Slackline Berlin

Another Water Highline

2007-09-23T19:49:00.000Z

Highline over Landwehrkanal at Görlitzer Park. About 20m long, 4m up. Full man on-sight.
Photos by Susanne Schmidt.

Playground fun

2007-09-10T22:36:00.000Z

Earlier this year in Vienna, Austria.

Waterline on Havel river

2007-08-19T22:52:00.000Z

Summer in Berlin

2007-08-06T17:55:00.002Z

This blog seems to be a litle sleepy. But the Berlin slackline scene surely isn't. Here's photos from a line set up this summer (30m long, 6m up):

ART FILM

2007-02-27T06:09:00.000Z

We have been having conversation about creating films of slacklining through the artistic direction of Traveler TT. (can i call you Traveler TT? it reminds me of Booker T and the MGs)
Every slackline video is the same: either a documentary style educational video, explaining how it works and why everybody should do it, or a show off "we did it bigger and better" video from california. Thats not what we want to do.

Videography is an art. Art can stand alone. With a subject as serene as slacklining, we want to create slackline videos of visual serenity. videos that capture the beauty of the sport in creative juxtaposition, or creative harmony with the surroundings. The video is not just about slacklining, its about being a beautiful video.

so here is an excerpt from a brainstorming style episode of emailing that we experienced recently. my personal favorite is the alligator pool.

Traveler:
"this place inTurkey where there are fields of 30 meter high penis shapes rocks,
rig a line there and explore the culture and history. another line i
am thinking is one high in the trees, like the giant 70 meter high fir
and cedars i saw in British columbia Canada recently. just a breath of
wind in the high emerald green canopy. Another one would be a line
out in the middle of a pure white snow covered field, just pure white,
with A white line and one slacker. the image is beautiful and the
line with its incredibly low contrast would be really hard to walk. i
have a million more ideas that create challenges in very aesthetic
conceptually interesting places and situations. it would be like an
art film about slacklining."

Ivonne:
"Another idea which I had in mind since I went to
Australia in August is a highline between
two rocks of the Twelve Apostle in the ocean along the
Great Ocean Road. That could be nice. Or in Berlin
between the towers on Frankfurter Allee, with the
Fernsehturm in the background."

Traveler:
"-walk a line across that last remaining section of the Berlin Wall,
-Rig a long line across a fast moving river.
-over cravasses on a glacier,
-what about setting up a line in a really foggy (nebel) place and
walking a bright, flamy red line through thick tick fog"

Daniel #3
"-how about multiple lines, three simultaneous slackliners, perhaps one
above the other, or side by side.
-a series of slacklines through treetops in a forest that extends as
far as you can see.
-our slack games would be great to video, the one where a slacker on
either end tries to capture a flag from the middle, a game like that
on a highline above an abyss would be VERY intense!!!
-naked slacklining.
-a studio situation, using the invisibility of the line from profile
to create interesting "walkin on air" effects
-over the top of a smokestack on a factory, through the filth.
-deepwater free highlining

Kris:
"ok, i´d like to do slacklining in a tropical butterflyhouse or a big
aviary with little birds in a zoo, but only if we don´t kill any of
the animals by falling off the line. OR in a monkey house with lemurs,
practising the lemur leap, as long as the monkeys don´t attack us too
badly.
(...and how about a line across the alligator pool? or the shark pond?)"

More slackline picts

2007-01-22T01:12:00.000Z

Not giving a damn about winter! (John Borland. Photo: Kelsey Gray www.alaskamountainforum.com)

Highlining at Peilstein/Austria. (Photo, Robert Skarka)

Slacklining in germany. The blue flags are registered users in the new forum http://www.slackliner.de/forum/ .
Seems like slacklining’s avoiding berlin! Please register there! I’ll update this picture soon!

Preparing to go longer

2007-01-22T00:46:00.000Z

So: Longlining doesn’t stop at the width of this beach volleyball dint! It get’s even more exciting! The wavering of the line gets stronger and more complex. And rigging becomes quite a project!
Here are some picts of our planning and practicing:

Longline distances at Volkspark Friedrichshain.
google maps link

Two versions of a line loosening system.

