In constant pursuit of equilibrium, we go through phases of change and adaptation. Constantly being reminded by gravity; we choose many means to flow with that reality. Slackliners are helping to take this one step farther. While walking, bouncing or swinging on a flat piece of tubular nylon webbing, we are constantly playing with that delicate difference between on and off. We were the pioneers in the field of slackliners, and our accomplishments from the early days are only now beginning to fuel the passion for balance within others.

t was the summer of 1983. I was in Yosemite National Park, CA with my best friend Scott Balcom doing some rock climbing, backpacking and living. One late afternoon while kicking back in the Yosemite Lodge parking lot we spied somebody setting up what looked to be a tight rope. Adam Grolkowski was his name, and he just seemed to hop right up on that line. He walked a few times from one end to the other. Then he settled in and started to purposefully swing back and forth on his "slackline." Now this was impressive; almost dance like. Scott and I had been doing some balance type walking on handrails, parking lot chains and such. Scott's brother Ric even had a one-inch hemp rope we messed around with back in 1977. Yet we had never seen anything like this before. Adam really seemed quite comfortable swinging back and forth while listening to his Walkman, and I don't remember him falling off much either.