Beginner Kits
If you're a beginner to slacklining and looking at getting involved with this balance sport & art, then please have a quick read here. This will help you choose the right slackline to suit your style and will help you enjoy and evolve in the sport and art of balance. If you already know what your style is and what you want, then simply scroll down to the bottom of this page and choose what you like.
For layman's sake - let us say that there are two styles of slacklining (in actuality there are multiple disciplines that you will evolve into as you get exposure to the sport and community, but it all starts with making a choice to go with either of these two.)
- Walking (recommendation 1 inch)
- Tricks (recommendation 2 inch)
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Walking: These lines are usually 1 inch. The tension we put on it is relatively less in comparison to 2 inch tricklines. These lines are looser and sway more. The movement and feedback from the line that you will have to adapt to will be slower, more focused and meditative. If you take a shine to slacklining, at some point or another, you will be drawn towards completely walking your first full line. i.e SENDING IT!
This is a lighter and more compact set up as compared to 2 inch trickline set ups, it is easier to carry and travel with. However the limitation of this is that you cannot do dynamic tricks such as bounces and flips on it. There are a variety of tricks that you can do on this kind of a line, these tricks are more static and 'yogic' in nature, where more emphasis goes towards body postures and alignment. Walking lines are more about flowing gracefully, walking through and/or just standing up against mental and physical blocks to evolve across to the other side towards a more balanced self.
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Trickline: These lines are 2 inch with a lot of tension. The extra tension on the line allow you to move dynamically and throwing your body into jumps, bounces, turns and flips. In simpler terms the line is kept so tight that it acts as a trampoline. The movement on these lines is a much faster pace and this will help build explosive strength. In Tricklining, the movement is fast and dynamic and emphasis goes towards body movement, a feeling similar to parkour, gymnastics, skateboarding and trampolining. The only draw back for such a line is that they are slightly heavier and slightly bulkier to carry (in comparison to a 1 inch walking line, in comparison to other sports, it is still very convenient as the entire set up can easily fit into a backpack).
You can also choose to keep the tension on these lines less and use them for walking and everything mentioned in the above paragraph. The added extra inch acts as a bigger surface to find when you decide to jump, bounce and flip on the line and bigger ratchet (tension system) allows you to get the webbing as taut as a trampoline.
We've heard it over and over again, that "Balance is Key". But key to what? Have you asked yourself or wondered about that?
Balance is the key to unlocking your own potential.
Stay Balanced,
Samar Farooqui.