Maverick Slacklines take over the Chimp enclosure at Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre.

Maverick Slacklines on CBBC’s Friday Download.

Richard tries to keep his balance as he tries Slacklining with Maverick Slackline team riders Jake White, Lloyd Mitchener and Matt Brown on Brighton beach.

You can order a Slackline here – http://shop.maverickslacklines.co.uk/products

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Helen Skelton Slacklining for BBC Country Tracks

Helen Skelton walks a Slackline for the first time in Salisbury when she joins Russ and the Maverick Slacklines team in the park. Watch the full feature here

First broadcast
BBC One, 11:00AM Sun, 22 Jan 2012
Dorchester footage VT by Adam Eff

Helen Skelton was drafted in as the presenter, well-known for walking tightrope between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station for Comic Relief.

The idea behind the programme was to teach Helen how to walk the slackline; hoping the skills she had picked up from tightrope walking would come in useful – she was a natural! It’s safe to say she was one of the fastest learners we have ever had and by the end of the 2 hours was walking the slackline with an amazing amount of confidence. We setup three slacklines for the day, 2 learner lines and a superfun waist height trickline, it was cool to hook up with the crew for a session and really exciting to get the Beeb involved again. By the end of the shoot the Country Tracks team had all had a good go on the lines with Helen claiming how addictive it was and how she was definitely going to buy a Maverick slackline.

Maverick Slacklines at the Outdoors Show London 2012

The Outdoors Show is the UK’s number one show for outdoor pursuits, held annually at London’s Excel Arena. This year, Maverick Slacklines had been invited to add a little orange spice to the mix of the numerous pilgrims making their yearly outdoor/indoor adventure.

Curious to see what awaited us for the most hyped weekend of 2012 thus far, Chill and I scurried our way across the footbridge towards the pyramid entrance of the arena. Like a couple of eager archaeologists, we entered our temple for the weekend, immediately hit by the bright, shining lights of Maverick orangeness. The pitch was fantastic – the first stand that the crowds would see as they entered the massive, Truman Show exhibition palace.

Set up
Straight through the twenty foot-high shutters and there it was. Four differing slacklines, an array of crash mats, all bordered with a boudoir of beanbags.

Welcome to our utopia!

The stand was a showpiece. Colour-coordinated shelves stacked with the latest run of Maverick lines. A phat, flat screen television running a showreel of all the Maverick videos so far, all backed by our own sound system and P.A! I couldn’t withhold my excitement. Bouncing around on the spot, I ran a montage through my mind as to how this was going to pan out; thousands of applauding, cheering bodies. Goosebumping beats. And a show the audience would never forget.

Workshops
I had great fun observing the kids I was teaching as they attempted our intermediate line. From what I could gather, about one in 20 kids really mastered slacklining quickly. They really understood the deeper side of balancing – a glint would form in their eyes the more they tried and it wasn’t long before they had walked the whole thing. The other kids loved the lines just as much, having to work a little harder to keep their balance as wide as their smiles.

Lots of adults seemed to have more fun that they’d had in years on our workshop lines, beaming grins and laughter as they realised slacklining is a little trickier than it looks.

We were one of the few stands that was both free and interactive. Everyone that was bold enough to try slacklining came away with something internally. I really hope that all those that bought lines source out their local slacklining clubs, and all those that tried the lines feel encouraged to work on progressing their balancing skills.

In between demos and workshop shifts, some of us banded together to check out the other stands of the show. There were some very interesting products and even quirkier sales people. Lots of them were very nice, but lots were trying very hard. The first day they were fresh. By Sunday, they had burnt themselves out. Our success seemed to lie in the opposite – relax and let them come to us. And they did! We didn’t need to ask people to buy a line:

“I’ve just had a mini-workshop with one of your instructors. I would now like to buy a slackline please!”

I started the show eavesdropping into people’s workshop feedback, curious to see what people experienced. By the second day I didn’t even need to listen anymore. Everyone was just so stoked, coming up to the stand and just relaying how rad it is to learn how to slackline. I smiled to myself. What was I expecting? The day I hear someone try slacklining and complain, will be the day I quit.

