Posted by: Shauna Farnell
Anyone who tries a couple of steps on the short, low slacklines in the practice area at the GoPro Mountain Games learns quickly that balancing on the bouncy, 2-inch-wide strap is no easy task — which makes watching the pros that much more jaw-dropping. The CELSIUS Trickline Invitational draws the best trickliners in the world to Vail, and on the final day of the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games, they brought it all to Solaris Plaza.
So how does someone go from wobbly first steps to launching flips and spins in the air (tricklining) or walking a line strung hundreds of feet above a canyon floor (highlining)?
“It’s just fun to test your boundaries,” said Evan Wise, who started slacklining in college and now works for slackline manufacturer Gibbon. “There is a mental hurdle to it, too. It’s not just a physical activity, it’s a mental activity. It helps you calm down when you’re on the line. Finding your center of gravity is a peaceful experience. It’s just pretty much you and the line. You’re not really paying attention to anything else when you’re out there.”
For seasoned slackliners, it’s not all about the personal practice, but also the social experience.
“The biggest thing that keeps people in it is the community,” said Dylon Lousberg, a competitor in the 2026 CELSIUS Trickline Invitational.
Growing up in rural Colorado, Lousberg was introduced to slacklining in gym class at school.
“We had just a small community where I’m from. We did it all through high school. Then you go online and find out everybody else is doing it, too. You see us all here; we’re all super stoked when everybody lands the tricks they want to land. It’s a tightknit community. It keeps you in it, keeps you pushing,” Lousberg said.
Japan has a sensational community of young professional trickliners, including Mirai Kuwabara, 15, and Kanon Ito, 11. They are among the few female athletes in Mountain Games history to qualify forthe Trickline Invitational. As a small child, Kuwabara’s mother took her to a playground, and instead of playing on the broad selection of equipment, she went straight to the slackline. She spent the entire day honing her balance. Now she’s one of the world’s most notable trickliners, pushing the progression of high-flying spins.
“I just enjoy it,” she said. “It’s fun. From the first time, it was so fun.”
Although many of these pros are slackline prodigies, not all newcomers to the sport should expect to excel so quickly.
“The biggest pointer I can give is that you’re just going to suck at slacklining for about a year,” said Mariah Bitner, Gibbon Brand Manager, who was monitoring the beginners learning to slackline at the Mountain Games. “It helps to focus on a fixed point in front of you instead of down at your feet. The lower you can sink into your knees, the easier it’s going to be. You’re going to be most comfortable with your foot in line with the line. It was one time described to me as walking in the dark and feeling for where you’re going to step next, because you’re going to run into the wall. You’re going to toe-heel on that line. But mostly you’re going to fall off a bunch of times before you get it.”
For avid slackliners, there’s no feeling quite like “getting it.” Bitner says each step forward in her progression is exponentially more satisfying among friends.
“I wouldn’t be into any of these hobbies if it weren’t for going with friends,” Bitner said. “I think that’s the best part of getting outside – doing it with a solid group of people that you trust. With highlining, you have to trust your whole crew. There’s something really fulfilling about that.”
If you missed the CELSIUS Trickline Invitational or the daily Slackline Shows this year, mark your calendar now. The GoPro Mountain Games returns for its milestone 25th anniversary June 10–13, 2027. We’ll see you there!
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