Slacklining provides high height thrills
perched on a rock. After walking across a line of nylon webbing suspended about 3 stories above a cliff, he said the rest was needed.
The rope was strung from a pinnacle about 10 miles across the street from the Preston Valley Campground on Highway 89.
Lately, this has become a favorite highlining spot for Brandon Eyre, a senior majoring in business, and Aaron Marshall, as well as for Scott and Steve Solinko, undeclared sophomores.
The trail ascending to this peak is not for novices. The path is not well marked, nor is it well worn, consisting of many areas where loose gravel is prevalent.
Eyre, Marshall and the Solinko brothers were all climbers before they got into slacklining. Slacklining is an activity that originated in Yosemite.
The group explained the legend of the sport’s birth and their story was confirmed on www.slacklining.com.
According to their stories, two men were walking across chains and cables between posts in a parking lot for fun. Others witnessed and tried it out.
The idea gained popularity and eventually led to the hobby now known as slacklining.
Slacklining is different than tightrope walking, because, as the name suggests, it is done using nylon webbing that is somewhat loose.
The webbing isn’t very thick, the diameter being the same as the average college students’ thumb. The latter uses a rope that is very tense, which doesn’t have any room for play.
Slacklining can be categorized into two main types: highlining and lowlining, also known as tricklining. Again, these are just as they sound. Lowlining is usually enjoyed from a height of lower than 3 feet and provides a good opportunity for practice and attempts to do tricks. Highlining, the sport the four thrill-seekers were engaging in near Preston Valley, involves a much greater risk than lowlining. This is because it is usually done outdoors and at extreme heights. “It’s not like walking across a rope 3 feet off the ground,” he explains, “when you’re up there, you get some serious vertigo.”
“Without the ground, there’s really nothing to judge it by,” Brandon Eyre said. “It’s just you and the rope.”
Of course, safety precautions are taken and the rope is tested before venturing across it.
Also, the individual walking across the rope is secured to it using another rope fastened to the harness worn around the midsection. However, all the guys agree that highlining is deserving of the “do-not-try-this-at-home” disclaimer. Falls do occur, but luckily none of them have sustained any injuries thus far.
For more information on slacklining, visit www.slacklining.com or check out Scott Balcom’s book “Walk the Line.”
-keegan@cc.usu.edu