Cross Training: Slackline

The exercises & techniques to keep your body healthy for footbag.
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Dat
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Cross Training: Slackline

Post by Dat » 16 Sep 2007 11:51

Slackline is an activity where you balance and walk on a slightly elastic rope like nylon ribbon, aka webbing, tied to things like trees or poles. It's really help for footbag because it encourages you to (counter)balance loosely and more efficiently with your whole body, helping break the habit of relying on rigid footing and posture to stay upright. It's virtually zero impact and actually gives a really good physical and mental workout, not to mention really fun. I picked it up from the regulars at my local rock climbing gym. I much prefer this over balance boards and balance balls.

This is a demo video of slackline from MTV Poland:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 6439267346

There are more videos on youtube, but you get a better idea of what's going on in this video.

There are kits available online, but you can piece a kit together yourself. I got webbing and 4 carabiners from REI (outdoor sports store here in the US) for my setup.

When you start I recommend learning to stand on just one leg at a a time, as you will improve much faster this way than putting 2 feet on at the same time.
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Post by Xain » 16 Sep 2007 21:12

This looks so awesome

I have a feeling like this will be in my future

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Post by Benzilla » 17 Sep 2007 14:28

it might hurt pretty bad if you fall... :lol:
Last edited by Benzilla on 18 Sep 2007 16:35, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Dat » 17 Sep 2007 21:25

It's a lot safer and easier than it looks. It takes a while to fall actually, so once you lose your balance you just step off, like off a stool. Most of my friends get the hang of it after a few sessions. Pretty darn easy compared to footbag.
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Post by mosher » 17 Sep 2007 22:44

I picked this up in Berlin, it is pretty awesome and I look forward to it being a bigger part of my life.
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Post by Benzilla » 18 Sep 2007 16:36

so the rope or line has to be somewhat elasticky?

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Post by Dat » 18 Sep 2007 22:43

The nylon webbing I've seen most people use is similar to the nylon straps you have on your backpack. It has some elasticity in it when you put tension on it.
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Post by LinoSphere » 02 Oct 2007 09:59

yay! slackline! i've been doing it for 1.5 years now, and i love it! there's so many good aspects to it, can't even name them all.

you can check out photos of some lines i've rigged in the past months at www.slackline-berlin.blogspot.com
Matthias Lino Schmidt

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Post by justin41 » 23 Oct 2007 01:33

yes, matze...

thats some cool pictures of you in the blog.
props.

i've been trying a few times this summer in the park but i don't seem to get the balance at all. however, i finally learned how so get off the line without pushing. so at least i don't hurt myself anymore and can make a few meters.

j.

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Post by Sporatical_Distractions » 24 Oct 2007 12:57

-The first time I ever did slackline, i slipped and the slackline slammed me in the knee taking any whirl tricks away for two weeks.

-the second time I did slackline, i slipped and the line hit one of my testicles. It hurt for days.

-I never tried it again.
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Post by mosher » 12 Jul 2010 09:27

I realize this is very old, but I am enamoured with slackline again!

I will be purchasing my caribeeners and webbing tonight! :D Seems to be lots of slackers in TO too!
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Post by F[uns]tylin' Eclectic » 02 Aug 2010 18:21

My room mate is a huge slackliner. He got me into it this summer. It's so much fun. I plan on getting my set once summer's over and I have money.
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Post by F[uns]tylin' Eclectic » 12 Apr 2011 20:56

It's been a while since my last post in here. In my last post, I could walk maybe 3 steps. Now, I have my own Gibbon Slackline, and I've been practicing about half as much as I practice footbag. I can walk a line backwards, vertical jump, lemur leap, and jump mount. I've become very confident on it and I can honestly say, it's a terrific cross-training method. It seems like with footbag drilling and slacklining combined, my footbag game improved a lot. I feel more balanced and I can actually string much longer than ever before. The way you have to learn to balance on the line really teaches you some new techniques for balancing in footbag.

I suggest that if this sport looks interesting to you, pick it up and give it a try
Nick Polini

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Post by cd » 13 Apr 2011 17:32

I tried it for the first time last fall, and liked it so much I ran out and picked up some 1" nylon webbing from a hiking/climbing store. The equipment necessary is pretty simple and cheap. Just 50ft or so of webbing and some carabiners gets you started.

I don't do it very often or work hard at improving, but I can walk forward and backward, and I just started being able to turn around and walk the other way.
chris dean

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Post by Dat » 17 Apr 2011 12:10

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Re: Cross Training: Slackline

Post by mosher » 03 Aug 2012 12:14

I recently hit ATW on a slackline! I know Mathias has hit all sorts of footbag tricks on a slackline but I was happy to finally hit it!

Who else has hit tricks on a slackline?
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Re: Cross Training: Slackline

Post by Muffinman » 03 Aug 2012 14:33

Didn't Johnny hit something at KICKASS 3?

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