An attempt on a 120 meter (390 foot) slackline.

Transformations

2007-01-21T23:29:00.000Z

I just had another look on the photos traveler (Traveler Taj Terpenings http://www.travelerphotography.com/) made some time ago.
It’s interesting to see that they completely resist to go along with my “gap – personality - social context” theory (http://slackline-berlin.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-very-favourite-slackline-picts.html):

(http://www.travelerphotography.com/)

They are not about a gap! Not about a spatial relation, - not about the immediate challenge, - not about the slackline! He cuts it out!
They are not about the personality either! As faces are blurred and hardly recognizable.
They do feature some social contexts, but this seems to be quite a peripheral aspect.

You recognized what’s happening to the figures in the photos?
They get .. ..

(http://www.travelerphotography.com/)
.. penetrated by the sun ..

(http://www.travelerphotography.com)
.. rinsed by visible air ..

(http://www.travelerphotography.com)
.. bended by trees ..

(http://www.travelerphotography.com)
.. surrounded by the sky

-they’re like a ball in a game of forces; - part of an ongoing fusion with their ambience. They do not appear to walk to the end of the slackline, - they still strive – but they get touched and overwhelmed by mysterious forces.
He tries to expose a metaphysical reaction we haven’t recognized that’s taking place, pointing to the transformations we undergo in these moments.
I found two pictures on his website that go along nicely with this motive:

(http://www.travelerphotography.com)
-don’t know what exactly the figure’s doing there, and who it is. But he’s on the edge of something transcendent happening to him!

(http://www.travelerphotography.com)
-by what she’s doing - at that moment – she melts with her ambience. ..she transforms - she’ll be different afterwards!

Indoor Highline

2006-11-24T21:30:00.000Z

Our first highline and the next best slackline so far! (16 meters long, 6 meters up - in the T-Hall Berlin (www.t-hallberlin.de))

It's like a metaphor on how we attempt (spatial) freedom: You fear it, you discover it, get used to it, love it, never want to loose it again! - What a poor experience to step on a normal slackline afterwards!

About "Fear": Not this time! We were too excited!
About "Discover it": Undeniably it's new! You still know how to slackline but you kind of start it all over again.
About "Get used to it": You feel no longer attached to the ground. The slackline appears to be insignificant. - You learn the space under you!
About "Love it": I now see (potential) highlines everywhere!
About "Never want to loose it again": No, we did not marry! But this one is going to become a permanent feature of the T-Hall!!

What an impressive way to be proven wrong(!): The first Berlin highline contest got won by a woman! Chris has a unique style: Her arms straight, moving quickly! She's from Halle and we're planning to set up a highline together in Löbejün next summer (June 23/24)!

And so many new ..

.. talents all over!

Video Snippets

2006-11-05T02:58:00.000Z

.. found on Andys Digi-Cam. They are in no way special or anything, - just a glimpse ... Hope we'll have a proper one soon (..) Aaanndd .. as long as this one ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catecph87qQ&mode=related&search= ) is online - they are not even the worst slackline videos on youtube!!

Pan

70 meters

70 meters

2006-11-05T02:45:00.000Z

All in all .. this was the best so far! (Hey, we planned it since we started slacklining, right?)

It felt incredibly smooth and exciting to walk! Moving slow and forceful!
.. And the sun and the sand and the peoples .. I just loved it!

(Dan, www.travelerphotography.com)

(Andreas, www.travelerphotography.com)

(Matthias, www.travelerphotography.com)

Fotos

2006-10-23T23:57:00.000Z

Michas Fotos aus unserer Session am 8 Oktober:

(Matthias)

(Yvonne)

(Andreas)

(Matthias)

2D-Slacklinen

2006-10-19T20:05:00.000Z

Beim 2D-Slacklinen endet eine Slackline nicht an einem Ankerpunkt, sondern spaltet sich über einen Metallring in weitere Slacklines auf. So kann ein Netz aus Slacklines entstehen. Soll besonders toll sein, wenn mehrere Leute im Netz gehen und springen. Wenn Slacklines auch nach oben und unten abzweigen und übereinander verlaufen hätte man ein 3D Netz.

