matter of feet to fall. Within moments the only thought is to be calm, breathe slowly and find balance.
Slacklines don't have the bite of an inflexible tightrope; instead they stretch, bounce and move with the body.
Ryan talks through the four qualities he recommends you call on to find balance:
Focus; find a point to look at and establish balance and contemplate an internal point of balance - like the centre point of a pendulum;
Relax; and feel how the slackline responds to your body;
Grace and agility; the line invokes a response that's graceful or agile;
Will; summon the strength and determination to stay on the line.
"Life is about balance," says Ryan. "I think it's a natural state."
"As soon as you find it, there's a lightness, a feeling of wellbeing."
