Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

OK, you know all those endless hours we spend in the l/z before and/or after flying? well, how 'bout putting a few moments of that time to good use? easy on your body, great for your brain, try walking a beginner's slackline! we can get started for about $80. we can suspend one, w/ built-in tension adjustment, a foot or so off the ground, between two trees. it's an excellent way to keep your balance balanced!
let's buy ourselves one!

http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/search/ ... iAodvlOAdw

Just call me Kill Joy!

Two thoughts immediately come to mind (I'm sure other minds will come up with many more):

1. What about insurance?
2. Between Trees - when the person loses their balance they will instinctively put their foot down on what??? On the edge of a wooden railroad tie? How about falling onto the front of a car (I'll park mine away from the trees)???

Hey Janice,

Slacklining is tough but a lot of fun. A group of us usualy set one up in our campsite when we are in yosemite climbing. YOu need to place it about 3 feet off the ground if not more to take up for sag when you are on the line...The problem with that is when you slip off the line shoots back liek a bow and arrow and if you land straddling the line, it will make an HG whack seem like childs play; well at least for the men...Ouch.. dont ask me how I know this...

On that note check this out for some serious slackiline crazyness...

Dean Potter without any protection...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xfWYnz9KM

Documentary on Dean part 1 of 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8A0FejuhhY

Marc

Dan Barley can tell us if our insurance policy will cover it. We set one on a movie set (between shots) so the stunt guys wouldn't be bored. It was only 3 ft off the ground but one of the stunt guys busted his wrist anyway. It shot his feet out from under him and he landed his hip (side) on the line. When he saw his head careening toward the ground, he felt he had no choice but to put his arm out to protect himself.

I thought is was pretty fun until I saw that.

Silly stuntmen, you'd think they could handle a simple game of slackline.

the link i posted provides a ratchet with the BEGINNER'S 2" slackline so that you can string it pretty low to the ground and you can also make it as tight or loose as you desire. losing balance can be as easy as simply putting your foot down, so, unless you're a TOTAL SPAZ, it'd be pretty hard to get hurt on a very LOW and WIDE beginner's line. people in oz set them up in L/Zs and at comps all the time. they're very safe and loads of fun! i suppose i can just save up my pennies and string one up in my backyard, but i thought it'd be a great and fun form of exercise and balance skill for all the old farts in our l/z. no matter how old you are, you should be able to stand on one foot with your eyes closed for at least 30 seconds. try it! how do you balance a glider if you can't balance your SELF?

3 feet off the ground is way too high for dorks like us! and that would be the equivalent of having a simple ground school and then sending people up to solo, without benefit of a training hill! i'm talking highly-tensioned so it's like a beginner's balance beam and about 14 to 16 inches off the ground.
if you mess up, you put your foot down. would we REALLY need to involve insurance?

don't anyone bring a jump rope or hula-hoop to the l/z!
someone could get injured!

Hello Janice,

A slackline is nearly impossible to tension enough that it will work less than a foot off the ground. Even a foot is pushing it and closer to 2 is best. They sag a lot whne you are on it. I tend to go around 2.5' to 3' because I am tall and heavy and the sag is the problem, however if the span is short you can get it closer to the ground. As for practice best thing to have is some crutches or some treking poles to use as you learn and get use to it. You can always lift the poles off the ground and walk and then if you begin to lose your balence you just use the pole to catch you and keep you on the line. Its quite fun and tough to master and doubt I will ever get it down, but it is definatley good fun when killing time. I wodol bring mine to the LZ, but mine is a pain to set up since I dont use a ratchet for tension. The ratchet is definatley better than the pulley system I use. Also you need some carpet to wrap around the trees so the webbing does not dig in as you tighten it.

If the slackline is too dangerous for the club we can try to balance a bicycles [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsbJnSK9 ... r_embedded[/youtube]

sounds like fun and relatively safe. you go first. maybe we can even use it as a sobriety check.

I have four giant pillows -- about six feet square and two feet thick -- made out of heavy duty cordura nylon fabric. I'd be willing to donate them.

I'm a little concerned about property owner's liability for someone getting hurt, although we should be protected by the California Recreational Use Statute, Civil Code Section 846.

California Civil Code

§ 846 Use of property for recreational purposes

An owner of any estate or any other interest in real property, whether possessory or nonpossessory, owes no duty of care to keep the premises safe for entry or use by others for any recreational purpose or to give any warning of hazardous conditions, uses of, structures, or activities on such premises to persons entering for such purpose, except as provided in this section.

A “recreational purpose,� as used in this section , includes such activities as fishing, hunting, camping, water sports, hiking, spelunking, sport parachuting, riding, including animal riding, snowmobiling, and all other types of vehicular riding, rock collecting, sightseeing, picnicking, nature study, nature contacting, recreational gardening, gleaning, hang gliding, winter sports, and viewing or enjoying historical, archaeological, scenic, natural, or scientific sites.

An owner of any estate or any other interest in real property, whether possessory or nonpossessory, who gives permission to another for entry or use for the above purpose upon the premises does not thereby
(a) extend any assurance that the premises are safe for such purpose, or
(b) constitute the person to whom permission has been granted the legal status of an invitee or licensee to whom a duty of care is owed, or
c) assume responsibility for or incur liability for any injury to person or property caused by any act of such person to whom permission has been granted except as provided in this section.

This section does not limit the liability which otherwise exists
(a) for willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition, use, structure or activity; or
(b) for injury suffered in any case where permission to enter for the above purpose was granted for a consideration other than the consideration, if any, paid to said landowner by the state, or where consideration has been received from others for the same purpose; or
(c) to any persons who are expressly invited rather than merely permitted to come on the premises by the landowner.

Nothing in this section creates a duty of care or ground of liability for injury to person or property.
[Emphasis added.]