(Foto: Thomas Jakob)

Slackline videos

2006-10-17T22:47:00.000Z

Here's my personal choice! (Please add yours in the comments!)

Lake Tahoe Highlining:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6s_c1SMtfI&NR

Urban highline in Rio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6lO393WA9g&NR

Instructional video en francais!

http://www.slack.fr/IMG/wmv/Presentation_des_kits.wmv

310 feet slackline:

http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/damianrc/?action=view¤t=Slackline310ft.flv

Walking on big air:

http://video.google.de/videoplay?docid=6480681244623735999&hl=de
(or) http://www.youtube.com/v/vqwhCgv3bS0

My very favourite slackline picts

2006-09-23T08:29:00.000Z

A slackline can be looked at as being an elementary device which can be applied to

a spacial situation
a personality
a social situation

provoking an astonishing effect - picturing human strive.

Here are four examples:

(Foto: Peter Rhodes)

(Foto: Slackline Brothers)

(Foto: Philippe Petit)

(Foto: Unknown)

Did you notice the ..

Spacial application? (It emphasises a spacial relation as it bridges a gap)
Application to personality? (Revealing an individual way of dealing with a challenge)
Sozial application? (It turns the performer into a magical introverted and focused object being observerved and respected by the others)

A-Frames bauen

2006-09-23T08:26:00.000Z

(Fotos: Slackline Brothers)

So sieht ein A-Frame aus (Grösse S, L und XXL)

Ich hätte gerne bitte die S! Obwohl die Faltvariante in der Mitte auch was für sich hat.

Hier steht wie man sie baut, usw:
http://forum.slackline.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=9
http://www.slackline.com/howto/afrms&dogs1-06_1.pdf

Warum ich gerne welche hätte:
Wir könnten da slacklinen, wo der Boden schön ist. Sogar im Sand im Volleyball Feld! Oder wo der Rasen idyllisch weich ist .. ohne Scherben und Löcher und so. Man könnte sie auch in einer Halle einsetzen. Und genau die Länge einstellen, die wir möchten.

Highlinen

2006-09-23T08:20:00.000Z

(Foto mit Damian Cooksey)

Weil alle so davon schwärmen hab ich mal folgenden Versuch gemacht: Einfache Slackline (7m) auf 2,5 Meter am Baum nach oben geschoben. Guess what?! Es ist irre schwer in der Höhe zu balancieren! Mentale Herausforderung und Urängste mal beiseite – ich habe in den ersten 10 Minuten nicht einen Schritt hinbekommen. Und danach habe ich abgebaut und bin gegangen!!! (Gut, dass ich allein war! J)
Aber ich bin wiedergekommen - und wie immer: Man kanns lernen und es macht irre Spass!

Falls es euch auch packt – hier mein drei-Stufen Plan:

Am Boulderfelsen auf Absprunghöhe probieren. Es gibt glaube ich zwei Möglichkeiten: 2,70 Meter hoch - 11 Meter lang oder 3,20 Meter hoch 9 Meter lang.
Problem: Ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, ob 3,20 wirklich noch Absprunghöhe ist. Als ich mal oben Stand wollte ich spontan nicht! ;)
Übungshighline zwischen zwei Bäumen mit Hilfsseil über der Line. Nicht gerade die coolste Variante aber man braucht es, sonst fällt man zu Anfang quasi nur!
Wenn das ansteht könnten wir mal Kontakt aufnehmen zu den Leuten, die das beim Slackline-Treffen in Scharnitz aufgebaut haben.

(Foto: Slackline-Treffen in Scharnitz 2006)
Irgendwo mal mitlaufen. Spätestens im Juli 2007 in Scharnitz!

