Estonian slackliner Jaan Roose has set a world record by walking a highline between Bratislava Castle and the UFO observation tower in Bratislava, covering nearly 15 kilometres in total.
The record was set on Friday, 18 September. Over the course of 12 hours, the Estonian covered 14.7 kilometres, making 22 crossings along the line suspended above the Danube. Roose began in the morning and continued for 12 hours, remaining attached to a safety system throughout the entire attempt.
The distance between the two points was 666 metres. However, the athlete’s actual distance was significantly longer because Roose repeatedly crossed the line in both directions. The highline itself was stretched between Bratislava Castle and the UFO tower on the SNP Bridge. The structure was secured to massive metal supports on both sides of the route.
Preparations for the record began as early as 14 September. First, the team used a drone to pull a thin guide rope between the two points. A stronger system made of Dyneema material was then attached to it, followed by the highline itself and the safety equipment. The structure was inspected and tested several times before the record attempt began.
The project was originally scheduled to take place over several days, from 17 to 19 September. However, the weather disrupted the plans as rain began to fall in Bratislava and the wind picked up. The team ultimately chose 18 September for the record attempt. By that point, Roose was also recovering from an illness.
At the beginning, Roose moved cautiously because he needed to make some additional adjustments to his safety equipment. After the first two crossings, the athlete gradually picked up the pace. As the attempt continued, the physical strain increased. After spending so many hours on the line, his feet, hands and other parts of his body began to hurt. Because of the heat, he had to drink water regularly and even changed his clothes during the attempt.
Roose has previously taken part in several similar projects. Among other achievements, he crossed the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy, covering a distance of 3.6 kilometres. In Bratislava, however, the athlete chose a different format: instead of making one long crossing, he had to repeatedly traverse the 666-metre stretch between the two points over a period of 12 hours.