Watch some of the highlights of the show here

Demos
Part of the personal joy for me was to just look at people’s faces as my team mates gave them a show. I made an effort to try and focus on one or two people that were really enjoying themselves and the slackline experience. A few just couldn’t contain their excitement. Jake and I concluded; if you can make a member of the audience feel something in public, that they would normally only experience in private, you have got a fan for life. I spotted numerous people gushing with smiles and facial expressions, turning to their neighbour every so often, just to check if it was only them that was going nuts.

The audience’s faces created an excited collage of appreciation and any time I felt a little tired or beat, I would just glance my eyes over at them to recharge. Our energy fuelled their reactions, and in turn we gained more energy. The cycle of a slacklife show was in full flow and it was extremely powerful!

Families gathered around the edges, a little shy at first. As soon as Jake announced that the beanbags we had surrounding the lines were for everyone, they planted themselves, each one moulding their own unique body shape into the bag. Some even unpacked their picnic lunches, chewing and nodding their heads in unison with whoever was bouncing on the line.

The youngest British female to ever climb Everest, Bonita Norris, was also at the show. She was showing a keen interest over at the Maverick stand, chatting to some of the instructors about various techniques. It was great to chat to someone with such a hungry curiosity about slacklining!

Guys from the DMM stand and GoApe! also came and had a go on our lines. Even the Excel Arena security staff spent their lunch breaks with us, learning to walk the lines in our workshop area. It was a glorious display of smiles and concentration-faces all round!

Channel 5 came to film the Maverick team in an early morning special for television. It went so well, they were asked to come into the studio to teach the presenter for a live show!

Comp
Tradeshow audiences amuse me. This lot were very respectable, lovely people. And in true British fashion, they would surround us, curiously eager-eyed… but silent! Gradually, as the team landed ‘bangers’ on the show line, they realised that it was OK to get stoked and clap and cheer and go nuts. Our competition went from a demo with stakes, to a full blown showcase of raw talent and entertainment. People would go to take a bite of their sandwich, never closing their mouth!

Wow did we put on a show! To the audience, we labelled it as a competition and technically it was. With a HD GoPro Hero camera for first prize, only the best of the best would take podium position. But to us slackers, we liked to think of it all as a jam session. It’s more about supporting the people you’re with and putting on a show than it is striving to be number one. The audience reacted to our reactions – to the uninitiated, telling the difference between tricks isn’t always an obvious recognition. So when we went mental, so did they! For all of the rounds, we hyped each other up as best we could. It was such a buzz.

Massive thanks to GoPro for putting up the prize

The comp format was two minutes for each rider, timed on two separate stop watches. The team riders judged each of the rounds and each head-to-head was decided by audience members drawing names out of Chill’s hat. There were a couple of moments in between my rounds where I was gassed, breathing super heavy and hoping my jam-mate would bounce long enough for me to recover!

We all dug deep to put on a show for our audience, despite slacklining for 2 days solid beforehand. Jake White, from Brighton, took first prize in an amazing final against Chill – by landing a massive butt-bounce 540 that won us all over.

All the rounds were a pleasure to watch and the showmanship in each of us shone through just at the perfect moments.
Be sure to check Chill’s video at the end of this post!

Thanks to the whole Maverick Team and see you at the Outdoors Show 2013!
SLACKLIFE.

Words: @harrycloudfoot
Video: Chill and Freddy

Maverick Slacklines on Channel 5′s LIVE with Gabby…

Gabby Logan and Andi Osho try their hand at an unusual way to keep fit – Slacklining with Ian Jennings from Maverick Slacklines!

Host Gabby Logan is joined by a different expert each day to discuss a range of topical issues, welcoming guests with incredible stories to tell and contributions from the audience both at home and in the studio.

+ Presenter, Mikey Kay takes a trip down to The Outdoor Show at the Excel centre, London to check out the latest activities to get your blood pumping. We try the latest crazes including Slacklining, Zip lining and bike polo.

Watch the full feature here

Gabby Logan holding her new Slackline with Team rider Ian Jennings from Maverick Slacklines

Dawn Slackline | Brighton Beach with Jake White.

On Christmas Eve morning Ben Marshall headed down to Brighton’s West Pier to meet Maverick Slacklines team rider Jake for a quick dawn slackline session.

Ben Marshall – http://www.brmarshall.com

The Outdoors Show 2012 / Maverick Slacklines

We are excited to be a part of this years Outdoors Show at ExCel in London from Thursday the 12th to the 15th of January 2012.

