Interview with Samuel Volery

from Slacktivity Slacklines team.

Interview with Samuel Volery from Slacktivity Slacklines team.

In our interview with Samuel Volery, one of the most influential figures in the worldwide slackline community, we’ve tried to find out how his path on slackline was, how he lives his slacklife , and what projects he has for the future.

In addition, we also tried to know how someone manage to produce revolutionary gear, as the Hangover from Slacktivity Slacklines, of which Sam is co-founder and owner.

“Highline

is the safest

freestyle sport.”

“Highline

is the safest

freestyle sport.”

Samuel Volery

THE QUESTIONS AND THE

ANSWERS OF SAMUEL VOLERY

How and when did you came to know about slacklinining and what have motivated you to start?

I discovered slackline about 10 years ago. I tried a bit. But then I had a ski accident and tore my crutiate ligament. I started looking for a training device to strengthen my knee and the slackline was just the most interesting one, so easy to change the characteristics like tension and length. And therefore always a good and fun challenge.

Wich sports or activities have you practiced before that?

Before beginning to practice slackline already practiced free skiing and climbing.

Wich was Your first big personal achievment or victory on the line?

My firs big victory was to have won the Swiss Trickline Championship, about 2012 or so.

Having practiced all the possible ways of slacklining, trick, long, high and rodeo, what do you highlight in each of them, what do they have in comun and what makes the so diferent?

Rodeo: Simplicity of gear. Super light weight, great to travel and still good dynamics for surfing, walking and static tricks.

Highline: safest discipline, you can really push to the absolute limit without too much danger. Huge movements are possible. 4m bounces, 5m surfs. Great acceleration. Safest freestyle sport in my opinion.

Longline: fun but difficult challenge. Nowadays definitely not the first choice anymore as it needs a lot of gear and it is just so much simpler to tension big highlines instead of longlines. But of course highlining is not possible everywhere.

Trickline: a really fast sport that is fun to watch. It is cool to really be flying like on a trampoline. Unfortunately quite dangerous – also due to the huge forces in the slackline system. I replaced my jumplining by trick-highlining.

Wich was the project that you enjoyed the most and what is your next dream project?

Organising the Moleson meeting and setting several world records, with an increadible stoke of all participants, was definitely one of the highlights. Next dream projects: Just make some smaller alpine lines and beautiful videos. No clear project in mind at the moment as I just came back from huge projects.

How did you and toby decided to start slacktivity?

We drank a beer and afterwards it was clear. We were actually just intending to produce some poles for the gym to allow indoor-training for sport-classes.

What do you think each of You brings to table to allow the team, behind Slacktivity, to produce such important developments in slackline gear ?

Tobi is brilliant with developing gear and having ideas. I am the one testing the gear on the field and, knowing what the slackline-world really needs, I can bring tobi to the right direction of developing.
Also we just always take big risks by producing not just with CNC but by producing moulds. This gives us much better design options but also costs more.

After the hangover, can we expect any revolucionary piece of gear in the near future?

There is definitely still room for improvement in gear. But all in all the gear is already so much better compared to a few years ago that it is much harder, nowadays, to really produce something revolucionary.

Along the years, have you had any major injuries? Do you prepare your body for highlining in any specif way?

Nope, no real injury. Just for highlining I don’t need to prepare my body. But for things like handstands I train a lot of handstands on the ground and try to get more flexible. Also I try to use my bicycle as much as possible in my everyday-life.