Ich würd auch gerne mal in den Hochseilgarten – ist bestimmt irre und mal ne erste Einstimmung. Infos hier: http://www.teamventure.de/inlets/pdf_files/TeamVenture-Angebote2006pr.pdf
Man muss sich anmelden zu nem Termin. Hat jemand Lust?

Viertens könnte dann schon sein, selbst einen Highline Spot zu suchen. Hab grad ein Foto von Löbejün gesehen. Könnte man da was über die Ecke spannen?

Hat jemand ein besseres Foto?

Substitute dragons

2006-09-23T08:09:00.000Z

The night after this longline struggle:

What excited me most, was this line having so much force and beeing so lively. It tried to shake me off of its back (damn successful!)

With my mind blurring between exhaustion and excitement I
had a vision of this ancient thing:

(Pict: Wikipedia)
(Actually this is a chinese one, but I think we had these in germany too .. )
(Note: I placed a picture of a long-line slackliner beside of it - you’ll see why, as you follow through!)

Here's a list (stunningly long, as I think) of statements that apply to long slacklines and dragons as well:

It's a huge thing
It can exist in various spots in nature. Even on mountains.
It excites just by it's sight
Most peoples are afraid of it. Heck - even you are! But you're opposing it anyway - so you feel brave!
It tries to shake you off of it's back.
It gets furious if you tackle it intensely.
You are right of being afraid, because it can throw you off and wip you and actually hurt you!
No matter if you’re afraid - thrown off, wiped or even hurt - you will try again! You are obsessed by this struggle!
Men are stepping up one after another to challenge it. The more they fail the more precious the victory. The more it gets defeated the more it becomes a pet!

Some suggest that dragons have never existed, - arguing these mythical beings were just reflections of our inner fears. Long slacklines do the same thing!
They deliver a transformed insecurity feedback (so to speak) as the turbulences of it are just reflections of our own insecure momentum that we submit into it.

In both cases fears and insecurity gets amplified and transformed – and then become visible in the frightening turbulences of a slackline or our picturing / projection of the imaginary beast. Both enable us to face our imperfections - they expose it - so we can confront them.

For a great part of human evolution we personally grew with dragons as hiddenly self-reflexive challenges. In todays rationalized and unphysical world we’re missing them so much that we are creating ouselfes a similar self-reflexive challenge as a substitute.
A long slackline is a substitute dragon: We create it to subdue it!

Attempting the 56 meters (185 foot) line

2006-09-23T01:08:00.000Z

Ok, this is it! All in one photo!

We did not send it! Dan walked about 40 meters, me about 30.

I started up so energetic - bounced and walked a view steps and it felt soo much fun!!

Not sending the line was less a matter of accidental failures but more about the general lack of a walking style for such a distance. On the 41 meters, when I got into trouble I could still fight my way through. On the 56 meters today I frequently ran into trouble and thus after 20 to 25 meters I ran out of energy – mental and physical! It’s strange when you have passed the middle of the line and you realize that you will still not have a chance to make it! Sure I could have walked a few more steps – but your moves are not light and sensible any more – so they will cause you even greater trouble - which costs even more energy, etc. In that sense I felt like caught in there. - The eventual falls came as a relief!
I felt devastated by this monster! ;) .. I am still not over it! :))

It was inspiring to see Dan walking so effordlessly (compared to myself) today.

He is sliding with his foot forewards making long steps. He stays loose! Even when he falls it looks like he is intentionally stepping away from the line!

This picture will (in the not so distant future) turn out to have some hidden symbolism in itself.

Yet still the beachvolleyballers think this dint was made for them! ..

Here's the silver lining: I also felt overwelmed by the challenge when I first attempted 20 meters some weeks ago! And then saw ourselfs walking 30 meters happily just two weeks later. - Maybe we can still make the 70 meters this year!

Here’s the report of DamianC about his 94 Meters walk:
http://forum.slackline.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=297

What do you think? (..)

