Slacklining – unlike tightrope walking, which is rigid – uses a flexible polyester webbing that stretches, moves and bounces. The sport has been around since the 80s, with the slackline generally 15-20 feet (5-6 m) long, mounted from one tree to another a foot or two (about half a meter) above the ground.
Jaan Roose's starting point was 870 ft (264 m) up an old electrical transmission tower in Santa Trada, Italy.
The destination was another old power line tower in Torre Faro, Sicily, just over two and a quarter miles away (3.6 km). The 3/4-inch (1.9-cm)-wide slackline stretched across the Messina Strait – a body of water known as the "ship killer" – between Italy and Sicily.
After a nearly three-hour perilous journey and with only 262 feet (80 m) to go, Roose fell from his slackline in what must have been a heartbreak. He was four minutes shy of the finish line when he fell, negating the world-record attempt.
In slacklining, the rules state that you must complete the walk without a fall in order for the record to be valid.
His safety harness caught his fall, and Roose immediately clambered back atop his slackline before sitting and taking a minute to rest and have a drink of water. After a thumbs-up and some cheers from onlookers, Roose set off again, tackling the final steep, uphill portion of the walk before falling off again just over a minute later. His legs shaking, he rebalanced himself on his slackline and double-timed it to the end.
While this attempt may not stand as an official record, he did surpass the previous longest slackline walk record of 8,891 ft (2,710 m). Roose had walked 11,699 of the 11,962 feet (3,566 of 3,646 meters) before losing his balance and dismounting.
After completing the span, Roose said, "I feel 'jaantastic,'" an obvious play on his name. He also stated, "I am super happy, a bit tired and worn out ... I made history ... I walked 3.6 km across the Strait of Messina! It was a long walk, full of surprises from start to finish. I had some difficulties, but the weather was good. I expected more wind.”
The 32-year-old Estonian is a three-time world champion slackliner, and currently holds the title for being the first and only athlete to perform a double backflip on a slackline. He has credits as a stuntman in Hollywood films such as Assassin's Creed and Wonder Woman 1984.
You can watch the entire three-hour-go in the video below.
Source: Red Bull
