Danny Mensik and Nathan Paulin have successfully walked a 469 m Highline at the Natural Games in France, braking the distance record.
It was in the spectacular Gorges de la Jonte in the south of France that the 2015 Natural Games Highline event took place. Some of the world’s best highliners were there to push the boundaries of the sport.
Just a few weeks ago, France’s Nathan Paulin set a new record of 403 m in Réunion Island. This time he teamed up with Danny Mensik and Lukas Irmler to try to push it even further.
On Saturday evening in the Gorges de la Jonte, about 2 hours north of Montpellier in the south of France, the wind dropped and Lukas Irmler from Germany made a first attempt. Gravity got the better of him though and he fell numerous times, tethered to the line by his harness and a meter of climbing tape. Danny Mensik from the Czech Rep took up the challenge about 7:30 pm and put in a great performance, covering more than 400 m. By now it was too late for a new attempt, but the following morning Danny Mensik and Nathan Paulin both crossed the 469 m mark, setting a new world record and a highlight of this year’s Natural Games.
Currently the slackline distance record stands at 601 m, a record that was set by Nathan Paulin and Théo Sanson in 2014. Highlining is a very different ballgame. Fear factor aside, as soon as you add extreme height into the mix you loose your point of reference and balancing becomes infinitely more challenging.
Thanks to Wider magazine for the video footage.
