WALK THE LINE
KU students slack off on campus
By Josh Patterson jpatterson@kansan.com
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."
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
"It's like yoga for people with ADD." — Charles Weinaug, Lawrence resident
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
short—it's all part of the art of slacklining.
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
slacklining
There are many variations of how to set up and tension a slackline. Kelsey Miller uses the following equipment:
- Two lengths of one-inch wide, tubular nylon webbing. One length 50-80 feet; the other; 10-20 feet.
- Four locking carabineers
- Two sturdy trees or posts
- A strong sense of balance
Miller says you can expect to spend about $40 on the equipment.
Buy more webbing than you need for the span between your anchor points. Although you may only want a slackline that's 20 feet long, you'll need about 20 more feet to properly operate the system. You can experiment with tying your line taut or somewhat loose to suit your personal preference. If the line is too loose, it will lose many of its dynamic qualities and sag excessively. Make sure that the line is tight enough so it will not touch the ground at any point while you're walking along it.
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.
The most difficult element of slacklining—other than actually learning to balance on a bouncing inchwide 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
beginners
- Don't start in the middle of the line. Start at one
- When mounting, place one foot on the line. Use line.
- Go barefoot. If you do wear shoes, make sure the wobble side to side.
- Place one foot on the line while using the other
- Before buying your own slackline, make friend's can teach you how to set up your own line.
- Focusing on a single point in the distance will he
- Many beginners find a very taut line to be more to find what works for you.
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10 04.17.2008 VOL.5 ISS.28 for more information: www.slackline.com