Remember trying to balance on everything from railings, footpath borders and the poles in parks? From balancing on feet to balancing things in life – how adulthood has changed us!
But proving that we don’t need to stop doing fun things just because we are grown up, are the friendly folk of Slack.in, a Facebook community dedicated to make the balancing act as exciting as ever for Bengaluru peeps. The crew meet up at Cubbon Park at 10 am every Sunday, and to be a part of them, all you require is oodles of determination and energy.
Make no mistake though, it’s not the same thing as tightrope walking! “Though both of them deal with balancing, tight rope walking deals with people balancing on ropes while with slacklining, we talk on flat lines,” clarifies Yadav Hanger, a slacklining enthusiast from the city who also believes the sport strengthens the core muscles and thighs and also improves in balancing and concentration.
It takes time to master the art though! “I’ve been slacklining for over two years now and still don’t think I have mastered it,” he laughs. The activity is more community based and also helps in understanding one’s body better, according to Samar Farooqui.
“All one has to do, is try and balance themselves on the slack for around three to five seconds and that’s where the addiction begins because you just want to push your limits,” says the adventure enthusiast who recently organised India’s first slacklining competition and has been pursuing the sport for over seven years!
“I try to push my limits so now, I can do the backflip on the slack. But there are various others who do yoga and even play the guitar on the slack,” he adds! But since it is relatively new, there are no classes or coaches who can teach the sport to others –hence making it community based.
“It’s relatively new, so most of us have picked it up on our own. And since we can only do this on parks and open areas, people tend to gather around and get involved. But I plan on conducting some coaching workshops soon,” says Samar.
The sport is also very environment friendly as the slacks need to be tied across big trees and require large open spaces. “I think the sport is also associated with being environmental friendly and nature driven while also promoting peace and a sense of mentorship. Overall some excellent skill sets,” says Kunal Bedarkar, the founder of the group which now connects slackliners all over India!
With any sport, injuries and risks do follow – so what should we watch out for, we want to know. “The injuries in slacklining can be a little awkward for men. I mean, imagine loosing your balance and falling on the slack with one leg on each side.. it hurts! Which is why I tell people that highlining and water lining is easier, because then a wire is attached and even if you fall, you are suspended mid air!” he laughs, in conclusion.