The Maverick Slacklines team will be doing demonstrations and workshops throughout the 4 days and will be holding a Winter Slackline Jam on the Saturday.
Come and find us right next to the main stage to have a go! – http://theoutdoorsshow.squarespace.com/slacklining/

If your interested in taking part in the slackline jam email us at – info@maverickslacklines.co.uk
We have a limited number of FREE tickets for competitors for the jam, so get in touch to avoid disappointment.

Join the Facebook event page here – http://www.facebook.com/events/195287477232340/

Whether your passion is walking, climbing, travelling, photography or camping, or you
just enjoy getting outdoors and trying something new, you’re sure to have a great day
out at The Outdoors Show.

Highlights include a massive range of gear, exclusive discounts, celebrity and expert
speakers and professional demos. You can also have a go at climbing, balancing on a
slackline, zooming across the show on the Go Ape zipwire and much more

The UK’s No.1 show for outdoor pursuits, The Outdoors Show returns in 2012 for the 11th year. Since moving to London in January 2011 the show has grown and now offers more than ever before. The 2012 show will feature a fantastic range of clothing and equipment, have a go activities, guest speakers and more.

The Outdoors Show runs alongside The Active Travel Show, The London Bike Show and the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show, and with your ticket valid for entry to all four shows, it’s a fantastic, affordable day out for the whole family.

Opening Times:

Thursday 12 January: 10am – 7pm
Friday 13 January: 10am – 7pm
Saturday 14 January: 10am – 7pm
Sunday 15 January: 10am – 6pm

Book your tickets for advance booking discount bookings here
http://theoutdoorsshow.squarespace.com/buy-tickets1/

Travel:

The Outdoors Show takes place at ExCeL, London.

ExCeL London is located just 10 minutes from Canary Wharf, in the heart of London’s Royal Docks.

There is easy access to the venue – with three onsite DLR (Docklands Light Railway) stations, easy access to the London Underground (Jubilee Line – two stops away on the DLR from Canning Town for ExCeL west entrance), parking for 3,700 cars and international airport only 5 minutes away.

For Sat Nav purposes, we recommend using postcode – E16 1DR

CHRISTMAS IS ON ITS WAY! and we have the perfect gift for you….
We’re offering FREE UK shipping on our 15m Slackline kit until Christmas.

Buy here now for only £48.99 inculding shipping!
http://shop.maverickslacklines.co.uk/product/maverick-slackline-set

UK Mainland only.
If you’re ordering from Highlands & Islands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Isle of Man or Channel Islands please contact us at info@maverickslacklines.co.uk

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The Maverick Slackline team and some other key members of the UK slackline community got together for a jam, here is some of what went down…..

“Mr White rocked up to Chill’s house.
He was psyched. He had to be, awake at 6am.
Loading up the car, the excitement started to race around my arms. I started to get tingly.
Missions, again; why do they feel so good to us?
The road trip mentality became infectious, and soon the blabbering began. Jake had audio interviews to conduct with us in the car. He wanted to use to recordings for his dissertation on some complicated social sports topic. What an epic way to start the morning!
The two hour journey dissolved itself into a breath or two.
At Jake’s farm the excitement was bubbling even harder.
Everyone spoke a touch faster than usual. Gear comparisons and slackchat started bouncing in the air. Conversations, consisting of brief, compounded phrases quickly led to questions of ‘what, and when, are we rigging?’
It was like an unofficial convention. Dirtbags from all over the country, here on a farm, to walk on nylon. Yes for subcultures.

It wasn’t long until the first farm highline was up. Not long after, the majority of us started to panic. Jake, Nadeem and Ben were the musketeers with the most balls. Everyone else that tried, failed, miserably. The overwhelming sense of incapability struck the majority, myself included.

The reason for all of us coming to the lovely Lower Shaw Farm, was to hold a couple of meetings to discuss various aspects upon which the direction Slacklining is taking here in the UK, and what we as slackers, can do to get involved and help mould the scene a little more. Or less.
And not only meetings. Slacking was also high on the agenda. Cooking up feasts, laughing uncontrollably and bouncing around like an army of statically charged space-hoppers would constitute our ‘time off’.

