Slacklining strings together a following in Columbia

Mizzou Slackline Club looks to raise awareness for their club while enjoying the activity in their leisure time. Written by Ben Ganic. 



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     Slacklining is an emerging activity that has recently gained popularity throughout the United States.  It can be found recreationally in parks, backyards, beaches and college campuses.  The origin of the activity began in the mid- to late-1970s, but no specific person has been credited for its invention.
     The basic premise of slacklining is very similar to tight rope walking; the objective of each activity is to maintain balance and walk across a suspended piece of equipment, attached to two, firm objects at each end.  However, while tight roping consists of a rope that has no give or slack to it, slacklining uses a form of webbing, normally made of nylon, that allows the participant to bounce on the line.  Essentially, slacklining is a combination of tight roping and bouncing on a trampoline.
    

Nathan Dierkes falls from the slackline to the safety of the gymnastics mat below on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at Show-Me Gymnastics in Columbia, Mo. Dierkes broke his wrist while slacklining last year. Photo by Shannon Robb.

One-inch and two-inch wide webbing, often used for rock climbing, is used for slacklines along with other types of climbing equipment such as carabineers. Mizzou Slackline Club set up this slackline between two I-beams during practice on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, at Show-Me Gymnastics in Columbia, Mo. Photo by Shannon Robb.

     “Depending on your activity, slacklining ranges from one- to two-inch wide lines,” Mizzou Slackline Club member Drew Nikonowicz said. “Tricklining is a form of slacklining where you would go freestyle and is done on a two-inch wide line, compared to the one-inch line you would use to traditionally slackline.”
     While the one-inch wide webbing is the traditional form of slacklining and is used to walk across and perform dynamic tricks, the two-inch wide lines, which are lower to the ground, provide more tension, causing the line to bounce less.  Experts who want to practice advanced tricks such as flips and rotations primarily use these slacklines.
Mizzou Slackline Club was created in the spring of 2010 by Taylor James Hartsfield, a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. 

     “My primary reasons for forming the organization were to help stimulate a community 
    

of like-minded individuals, and have a discernible entity to represent that community in the bureaucratic system of the University of Missouri,” Hartsfield said.

     Mizzou Slackline holds practices on nice weather days in Peace Park and every Thursday from 9-10 p.m. at Show-Me Gymnastics located at 2316 Industrial Dr., Columbia, Mo.  The club currently has ten documented members, but the affiliates range between 30 and 40 members depending on the semester.
     Hartsfield credits rock climbing for his passion for slacklining.
     

     “I feel rock climbing and slacklining almost go hand in hand,” Hartsfield said.  “I learned rock climbing first, and it helped me with slacklining because I had already gained the balance needed to successfully slackline.”
     Nikonowicz became involved with slacklining in high school.
     “I began slacklining over three years ago and have been doing it at least once a week since then,” Nikonowicz said.  “I can’t say there was one specific thing that made me start doing it, but my friends were a big influence.”
     Nikonowicz also said that slacklining is more than an exciting activity, but is great for focus as well, which he said is his favorite part.
     “It puts you in a zone where nothing else around you matters, almost like you’re meditating,” Nikonowicz said.
     Nathan Dierkes, a member of the club, explained his feeling on the activity a little differently.  He said that balance and will are the most important factors.
     “What I enjoy most about it is the fact that, even if I fall off, I push myself to get back on the line and try again because I have the drive to get better at it,” Dierkes said.
     Dierkes has been a member of the club for a little over a year and still considers slacklining “a work in progress.”

     Just like any other physical activity, injuries are common. Most injuries during slacklining occur from the fall or the line