User:Bgebz
Andy Lewis
[edit]Andy Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Andy Lewis | |
| Occupation | Slackliner |
| Known for | Slacklining, BASE Jumping |
Andy Lewis (born 7 October 1986 in the United States) is an American slackliner, BASE jumper, and Highline Free Soloist. He is noted for his slackline creativity and style along with being credited for many innovations in the world of tricklining.
Slackline Accomplishments and Exploits
[edit]Andy Lewis helped create the platform for modern day competitive tricklining and became the first ever slackline world champion in 2008, in Fort Williams, Scottland. He became two-time world champion in 2009 in France, and three-time world champion after winning the Gibbon World Cup Series in 2010. [1] (The First Annual Gibbon World Cup Series was the most successful slackline contest in the history of slackline to date; 16 of the best slackline competitors came from all over the world.) Andy is also known for his many F/A’s (first across) on highlines (nearly 70), and having been the first to successfully walk full man (both ways) on the world’s longest highlines. He was the first to successfully rig and walk a 55m+ highline (2008, California – “Ruin’s Highline”), the first to walk a 60m+ highline (2009, France – “King Line”), and rigged and walked the world’s first 100m+ highline ever (2010, Moab – “Afrodisiac”).[2] Andy also is an accomplished Highline Free Soloist having walked more than 50 different highlines free solo, many of them being onsight or second try, a few of them naked, and he recently became the first person ever to free solo a 40m highline full man; the current world record.
Andy's Progression
[edit]2004 (Summer) – Andy was introduced to slacklining by his friend, George Upton
2005 – Andy started to trickline. He had a “pocket line” that he brought everywhere, and would slackline everywhere he went. Andy started doing jumps and spins, as well as rigging higher lines.
2006 (Summer) - First slackline backflip was landed in August. Andy was also introduced to longlines by Damain Cooksey. A 265' line shut him down, but he loved it and kept pushing. He started to work on more rigging techniques.
2007 - The Squirrel Backflip video [3] got over 1,000,000 clicks all over the internet. Andy formed Catalystic productions [4] and started editing films. This was his first year to the Lost arrow Spire Highline, also the first time he saw Yosemite. Slackers Club at school started but was not introduced. Started writing slackline songs such as "Slacklife" and "Slack On".
2008 - Andy became the first world champion at UK Slack Masters. He made an appearance on BBC. This was the first time he saw Moab, UT. He started highlining a lot in 2008, with upwards of 40 highlines throughout the year, including "Ruin's Highline" (55m). He was shown in a Nike Commercial during the Olympics.[5] First annual of The Humboldt Classic (THC), a slackline festival started by Andy. Also first year of Moab highline festivals.
2009- Andy placed 1st at Vibram Natural Games, 1st at Gibbon Outdoor, hosted the 2nd annual THC, sent "King Line", a 60m highline. He walked a total of 51 highlines in 2009, 22 were free solo including a free solo full man of the Lost Arrow Spire highline. Andy started to practice BASE.
2010- Andy became the 1st Gibbon World Cup Winner ever.[6] Rigged and walked the first 100m+ highline: Afrodisiac Highline (103.5m). Hosted the 3rd annual THC. Free solo lost arrow spire, naked. As of December 19, he has walked 74 highlines this year. He did his first BASEline exits and sent the world record 40m Free solo.
The “Slacklife” Concept
[edit]Andy Lewis founded a concept known as Slacklife. In a November 2010 interview with Brenden Gebhart, Slacklife is: “A concept adopted by slackliners who live a life consistently and continually inspired by slacklining. Slacklining is not considered a sport by society. There is no slackline magazine. There are no set rules. No set definitions. No standardized equipment. No statistics. Most importantly, there are no true professionals. In fact there is pretty much no reason to slackline except for the sake of slacklining itself. That is the slacklife. Rules and regulations involved in the habitual and ridiculous effort to remove RISK entirely from society has made living the slacklife inside of society damn near impossible. Liability and insurance are the two words crippling the sport of slacklining today. “Slackers,” living the “slacklife,” instead; travel the globe in search of the most inspiring places to practice slacklining. Tricklining, longlining, highlining, and free solo are all separate facets of slacklining. Training all of these facets is an incredibly positive way to stay physically and mentally fit. This training is becoming a sudo-religion amongst the community of slackliners; otherwise called the “slacklife.” Living in the moment, being immersed in the wilderness, challenging your body, developing your mind, confronting, controlling, and conquering one’s fear of death, and the pure, true, and honest unbridled feeling of freedom to do what you want is foundation supporting the Slacklife.” –Andy Lewis, 2010 interview by Brenden Gebhart.
Notable Highline Sends
[edit]Notable Highline F/A’s
- Afrodisiac Highline : 103.5m long / 110m high — September 10, 2010 in Moab, UT (2)
- King Line : 60m long / 25m high — June 28, 2009 in Millau, France (Rigging by Michi Acshaber)
- Ruin’s Highline : 55m long / 35m high (middle) — July 18, 2008 in Marin Headlands, CA (Rigging by Scott Antipa)
Notable Highline Free Solo’s
- Shakes McCoy Highline : 40m long / 32m high — November 27, 2010 in Moab, UT (Current Longest FS to date)
- Max Power Banana Bomb Highline 32m long / 25m high - November 1, 2010 in Germany. (Previous Longest FS. Rigging by Andy, Flo, Janek)
- Lost Arrow Spire Highline : 17m long / 900m high — June 2009/ June 2010 (naked) in Yosemite National Park, CA