Archive for category Athlete Corner
Slacklining 101
May 24
Lake Geneva Wisconsin!
May 1
Hey everybody! Last weekend the Gibbon crew and I were out at Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Great little state park thanks to the Maytag family for the donation of the land. Other than the cold and the rain the weekend was awesome. Surprisingly a lot of people still came out. We had some great live music thanks to Frank Whiting. Had three lines set up and there were people on them constantly. The store that put on the event, Clear Water Outdoors, had two Gibbon Classics on raffle…by far the item with the most raffle tickets. The winners were super excited, both had spent a lot of time on our lines. On top of all the great slackline fun there were kayaks and canoes that were out to demo as well. Dana from We-No-Nah canoes and Current Designs kayaks were out with over 40 boats. It was awesome learning how to canoe and kayak better, being from the land of 10,000 lakes I spend most of my summer time on the water, so learning how to improve my stroke was great! We-No-Nah canoes are made in my college town of Winona, Minnesota so it was cool to see their products. They have and 18 foot canoe that only weights 40 pounds…thank you composite materials. Very cool stuff. Check them out if you are look into buying a boat. The guy that started the company started it when he was 15 in his garage so you know its gotta be good. All in all great weekend with great people from Clear Water Outdoors! Check ‘em out!
Share on FacebookHanging out in Moab, Utah ROCKS. It is definitely my new favorite place in the US!!! Mike and I have been doing a lot of highlining and climbing here, and are staying with friends Brent and Canyon (who have so graciously let us crash on their couch). We accompanied Andy Lewis as he rigged the World Record Highline of 330 feet and have been attempting the line until a few days ago. The line turned out to be WAY too heavy to walk!! The record was 28 steps, which is surprising considering Mike and Andy are two of the best highliners in the world. Here is a video that I made summarizing the trip
The line was really intimidating, super loose and super heavy. The boys tried so hard that they completely exhausted themselves both mentally and physically (you shoulda seen the bruises!!) I didn’t really focus my energies on the world record line. Seeing the two of them fail really didn’t give me much hope. So, I focused more on the 120 footer that would be my personal record if I walked it. This line had only been rigged once before by Dean Potter, who did a B.A.S.E jump off of it. Andy rigged the line and I avoided it for about a day. I didn’t want to think about it until I was actually ready and standing up to walk. When I did….I was completely in the zone. I didn’t want to fall. I didn’t want to have to crawl back to the beginning and try 10 more times, so I pressed on as hard as I could. I lost my balance due to fear a couple of times but fought it, hard. In the middle I had the most trouble…I started to think about where I was, the exposure, the risk of falling and having to begin again; but, then I heard Andy’s voice…” calm, relax em….breathe!!!”. So, i did. I relaxed and I felt my entire body let go of all its tension. I tried to hold that until the end….and when I got there I realized that I had on-sighted Dean Potter’s B.A.S.E line. EEK!!! My biggest accomplishment yet. Not only was it my longest highline, but my longest on-sight. I was satisfied. I tried to walk back, but was completely distracted by the accomplishment so I let it go and basked in the glory of beating my personal record 
Here is a photo of me on the line!
Some other accomplishments:
Ryan Matson walked his first highline ever, along with three others! (22 feet, 47 feet, 66 feet an 92 feet)
Justin Adkins also walked his first highline and all three of the others!
Libby Sauter and myself both walked our first highline in a swami belt (meaning no leg loops….so if you fall, it could potentially hurt quite a bit).
Hayley Ashburn sent her longest highline of 66 feet!
Andrew Tysinger sent the 66 footer after quite a bit of hesitation, or what we call “The Fear”
Taylor Fool did a tyrollean on a highline: her first highline experience!
Brent and Canyon Cain both did a Tyrollean and Canyon also did some intentional whippers (he threw his body out into the abyss)!
and MUCH more was accomplished during the trip.
We also did some climbing as well, which was fun for me because I haven’t in such a long while! Brent and Canyon put up some routes for us and I was honestly amazed at Canyon’s ability….he’s 13 years old and leads 5.13 TRAD!!!
That’s all for now!! Mike and I are off to the East Coast to do demos for Gibbon and to climb/highline as well! I’ll be sure to update soon.
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Update from the Pro Team!
Apr 15
Today is a rest day! We are dead tired from being in the desert and are kindly being hosted by our friends Brent and Canyon in town. It’s a beautiful day and we’re considering spending the day hiking with the dogs and looking for Indian arrowheads! Check out some pics of the highlines by clicking this link:
Share on FacebookWelcome to the Fruitbowl
Apr 14
I first met the Fruitbowl in the fall of 2008. It was love at first sight!. Seven bombproof highlines just a hop and a jump from my tent? Yes please! And in a most beautiful, majestic and secluded location! Is this place for real?
It was on this trip that the idea for the potential record breaking 100 meter line was conceived. I remember Andy scoping the anchors and getting really excited. I also remember scoffing at him, “Yeah right, Dude. Keep dreamin’!” Well in classic Andy fashion, he most certainly did keep on dreamin’ and now the line is rigged and awaiting its first send…!
