Picking up the slack
For students looking for a "wonderful waste of time," slacklining on campus can provide focus for the mind and body.
By Josh Patterson (Contact)
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
During the sunny afternoons of early fall and late spring, Kelsey Miller can be found in front of Fraser Hall indulging in what she calls “the most wonderful waste of time.”
Ian Sexton, Topeka senior, spends an afternoon slacking in South Park.
Miller, Wichita graduate student, begins this diversion by placing her right foot firmly on a thin flat strip of nylon webbing strung between two trees. Her ankle and the line begin to twitch. She steadies herself, pressing the inside of her left thigh against the line. She stares across the span, toward the tree anchoring the other end. Then, in one fluid motion, she outstretches her arms and springs skyward. As the line stretches and recoils, Miller keeps her left leg off the line, stabilizing her, until the swaying subsides. Then, placing both feet on the webbing, she begins walking the line.
Sometimes she makes it across, other times she falls short—it’s all part of the art of slacklining.
Showing off his skills, John Waller, graduate, springs off and lands back on the line.
What is slacklining? The name is misleading. The line is not in fact, slack. It’s actually quite taut. But don’t call it a tightrope. Unlike a tightrope, a slackline will stretch, even under tension. The dynamic nature of tubular nylon webbing makes for a challenging balancing act. Think of it as a combination of a tightrope and a trampoline.
“It’s like yoga for people with ADD,” says Lawrence resident Charles Weinaug. Weinaug says slacklining requires you to use your whole body while relaxing your mind. He got hooked on slacklining several years ago on a climbing trip with the KU Rock Climbing Club. And it’s no coincidence that many climbers are also slackline enthusiasts. The sports complement each other perfectly. They both focus on balance and coordination, says Lindsey Yankey, Leon junior and KU Rock Climbing Club President. For many climbers, slacklining is a way to hone skills when the weather is to poor to climb, or when a rest day is needed.
Kelsey Miller, Wichita graduate student, slacklines at dusk on the shore of Lake Blackwell in Stillwater, Okla.
The most difficult element of slacklining—other than actually learning to balance on a bouncing inch-wide strip of webbing—is setting up and properly tensioning the line. The most common method of tensioning a slackline requires several carabineers to create a simple pulley system. Learning to tie the knots required to create the tensioning system can be intimidating to beginners. Yankey says the Rock Climbing Club is an excellent place to meet other people interested in slacklining who can teach you how to set up your own slackline.
In the process of learning to slackline, expect to get some bumps and bruises. Most often, slacklines are set up 3 or 4 feet above the ground, so the risk of injury is minimal. There are students who take the sport to the next level and set up their lines high above the ground. Last fall, Miller and a group of friends set up a line 20 feet above a creek. They used harnesses secured to a safety line above them to prevent falling into the water below. Weinaug can jump from the ground onto the line, and occasionally, he says, land a backflip.
From beginner to expert, the reasons given for slacklining are similar: It’s a relaxing activity that requires participants to focus both mind and body. “It makes me feel grounded,” says Carmen Arriaga Bucher, Denver freshman. Bucher began slacklining in high school, and she met many of her friends at the University through the sport. Slacklining takes a while to get the hang of. In the process of learning the ropes, you can enjoy spending a relaxing afternoon outside with friends.
Discussion
All comments are moderated by Kansan.com staff. For our full user policy, click here.
Whenever I see them out there doing this I think first about how much it hurts to get racked in the crotch if you lose your balance.
Share your 2¢
Requires free registration.