Slack-lining. You may never have heard of this sport before, but it is fast becoming the hottest sport on the international adventure radar. And once you step into thin air alongside these death-defying athletes, chances are you’ll never be able to forget it. Jacques Marais got the story, the photos and a serious case of vertigo.

The line is just on 3cm wide. It stretches from a massive boulder to an anchor point atop a plunging, granite crag, approximately 30m away. Below it, there is nothing but a mind-numbing, 280m plunge to where tempestuous waves batter against the foot of the vertiginous sea cliff.
“If you’re a slack-liner about to step onto this thin line, your head must be screwed on right”, I think, “or more than likely you’re probably completely off your head.” There’s no time to think about the gut-thumping drop yawning below, or the wind gusting at up to 20knots, or the mist rolling in from the peaks. Around you, everything fades away, and all that remains is absolute balance and flint-sharp focus.

The first stride is the most difficult. When you step off from Mother Earth, you’re gambling your life on a line as thick as the belt keeping your jeans up. There’s a safety rope and harness, though; slack-liners may be daredevils, but are judged as some of the most safety-conscious athletes within the extreme sporting community.

Yes, you’ve heard correctly. Slack-lining is currently the flavour of the month in both Europe and the USA, where thousands of outdoor enthusiasts are taking to the line every month. And, even though you might not think so, it is easier than expected.

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Individual slack-lining genres allow you to take your ‘baby steps’ on a low-rope only a metre or so above the ground. Trees, rocks, pillars - it does not matter – any solid structure in your garden may be used to anchor the line, or you could use purpose-built, metal ground-screws and trestles if you’re on a beach or in a field.

When you eventually become the master of your own balance, you can shift the goal posts by either increasing the length or height of your slack-line. The latter adjustment is what impacts psychologically on most slack-liners, as focus does not come easily when a massive fresh air plunge prowls beyond the smallest of missteps.  

It is exactly this type of challenge which entices athletes like the young German Lukas Irmler to test their skills the world over. Irmler, sponsored by Adidas International and viewed as a phenomenon throughout Europe, has the slack-lining world at his feet, if you’ll excuse the pun. And when you see Irmler execute a perfect backwards somersault to landed securely on the 3cm wide line, you immediately realise this is way more than a backyard game.

Cape Town popped up on Lukas’ radar when he ‘bumped’ into his South African counterpart, Warren Gans, in cyberspace, and it did not take long for the high-stepping German to arrange a visit to the Mother City. “Ever since I first saw images of Table Mountain, it has been one of my dreams to walk a slack-line there”, he laughs, “but I hope the view does not distract me”!

The view proved irrelevant as Lukas walked the thin line on one of those absolutely breathless Cape mornings. Hundred of metres above the craggy slopes and with the city still slumbering far below, he securely stepped onto a slack-line strung super-tight between outcrops adjacent to Platteklip Gorge. For half an hour, he did the splits and knee-drops, ‘surfed’ the line and lay on his back while we literally gaped in amazement.

This may sound like a death wish stunt, but as with rock climbing and other extreme mountain sports, slack-liners live by a strict code regarding safety and the environment. The temporary anchors are non-intrusive and leave no damage to the natural surrounding, and they treat the environment and fellow outdoor enthusiasts with utmost respect. “Right now, the conservation authorities do not understand slack-lining”, says Irmler, “but we hope in time to prove to them that we love the great outdoors as much as they do”.

More info on slack-lining is available at www.adidas.com/outdoor <http://www.adidas.com/outdoor> or www.slackline-tools.com <http://www.slackline-tools.com/> If you’re keen to purchase your own slack-lining kit, feel free to contact Warren Gans at www.rammountain.co.za <http://www.rammountain.co.za/>


Slack-lining 101:

Slack-lining is a pretty young sport, and can generally be divided into three separate disciplines:
Trick-lines: these are short and extremely tight spans, where static poses (think yoga) and tricks such as back flips or somersaults are performed.
Long-lines: these differ purely because of their length (they have to be over 50m) and the current record of 262m is held by Lukas Irmler.
The High-line: of course height is the deciding factor here and vertigo is your enemy, even if you do have a safety leash and security rope as backup.

Line Me Up
What you need is a piece of ultra-strong polyester webbing, approximately 3cm wide and up to 20m long. A ratchet system (similar to that used by rock climbers) is used to tighten the line, and then you’re ready to play.

The First Step: The best way to get started is to hook up with other slack-liners. This allows you to gain knowledge of the sport, build your skills in a supportive environment and measure your skills against your peers.

Get Your Head Right: In order to psyche himself up before stepping onto a high-line, Lukas Irmler turns up the tunes. “I find that listening to music gets me in the right mood. It also helps me to slow down my breathing to assist me focusing both my mind and my body.”
Doing Good: Adidas, with the help of the Big Tree Foundation here in SA, has taken up the challenge to help get kids from previously disadvantaged communities off the streets and on to lines. Slack-lining kits have been donated to a number of schools in the Cape Peninsula and hopefully the initiative will soon spread to the rest of the country. Go to www.bigtreefoundation.org.za

The World’s Most Challenging High-Line: Lukas Irmler says it’s impossible to say but there is one that stand out. “The Lost Arrow Spire is certainly a world first, and to this day it remains one of the highest slack-lines ever walked. I have not done this yet, but like any ambitious slack-liner it is firmly at the top of my must-do list”!  

Get the Picture: Try various angles, but usually a view from below works best, as it places your subject within context of the slack-line and against the sky. A wide-angle lens will allow you to capture the full extent of the line, while fill-in flash helps to make the athlete stand out against the background.