It’s Saturday and I haven’t heard from anyone in a week. I’ve been too busy and without cell service; skiing Tahoe freshies, jumping out of Moab airplanes and most recently climbing the beautiful splitter cracks of Indian Creek!
But last I had heard, the plan was to get out to the Fruitbowl on Thursday and now that it was Saturday, someone had to be there! Calling Andy - straight to voice mail. Emily - voicemail. Mike - voicemail, and finally Jeremy…voicemail. GREAT! All those phones being off can only mean on thing…IT’S ON!
I’m about to make the sharp U-Turn down the dusty road when I see a car up ahead. “That’s strange for someone to be out here.” What do ya know it’s Mike and Emily just getting the first load into location! Thanks to the gloriousness that is a 4×4 vehicle, hiking was kept to a minimum this year and was almost painless! (Except for Emily. Her sunburn made even the lightest loads no fun!) Good thing too as we had heaps and heaps of gear!
(This is only a very small bit of what we brought!)
We immediately set to rigging and the wind was already showing its ugly face!
We got three lines up in a hurry and put across a tag rope over the span that would tomorrow be the 100 meter beast! But enough rigging for now, lets slack!
And guess who showed up? Moab local little crusher and Gibbons slacker, Canyon Cain! No fun was being had here. That much is for certain!
Lines were walked, sent, tricked out and all around crushed! Sadly my camera took a dislike to all the sand and quit working pretty early. I’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the crew comes up with! Emily and I both cheered each other on as we walked our first highlines in swami’s and shared the enjoyment of watching someone highline for the first time.
My Yosemite colleague and his first whip!
and first send, full man! Congrats Ben!
I left the Fruitbowl with visions of the 100 meter line dancing in my head. Good luck to the crew that remains out there! I wish you nothing but the best weather and the utmost sendergy!
As for me, that little bit of highlining with my best friends leaves me wanting nothing but more highlines! But alas…I am off to Venezuela tomorrow to slack it up with the Gibbons crew down there! Pysched? YOU BET!
Share on FacebookWorld Record Highline Trip
Apr 12
The Gibbon Pro Team left Boulder in high spirits on Friday. Loaded down with three trunks packed to the brim with steel hardware, hundreds of feet of webbing, and who knows how many packets of nutritionally dubious top ramen. The Gibbon Team, led by Andy Lewis, is headed to the desert canyons outside of Moab, UT where they will attempt to break the world record for longest highline ever walked. Currently held by Michi Aschaber from St. Johann, Austria, the record is 85 meters and would be absolutely shattered by the planned 100 meter highline.
Andy Lewis and Mike Payton expressed some doubts about how long this project will take:
“I just want enough time to feel satisfied that I gave it my full effort, especially if I’m not able to send” said Andy Lewis, before leaving Boulder on Thursday.
As of this weekend it looks like Andy may be in for more desert camping than he planned. Faced with high winds in Utah, the Gibbon team is currently struggling to overcome the difficulty presented by the length of the line. As of today, the line remains un-walked, and with forecasts for rain tomorrow, and more wind later in the week, it doesn’t look like things are going to get any easier for the Gibbon Pro Team. All they can do now is wait, camp, and hope the wind will die down.
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Six Gibbon U.S. Pro Rider Team athletes attempt worlds’ longest highline.
BOULDER, CO April 12, 2010- Six members of Gibbon Slacklines’ Pro Team have set out to establish multiple slacklining highline records, most notably the longest documented highline, during a week long excursion to Utah.
Debated by some but generally accepted amongst slackline enthusiast, the current world record for longest highline is 240 feet, crossed in one direction. Slacklining is the art of walking across a narrow, dynamic length of webbing anchored between two fixed points. What defines and distinguishes a highline is that the height of the line exceeds the length
The Gibbon Team aspires to officiate the world record and rig a 1” line longer and much higher than any other documented highline. They have set out with the goal of crossing an incredible void in both directions by as many of the team as possible in the allotted time.
The Pros attempting to break multiple records are Andy Lewis and Micheal Payton, two finalists from Gibbons’ world slackline competition, Emily Sukiennk, Jeremy Louis, Libby Sauter, and Hayley Ashburn. Gibbon will be updating the teams’ progress via facebook and twitter throughout the project and will release the official measurements once the line is set.
The team expects to have lines rigged by April 13 and begin attempts on April 14. Weather will be a factor in the progress of the team as exposure to conditions is at its’ peak. The project location has not been disclosed due to the immense level of quiet and concentration required while attempting this feat.
The athletes can also be monitored via their personal facebook pages. ( Andy Lewis, Michael Payton, Emily Sukiennik, Jeremy Louis, Libby Sauter, and Hayley Ashburn)
About Gibbon:
Developed in Stuttgart, Germany, Gibbon is the manufacturer of several slackline kits which include an easy to use ratchet tensioner. This backyard activity has branched out to include yoga moves, jump tricks, and even aerial acrobatics with Gibbons’ unique 2” style line. Canaima Outdoors is the exclusive North and South American Distributor and is located in Boulder, CO at 2400 Central Ave Suite G2.
