Oh my! Estonian athlete sets record for world’s longest LED-lit slackline walk in Doha
Adhering to his motto of ‘Everything is hard before its easy’ three-time slackline world champion Jaan Roose of Estonia has set a new world record for successfully completing the world’s longest LED-lit, single-building slackline walk between the scimitar-shaped Iconic Towers in Doha, Qatar.
Walking barefoot, with rolled up trousers and a Red Bull tee-shirt, Roose, 31, undertook his gravity-defying endeavour between the late hours of night and early dawn on June 19-20, 2023, walking unaided on a 2.5cm wide slackline over a distance of approximately 150m between the unique building that houses the Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha luxury hotels.
Part of a marketing activation between Red Bull and qatartourism.com, the ‘Sparkline’ titled walk by Roose 195m above the ground has now gone on record for not only being the longest slackline walk on a single-building structure but is also Roose’s highest urban walk to date.
Gusty winds and distracting views
Ecstatic, after successfully completing the historic slackline walk on his very first attempt while encountering gusty winds and distracting views, Roose, who is endorsed by Red Bull, said: “When I first saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this was a building that I had to walk. Anything worth achieving comes with its fair share of challenges, and I’m proud to have completed this one.
“Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever. As an athlete, I’m always looking to push myself further and defy the odds. In this case the heat and wind conditions added a different element that I needed to react to and manage spontaneously while I was on the slackline.
“The warm LED lights and their extra weight also changed how the line interacted with me and my bodyweight. It’s like skateboarding on a big heavy tree trunk rather than a light board,” Roose added.
Qatar Tourism boost
Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, said: “We are delighted to have supported the exhilarating slackline walk event and champion renowned athletes. By fostering a culture of athleticism, we strive to create opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills and reach new heights in their athletic careers.”
Set against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea the scimitar swords-shaped Iconic Towers is owned by Qatar-based Katara Hospitality and is one of the Qatari capital’s latest and most distinctive modern architectural landmarks.
World record holder
Roose, the holder of numerous world records and world-firsts in the sport of slacklining, is the first and only athlete in the world to have performed a double backflip on a slackline.
His slacklining ability has seen him performing as a stuntman in Hollywood films, including Assassin’s Creed, and appearing in Madonna’s MDNA World Tour.
Roose loves to travel the world, to compete in and showcase his incredible talent. In 2021 he visited the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina to perform acrobatics at a height of 100m, while in 2022 he tackled a 500m-long slackline between two mountains in Kazakhstan.
So, what is slacklining exactly?
Wikipedia defines slacklining as walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors.
Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking. Slacklines differ from tightwires and tightropes in the type of material used and the amount of tension applied during use.
Last Updated on 1 year by Arnold Pinto
