Slackers were in full force as people of all ages crowded Nexen Beach on a gorgeous Saturday (July 9) for the fourth annual Hevy Fest, North America's original slacklining festival.
With more than 20 lines set up and more than 200 waivers signed, Hevy Fest is proof that slacklining is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
The sport is best described as a mixture of both a tight rope and a trampoline, leaving people with plenty of options once they are on the lines.
The sport was created in Yosemite National Park by rock climbers who set up the first highline in 1983. It has since evolved to include many variations of the sport including urbanlining, tricklining and waterlining, all of which could be found at Hevy Fest.
"Slacklining came from climbing, but it's going to be an urban sport like skateboarding. There's highliners, freeliners, different stuff. It's not just climbers anymore," said Hevy, also known as Allan Stevens, the founder of the festival.
"It's just growing and growing. It's a festival and it's interactive; it's the new generic that's coming to Squamish. There are kids who've been here all day, it's just been magic."
According to Stevens, the festival has grown each year with more and more people coming to try the sport and this year was no different.
"This year's the best one yet. More than three people have walked the ocean line already, that's more than any of the previous years. We got people from Australia, Greece, and a lot of people from Vancouver. I met a guy from Whistler in the Phys. Ed. department for the school and he's talking about putting slacklines up there. It's an up-and-coming sport," he said.
The event has come a long way from its beginning, when Stevens first came out with just a few of his friends. Now the festival is seeing more people with a lot of skill and a lot of gutsy effort.
"There's not just my friends this year, there's lots of people who've had no idea of this. We've had lots of ringers who've walked the lines, lots of unknowns. We got so many climbers and so many bikers here," Stevens said.
It's no wonder slacklining is growing in popularity, as the affordability for the level of enjoyment means that anyone can try it. Hevy Fest is looking to get people started on the lines - that's why the festival included lines for beginners and the skilled alike. Hevy Fest isn't the only time slacklines are available in Squamish. Lines can be found any given day at Nexen Beach.
"The lines have been up here for 3 1/2 years. People use them seven days a week," Stevens said. "Slacklining is growing, it's like how skateboarding was in '74. It's emerging after being sort of an underground sport."
