Cross-Train with Slack Lining!

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 21 Jun 2010 06:26

Hey kids! Think you have a pretty keen sense of balance while you're shredding footbag? My room mate is a rock climber and he just got me into this new (to me at least) activity, called "slack lining". It's pretty self-explanatory, tie a flat rope between two trees and try to walk across the rope.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WffxRkcBooY

You think you have pretty good balance until you try to walk your first slack line! I just tried this the other day with my room mate for two straight days, and I started to footbag after a little while. I found myself being able to balance very well, much better than before I tried slack lining, and with this balance came LONGER RUNS. I'm picking up my first set of slack line sometime this week.

One thing it has in common with footbag:

THEY'RE BOTH EXTREMELY ADDICTING AND GOOD FOR THE BODY!

If you have any pals who rock climb, ask them if they've slack lined before and if they have, see if they'll let you try it, since it involves climbing equipment. It's very difficult/annoying/frustrating the first day you do it, but if you keep at it, you really start to understand how the line moves and you can easily move with it.

Let me know what you guys think!

Abe · Post by **Abe** » 22 Jun 2010 13:23

I totally endorse this, slack climbing is great for balance and footbag. I know a lot of climbers that will say that training your balance, such as by doing slack rope or gymnastics will make you a better climber than climbing itself.

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 25 Jun 2010 12:26

Cool, glad at least one other person agrees haha I'm buying my first slacking set soon, can't wait to actually get good at it!

Swizzle · Post by **Swizzle** » 08 Jul 2010 17:39

Strange, I just did this for the second time in my life two days ago. And the first time about 2 weeks before that. My co-worker showed it to me. I got some video of it to. I don't think it would help all that much with footbag, But helps in a general sense of balance - which is gotta help some.......

I've been doing drills on my trampoline, footbag helped with that oddly enough. I got the sense of doing a flip, while controlling the landing and jump (delay and set), and do another flip after that. I've hit drills such as
Backflip < Backflip < frontflip < Frontflip
Backflip< 180 front < Repeat.
Back < front < Repeat.

So who knows, maybe you can connect something between the two, like i did with trampoline & footbag. Either way slackline is perrty fun.

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 08 Jul 2010 20:41

That's awesome dude! Yeah, I can only base it off a hunch and the way it makes me feel that slacklining helps with footbag, but either way, fun stuff!!

LinoSphere · Post by **LinoSphere** » 11 Jul 2010 12:58

i have been slacklining for 4 years now. would say it helps pretty much, both physically, and maybe even more mentally. walking a 100m (~300ft) longline is just so much of a mental struggle, playing a routine in front of a huge crowd is nothing against it. and that's even more true for highlines.
i just went on a pretty epic urban highline today, 20m up, 30m long. the mental strength it takes to walk a highline is unmatched anywhere in the world of footbag. that said, i failed walking the entire line today...

Swizzle · Post by **Swizzle** » 11 Jul 2010 14:48

sweet man. I can only take four steps on a slackline or whatever.
I'm guessing you had some sort of safety thing on the highline?

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 11 Jul 2010 21:12

That's pretty crazy Matthias, I can't wait until I'm up to speed with where you are in slacklining.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 12 Jul 2010 14:00

Just bought my webbing and beeners!

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 12 Jul 2010 21:51

I have yet to buy my set up. Soon.... SOOON!!

Dat · Post by **Dat** » 30 Jul 2010 13:54

I'll have my slackline with me during worlds. I'll set it up if there are any good places at the event site.

If there's anyone here in SF already, tonight I'll be setting up for an hour or so down at Dolores Park, in the Mission District, @ 6pm till the sun sets.[/s] Many slackliners there; recently there's been at least 1 line set up there every evening.

Edit: Nevermind. Weather sucks right now. Going to stay in tonight instead of going out to the park.

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 30 Jul 2010 16:40

That sounds awesome! Wish I could have made it to Worlds this year

zachatree · Post by **zachatree** » 30 Jul 2010 20:20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPpDN0co ... re=related

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 31 Jul 2010 05:35

Shit is crazy dude.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » 01 Sep 2010 21:10

My friends do slack-lining at university... I haven't had the chance to try it yet but don't think I would. I'd be afraid of injuring my feet or ankles :/

Dat · Post by **Dat** » 01 Sep 2010 22:50

http://www.nwslackline.org/

Learned of this great site recently. Great resources for putting together a kit and setting up. Lots of informative instructional videos.

Cross-Train with Slack Lining!

Do you think slack lining sounds/looks like good cross training for footbag?

Cross-Train with Slack Lining!