What is a safe slackline backup?

Use either static or dynamic rope, connected with knots to back up metal parts. Do not use ropes with diameter smaller than 9 mm. Webbing can only be used for lines shorter than 50m and well below 5kN base tension.

BEWARE: forces can go above >20kN!

In light of the recent fatal accident in Russia, many in the slackline community have questioned the reliability of their tiebacks and backups – especially for longer lines with high tensions.

In order to shed some light on the situation, the ISA has performed 58 tests to find the limitations of our current longline backups. These tests provide a basis for future testing and point to better recommendations for all backups.

The testing procedure, data, and conclusions can be found in the document, available on our data page or by clicking the link below. The document includes recommendations for better tie-offs and backups.