Who loves trying out new and wonderfully random things? I know I do!
Tonight I went to a Meetup event where a bunch of us beginners tried slacklining. It’s like tightrope walking, but on a stretchy piece of tubing. The event was organized by Kerry of the RAA Meetup Group, and his guest Scott Emmons was our slacklining expert / teacher for the day.
My very first attempt at slacklining (sans presentation / attack)
Slacklining
I figured it was just about balancing, and it sort of is… but you can’t balance when you’re thinking about a million things at once, and you also can’t go forward without confidence that you’re going to step where you want without looking or even thinking. Am I being metaphorical enough?
Once I finally got to that point of relaxation where there was nothing but that dot on the tree to stare at, it was suddenly a lot easier to keep that rope still under my foot and lift myself up. Once I didn’t think anymore, it was easier to get where I wanted to be going.
Thanks to Scott for teaching us how to “present [our]selves to the rope” and then to “attack” with confidence, and to Kerry for getting us all together! 
The way you describe it is how I describe rockclimbing — you have to let your thoughts go out the window and can only think about what you’re doing. Funnily enough the rockclimbers at Kangaroo Point usually have a slackline set up too
I didn’t know you rockclimbed Sarah! I also didn’t know there was a rockclimbing gym near Kangaroo Point!
BTW, what that construction in the background is ? it looks like a giant spider, like this one: http://photos.sochi.org.ru/v/france/paris/tuileries/IMG_9351a.jpg.html
That’s one freaky spider!
I think the thing in the background is part of the kid’s playground — something to climb on?