Merrell News
Extreme tightrope walking competition held
The UK has hosted the first international tournament for slackwalking – a new extreme sport.
Competitors from countries including Poland and America joined British entrants in the first UK Slacklining Masters, held in Fort William, in the Highlands, on February 23rd.
The sport requires performers to carry out tricks such as bouncing, twisting and back flipping - all while walking across a loose nylon tightrope.
John Ritson, from the Lake District, took first place in the UK category while the winning spot in the international event was filled by Californian slackliner Andy Lewis, reports the Lancashire Evening Post.
Mr Ritson gained his share of the £2,000 prize pool after impressing the 200 spectators by juggling while balancing on one leg, says the paper.
The event was supposed to have been held outdoors as part of the Fort William Mountain Festival, but bad weather forced the competition inside the Fort William Nevis Centre.
Slacklining has been around for at least 20 years and has groups in several European countries as well as the US.
Like all outdoor pursuits and extreme sports, slacklining requires reliable footwear. Find Merrell hiking boots here.
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