Our first night included a lovely welcoming spaghetti meal from Jake’s parents, the owners and hard workers of the farm. With an array of cold beers in hand, we set up a massive projector screen and had the pleasure of watching, for a limited time only, ‘Flight of the Frenchies’ documentary in its entirety. (Chances are you’ve seen the viral video trailer. I recommend buying the full feature. Amazing!)
Our hearts seemed to race in unison; I reckon I respired at double time. This caused a rather pungent beef odour to linger in the surrounding air. Not that we cared. That movie had just psyched the UK slackline collective to GET ON IT and start doing BIG things here on home turf.
Not right away, however. The majority of us staggered out to find our dorm-rooms, like a single file line of pissed penguins. A couple of slackers even ‘bagsied’ prime bunks, well before midnight. Lightweights, or cunning? You decide.

In between rampant phrases of excitement, each one of us managed to fill in the gaps since the last time we met, almost two months previously. It was so great to pick up where we left off with everyone. By the third day, I really felt like I had gotten to know some of the lads quite well; almost as far as calling them my ‘friends’.

Doing anything you love with others who share the same passion means that when you all hang out, over a condensed, intense period of time, you always have you’re topic in common to fall back on. As a result, everybody seems to be much more real. I can talk for myself here – I always feel like I’m being the real me when I’m with fellow slackers.
Didn’t have a shower today? Who cares?
Your clothes have holes in. Who cares?
Who’s up for a Mexican food-feast? Everyone? Done!
That was actually one of my highlights of the weekend. I decided after my first ever highline send, that I would cook up a huge Mexican feast for everyone. I find that there’s something powerful when cooking with love for friends. That energy goes into the food, and the result is just amazing.
I did however, destroy the lovely farm kitchen. Shrapnel-like slops of tomato juice and the remnants of crushed tortilla chip-victims littered the tiled floor. Thanks to Phil and to Jake for clearing up after my culinary train-wreckage!

Taking Jake’s car interviewing skills one step further, we decided we should centre the mic and do a group discussion interview. Not only to contribute our own opinions on the subject, but an excuse to give Jake one hell of a slackers’ manifesto to wade through, come editing time.
We discussed topics like ‘What is a sport?’ ‘Is slacklining an extreme sport?’ and ‘Did the media influence you to get into slacklining?’ which for the most part, was a surprising, collective ‘No’.

The farm felt like a slacking retreat. Each corner I turned, my ears would pick up on the faint hints of linear conversation, or my eyes would glimpse a vertically springing body on one of the many lines rigged there. We even had the pleasure of a floodlight jam session, crash mats included. Oh, the luxury!

Come the final day, Monday, everyone’s bodies were battered. The majority of us were running on fumes as it was. All we had left to burn off was our excitement. In store for us was a photo and video shoot, as well as a new highline that had been bolted a few days previously. That was enough to get us out of bed for the 7.30am departure, which was a tad more brutal that I had anticipated.
The weather had been somewhat tropical for us for most of the weekend. However, come Monday morning, the slack gods had other ideas, and provided us with one of those wintery, back-to-work mornings. Thick, grey clouds smothered the skies like a gone-off blanket of cotton wool. The air temperature had a touch of bitterness to it. Everyone wearing cotton was suffering, shivering upon our rendezvous. And it was only going to get colder.
Yet beneath the odds, that gritty, British enthusiasm still bubbled away, keeping us all focused on the day ahead.
First up was the highline. I used most of my equipment, and without me realising the obvious, that meant I was rigging. It was a team effort, with at least five of us pitching in. It was, however, my third highline ever, and people were turning to me to ask the odd question, which I must say, was as much a privilege as it was daunting. Thanks to everyone who helped me rig, and reminded me of a few crucial bits and pieces!
Ben got up and sent the line, saying it was very loose, but walking it as if it was his route to work. He even got a cheeky drop-knee in there. The rest of us leaked smiles, seeing as that was all our frozen bodies could muster.
I had second dibs, and sent the line, too. I was coming off a massive high from my first ever line-send at the farm, and so I was in the zone pretty much straight away. I became quite oblivious to the cold. My focus even enabled me to shut out the fact that there was a fat camera lens – probably zoomed in on my forehead’s beads of cold sweat – right in my face. At least until I got to the other end, where I played with a double drop knee, before being flung into the underworld, dangling from the line above.
Ben, Dave and myself were the only three to send the line, which surprised me a little. There was quite a bit of hype, as expected, with regards to who was going to send the line. Personally, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for everyone to send and play around on. However, you can tell yourself as much hype as you want, and it can still all come crashing down around you when you actually stand up there, ready to tie-in.

