Highlining daredevils take balancing to the extreme

On March 25th several slackline enthusiasts came together in the Czech Republic to participate in the Slackline festival. What is a slackline you might ask? A slackline is a piece of flat webbing that is anchored to two points. According to the Chicago Slackliners Association, 'slacklining,' which is the act of walking across the slackline, emerged out of the rock climbing community in the 1980s.

At first, it was used as a training tool on 'rest' days for climbing athletes, but now it has evolved into a wildly popular sport. As the sport has gained popularity, the complexity and various types of slacklining have expanded. In the photos above, slackliners are demonstrating what is called 'highlining' which is when an athlete is crossing a slackline that has been raised to such a height that it requires a safety leash. Highlines are often shorter distances, but as always athletes are pushing boundaries and increasing the distance they are traveling on the slackline.

The sport isn't just limited to walking; there is also 'tricklining' which consists of performing tricks such as twists and flips on the slackline. The webbing used for trickling is usually wider than most to give the athletes a bit more bounce to pull off these advanced moves.

For those not looking to get airborne, there's 'slackasana' also known as 'yoga slacklining' which incorporates yoga poses while on the slackline for a more challenging 'om.'

'Longlining' is that last form which as you may have guessed consists of slacklining over a long distance.