NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 6 – Estonian daredevil Jaan Roose has made history as the world’s greatest daredevil after setting new highline record by walking 580 metres on a suspended rope between two rock formations known as Nkadorru Murto or Cat and Mouse in Samburu County.
The Red Bull slackline athlete, who first visited the country in December last year, said he is always on the lookout for challenging terrains to test himself and was excited at visiting Africa for the first time.
“In terms of areas where I would love to slackline, I do not really have this slacklining ‘Mecca’ that I would love to test myself. Most of the places I have ever slacklined are recommendations of the fans asking me to try them out. I am really excited at visiting the continent for the first time and look forward to testing myself out,” the triple world champion said.
The rigging process took a total of 16 and a half hours, with the help of the local climbing community and Climbing Life Kenya.
The slackline, suspended at a height of 151m at Cat and 195m on Mouse, sagged most of the time forcing Roose walk at an incline.
However, the Estonian rose up to the occasion, overcoming the tough balancing act, which included harsh sun and crosswinds of up to 30kph for 58 minutes.
The 31-year-old began slacklining at the age of 18 in 2010 and has gone on to accumulate a number of accolades, including the 2016 Slackline World Cup Championships.
He has also been a stuntman in various blockbuster Hollywood movies, including Assassin’s Creed as well as Madonna’s MDNA World Tour.
Drawing upon his experience over the years, Roose advised aspiring slackliners to start simple and not be afraid of failing.
“It starts out with something as simple as standing on one foot. All of us at one point did not know how to walk but overtime we learnt how to do it. And then later, may be start out by setting up a slackline at a low level,” he said.
