Balance.

A group of PHS students are being drawn towards a small balance oriented outdoor sport called slacklining.

A slackline is typically made of nylon or polyester webbing and is tensioned around two anchor points. These anchor points can range from trees, to incredible feats of slacklining between two cliffs with large drops below. Advanced and sponsored slackliner, Jerry Miszewski, has multiple Youtube videos of himself crossing large gaps at high heights on his slackline.

Slacklining is a sport that requires great balance simply to be a beginner in the difficult sport. After mastering the balancing aspect on the slackline, slackliners can try to do tricks such as step-over moves, jumps, and even flips. A group of advanced slackliners can be seen on Saturdays at Lake Merritt performing tricks.

Junior Nick Whitaker who began slacklining during May was drawn to the sport when he saw the slackliners at Lake Merritt.

Whitaker said the best way to get involved in slacklining is to go to Lake Merritt on Saturdays from 12-5 and talk with some of the more advanced slackers. Whitaker said, “They give good tips on slacklining and how to improve technique, or where to buy the slacklining equipment”.

Whitaker decided to continue slacklining because “It is really inexpensive and it looked fun when I first saw it”.

Junior Cameron Smit, an occasional slackliner, said, “Slacklining is efficient. It’s really easy to set up and take down, and can be set up just about anywhere.”

Smit said he got involved in slacklining because his friends introduced it to him. Smit said he only slacklines with friends, as it is not as fun without your friends.

Whitaker said when he first started slacklining it was difficult because he had not mastered the balance that slacklining requires. Whitaker said “after a few days it became a lot easier to balance, the hardest part of slacklining is getting over the balance barrier when you start”.

Senior Tess Reichle, a novice slackliner, said, “It’s pretty unique. I feel it is a pretty interesting concept”.

Reichle who has slacklined a few times, says it is very difficult, barely being able to stand up for a few seconds before falling off.

Reichle echoes the problem most beginning slackliners face, the difficulty of simply being able to balance on the slackline for a few seconds.

Whitaker said with slacklining becoming so popular, students can expect to see it become a more common hobby for a larger portion of the student body.