Estonian acrobat Jaan Roose completed the attempt to cross on a 160 meter long rope suspended 120 meters above the ground, in the center of Seoul, near the city’s famous Gyeongbokgung Palace, between the Hotel Koreana and the Dong-A Media Center. The reports it Guardian.
Sitting and lying on the webbing at the halfway point
Below him, Seoul traffic continued to flow and the crowd held their breath every time the athlete swayed. Halfway through the course, Roose sat cross-legged on the ribbon and then lay down on his back, arousing the amazement and gasps of those watching from below, before getting up and continuing.
Upon reaching the Dong-A Media Center, he turned and began the walk back to the hotel terrace.
Upside down above the crowd
Halfway, he crouched down again and waved to the crowd. This time, however, he hung from the tape with one arm and then let himself dangle upside down, supported only by his feet. At the end of the performance, the crowd applauded; some spectators appeared visibly relieved.
A three-time slackline world champion, the thirty-four-year-old has made a name for himself by performing in spectacular urban settings, such as the feat he accomplished at 185 meters above sea level between the Katara Towers in Qatar.
The precedent of the Strait of Messina
Roose’s name is also linked to the Strait of Messina. On 10 July 2024, the Estonian athlete crossed the Strait on a slackline, from the Santa Trada pylon, in Villa San Giovanni, to the Torre Faro pylon, in Messina: approximately 3.6 kilometers on a ribbon just 1.9 centimeters wide, suspended over 200 meters above sea level. On this occasion he fell when there were around 80 meters to go; he then resumed the crossing and completed it, but the record was not approved because the regulations required a route without falls.