Stuntman Completes 3.6-Kilometer Slackline Walk
On a map, the shape of Italy is often compared to a boot kicking a ball.
That "ball" is the island of Sicily. On maps, the ball and boot look very close to each other.
But if you stand on the rocks and look across the Strait of Messina that separates Sicily from the mainland, you'll see that there's about 3 kilometers of water to cross.
Most people cross by boat. But in July, Estonian stuntman Jaan Roose decided to walk across — on a slackline.
That's a piece of material tied between two points. This one was less than 2 centimeters wide and more than 100 meters above the sea.
In fact, he began at a height of 265 meters on a tower on the Italian mainland. His goal was to break the world record for the longest slackline walk — 2,710 meters.
Roose's slackline was the longest ever created, at 3,646 meters. It was pulled across the strait with the help of a helicopter.
You can watch the whole thing on Red Bull's YouTube channel, but here's a spoiler — he didn't break the world record.
However, he did get to the other side.
The rules say that you have to walk the distance without falling to break the world record. And after almost three hours of walking, Roose fell — just 80 meters from the end.
He was tied on for safety though, so he was able to get back onto the slackline and finish his walk to Sicily.
Roose, who has worked as a stuntman in Hollywood movies, had spent months preparing.
The 32-year-old said afterward he was tired but happy to have made history, becoming the first person to walk across the strait on a slackline.
Most people will probably still choose to take the boat!
