Slackliner slides over a frozen waterfall and into history books

Jaan Roose creates history in Estonia wearing just the socks

In a display of skill and balance, Estonian athlete Jaan Roose, who nabbed a world record by crossing the world’s longest single building highline in Qatar last year, achieved another remarkable unique feat. Roose and team rigged a highline across the Valaste waterfall, Estonia’s tallest cascade, before sliding, in his socks, across the frozen falls. This undertaking marked a first-of-its-kind endeavor, accomplished amid the stark and freezing conditions of Estonia’s winter landscape.

Jaan Roose, an Estonian slackliner, successfully concured a highline across the Valaste waterfall, Estonia’s highest, in extreme winter conditions. The highline was set at 50 meters above the ground, where Roose reached speeds of up to 22 km/h. Roose prepared for the cold with five layers of socks, anticipating the wear from each slide.

The feat is the latest in Roose’s series of record-breaking slackline achievements, including a world record slackline crossing in Qatar, a 500-meter highline in Kazakhstan and the longest slackline in Africa at 580 meters. This endeavor not only highlights Roose’s skill but also showcases Estonia’s natural landscape, promoting slacklining as a sport that combines athleticism with the appreciation of nature.

Valaste, situated in the village of the same name within Toila municipality in Ida-Viru county, boasts a drop of approximately 30 meters, making it the tallest waterfall in the Baltic region. Roose’s route took him along a highline set at a notable height of 50 meters above the ground, with Roose reaching speeds up to 22 km/h.

The conditions Roose faced were extraordinary: a sharp 13-degree angle of the line, slippery surfaces, and chilling temperatures. To combat the cold, Roose, donned five layers of socks and footwear, a necessary precaution as he noted each slide would wear through a layer.

To successfully complete the feat brought unique challenges, Roose explained: “It’s not just walking slowly on a slackline, but instead sliding, where the force of friction also plays a role. You must slide well there, because if I get stuck, I fall and slide against the post.”

The Estonian champion slackliner has a legacy of daring accomplishments. In 2022, he traversed a 500-meter highline in Kazakhstan, set 200 meters above ground in challenging weather conditions. That same year saw him balance across the Maas river in Rotterdam on a line merely two centimeters wide, a 625-meter traverse between buildings, completed in 49 minutes.

Adding to his list of records, in 2023 Roose set the African record for the longest slackline, completing a 580-meter stretch between two rock formations. (Red Bull Content Pool)