The Line of the Week
Slackliner – Jerry Miszewski
I have seen people slackline 20 footers in their backyard’s. In my experience it’s a couple beers, a barbeque and a few dudes trying to walk the line. Ever since Wanderlust I seem to have hooked into a small scene of true slackliners who take the sport seriously. On first glance you can see that this their passion.
While passing through Auburn the other day I got a call from Jerry Miszewski, who mentioned a gathering he and a friend were throwing in Garden Valley. When I rolled up I was instantly blown away by not only the hard work that must have gone into clearing the land and putting the high lines in, but how high and huge the slacklines were. It had the appearance of a high ropes course but it was all high lines.
One by one, Jerry and his buddies at the Balance Community put on their headphones and walk bare footed in full focus the 346 foot line that stretched upwards of 50 feet off the deck. The sun raged hard as sweat trickled down my neck and I was only watching and shooting pics. It was amazing to watch the concentration, skill and zen that goes into tight rope walking that far without falling. They do wear a harness with a rope attached for safety.
As it turns out Jerry uses these lines in Garden Valley to train for some of his bigger projects around the western United States. Stay tuned for the real deal. To be continued…
“Balance Community’s Backyard Highline Fest: This Fall Balance Community has begun hosting slackline and highline workshops in Garden Valley. The first festival was a huge success with over 45 people attending to push their limits on 7 highlines ranging in length from 35 to 346 feet, in addition to five 15-300′ slacklines. Many attending slackliners set new personal records for themselves. The festival provides a great place to grow as a slackliner and check out Balance Community’s latest gear innovations. The future holds bigger lines and bigger turnouts as this sport is rapidly gaining popularity.” Jerry Miszewski
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The Line of the Week is a weekly photo piece by Ryan Salm featuring some of Tahoe’s finest athletes doing whatever we deem rad. We will be using the term “Line” loosely to describe anything resembling chutes, big airs, pointers or any general madness. All images are the property and copyright of Ryan Salm Photography. All images are only to be used in conjunction with the Line of the Week. Any other usage must be cleared in writing by Ryan Salm.