Slackline Meeting

2006-09-23T00:49:00.000Z

10.09.2006:
Ein irre toller Tag! Sonne und Menschen im Überfluß im Volkspark. Es waren bestimmt 50 Leute, die spontan mal versucht haben zu balancieren.

Wir haben 3 Lines in einem großen Halbkreis aufgebaut.

16 Meter (hier vorn im Bild), 9 Meter (hinten links) und 56 Meter (Hintergrund)

Aber eigendlich ..

.. gehen wir kaum selbst drauf!!

Wahnsinn, wieviel Geduld Daniel und Peter haben!

Sebastian

Peter

und ganz viele Unbekannte ..

Long Lowlines: Was bisher geschah

2006-09-23T00:32:00.000Z

Aus irgendeinem Grund versuchen wir unsere Slacklines immer noch ein bisschen länger zu spannen. Es begann im Juli ..

"20": (Distanz: 21 Meter; Location: Volkspark West, am Hang)
Peter schafft 5 Meter, Andreas taumelt ein Mal rüber. Über die B-Note im besten Fribee Spiel des Jahres reißen wir es aber wieder raus!

"25": (Distanz: 25 Meter; Location: Volkspark West, am Teich)
Mattias geht im ersten Versuch fast rüber. Um Daniel N. und Andreas nicht total zu frusten steigt er aber drei Meter vor dem Ende ab.

"30": (Distanz: 29 Meter; Location: Volkspark West, am Teich)

Daniel N. und Andreas habens ganz gut im Griff. Das 22 Meter lange X-Tube ist viel schwieriger.

"35": (Distanz: 37 Meter; Location: Volkspark Ost, am Beachvolleyball Feld)
Extrem toll, wie bei Regen das Wasser von der Line spritzt! Daniel N. hat Halsweh und traut sich deshalb nicht aufs Seil. Beim Abbauen will Anderas auf Nummer "Sicher" gehen und verknotet das Band so, dass wir es als letzten Ausweg anzünden und durchbrennen müssen!!

"40": (Distanz: 41 Meter; Location: Volkspark Ost, am Beachvolleyball Feld)

Wir sind zu fünft und der Aufbau ist das totale Chaos! Andreas schätzt die Aufbauzeit innerhalb von nur zwei Stunden dreimal auf "ca. 20 Minuten".

Daniel N. "liegt" die grosse Line diesmal nicht so (?!). Dan - das erste Mal dabei - macht klasse Fotos und ist total sicher auf der Line!

"50": (Distanz: 56 Meter; Location: Volkspark Ost, am Beachvolleyball Feld)
Ok, das war etwas vermessen. So einfach ist es doch nicht (Report, siehe oben!). Folge "50" wird also wiederholt .. vielleicht diesen Sonntag.

Bleiben noch
Folge "60" und
Folge "70" (Finale - Über das Beachvolleyball Feld) .. Vielleicht heften wir dann zur Feier Luftballons an unsere Slackline?! .. oder wir laden uns einen Slackline-Star aus dem Süden ein!!

About this Blog

2006-09-22T23:51:00.000Z

Well it’s simple:

Pict: Unknown) (Foto: Unknown)

If you have anything to do with slacklining and berlin and want to write about it, you’re welcome to join us! (Just contact one of the admins)

If you had a nice day slacklining (or a bad one) .. and maybe have a foto about it .. on a nice location .. and with you in the background (!) doing some little backflip or something .. I think it’s worth a post!! – Well, you get the point: We’ll more likely have few posts in the future then too many. And it’s such a nice motivation to see that others are active.

I plan to make some posts in english, because I know some peoples that do not properly speak german (Dan for example ;)) .. Also think about the slackliners from norwegian (http://www.slakkline.no/ ), france (http://www.slack.fr ) and the US to read up our posts one day! .. Still I hope we’ll have many pictures, that speak for themselfes.

Deutsch ist natürlich auch OK, bevor wir uns irgendwie selbst nicht so richtig verstehen, vor lauter Globalisierung .. (Shure Dan will post in german .. no matter what :) !!)