The Slackline Park in Val Gardena

Slacklining is a trend sport in which you balance on a strap or tubular webbing. In the past, this would probably have been called rope dancing. The band is made of synthetic fiber, 2.5 to 5 cm wide and is tensioned between two points, which can be supports or trees or other fastening points. Slackline means "slack line" in German. In contrast to the taut wire rope, the slackline stretches under load, so it behaves very dynamically and responds to every movement of the slackliner and swings.

Slacklining originated in the 1980s in the free climbing scene in Yosemite National Park in the USA. Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington were the first to use a webbing belt used for climbing to balance on. Gradually, this slacklining spread throughout the USA and Europe, but it remained limited to the climbing scene for a long time. Only in recent years has slacklining developed into a trend sport and has found more and more enthusiastic followers.

Slacklining evenly engages the entire musculature, has no one-sided stress and trains balance, concentration, and coordination. You only need a little equipment and can practice the sport almost anywhere. Slacklining is also considered excellent additional training for all sports that require a good sense of balance, e.g. skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, horseback riding, vaulting, climbing, but also martial arts.

Basically, there is a distinction between lowlines and highlines depending on the height at which the rope is tensioned. In the Slackline Park in Wolkenstein, it is mainly about the lowlines. The rope is tensioned at a maximum of hip height, so you don't have to worry much about securing, but can concentrate entirely on exercises and tricks. Once you manage to balance the vibrations and walk the entire length of the band, you can try turns, sliding, or jumps and somersaults. There are no limits to your imagination.

The Slackline Park in Gröden offers various possibilities and distances to mount the lines (which must be brought along). Courses for beginners and advanced users introduce the techniques of slacklining and provide inspiration and training. Just give it a try, slacklining is a lot of fun.