The derelict buildings would be our next feature. Throughout the morning, slacking sherpas hauled the film crew’s gear into the compound. Lines and A-frames were rigged, crash mats placed strategically, and then the raging began. We were all so stoked to be there, that the bone marrow-cold and lack of energy all seemed to fizzle out of our collective consciousness. Instead, the RAGE came upon us. Especially after we saw some preview footage on the film crew’s laptop. That really got us psyched to dig deep and start landing bangers. The select few for the video shoot went hard trying new tricks and even making an exhibition of what it means to ‘slack in synchrony’. The rest of us slacked back and stiffened up in amazement, as the cold started to seep in through our uncountable layers of battered, holey clothing.

And as with all slacklife missions, the party wasn’t over until all of the gear, some 300+ kilos of it, was ported out of the secret location, and back to its vehicles. This was the ultimate dig-deep moment. Some of us made multiple trips, others buckled and got in the cars for refuge. This is always the hardest part of any mission. Your exhausted. Your ability to speak diminishes. Slurring instructions and suggestions became the norm. Like a colony of semi-concussed ants, we did our best to get all our gear over a 10ft fence and out into the real world.
Eventually, after what felt like hours of solid lifting and carrying, we’d made it.
Reels of footage had been captured. Countless new rips in clothing had manifested. And above all, smiles of contented exhaustion spread themselves over the angelic, dirty faces of all involved.
Thanks to all the UK slackdawgs for making this weekend one of the sickest of 2011.
Big thanks to Jake’s parents at Lower Shaw Farm for putting us up and tolerating such hardcore slacking. It was a pleasure for all of us, and for you, I hope.”

Slacklife. X

Words by Harry Cloudfoot
Photos by David Thexton & Sam
Video by Chill

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Red Bull Excam / SLACKLIFE UK

A glimpse into the UK Slackline scene with Maverick Slackline Riders Ian Jennings & Jacob Hirsch-Holland.

How It Went Down . . .

Sam: “Jake, you up for shooting an edit tomorrow?”

Me: “Hell yeah!”

Jennings: “We NEED to rig that highline . . .”

Me: “Hell yeah!”

And the next thing I know it’s 6:30am on Saturday morning, I still stink of paraffin from the fire show the night before, and I’m on my way to pick up Guy. After a quick stop to pick up some food for lunch, which, in the rush of things, we never end up eating, we roll up to the parking spot where Jennings, Sam, and Jon are waiting for us with cameras rolling and rage juice flowing.

After a few trips from the vans we finally get all the gear needed for our highline and tricklines through the woods, over the fence, and into our secret, run-down, graffiti covered film set. With all its broken asbestos and smashed up buildings, the place has a college-photography-project beauty about it, which just draws you in.

The rest of the morning is spent frantically rigging the highline (or more of a ‘mid-line’ if we’re honest) between two brick towers rising above the single-storey buildings below. We know we haven’t got long because whatever we don’t get filmed before the light goes simply doesn’t get in the edit. With highline rigged and imperfections considered, it’s time for a send. I shimmy out passed the pulleys and get my on-site full-man in the bag. After a few more sends for the camera and a rough leash fall, it’s off to rig the tricklines in our undercover ‘training space’, where Reaf has smashed up a killer backdrop for us! Word to the RAW Crew!

Time and light isn’t on our side, so we get straight on it with the bangers. Within half an hour Jennings has nailed some of the biggest and best backdrop combos I’ve ever seen, I’m throwing 360s in what seems like every combo, and we’re both raging like we mean it!

While we finish off with an interview for Jon, Guy (our hero rigger of the day!) de-rigs the highline and gets all the gear down on his own. All that’s left now is to get the hell out of here! Luckily for me, I’m late for a gig so Jennings, Sam, and Jon are left to mission all the gear back to the van. Epic day.

By Jacob Hirsch-Holland

Video filmed & edited in 48hours by Jon Moy (Life Cimematic) for the Reb Bull Excam Competition