#467 - Slackers

Found your comic from Questionable Content by the way and just finished reading the archives, I've been smiling and linking strips to my friends the whole time. I wanted to you on your recent marriage and wish you a happy and prosperous future together.

On the subject of slacklining I have a bit of firsthand knowledge to share:

It is getting more popular in the northwestish area of the US at least. I spent a year in Washington state (7 miles south of the border, right south of Trail) in 2008 and while I was there I did some rock climbing in the Cabinet Wilderness in Montana with a guide. I was introduced to slacklining one evening during the trip by our licensed guide who showed us some photos of himself doing it over some pretty absurd drops.

The basic idea is that it's a pretty easy goof off/break activity to lug with you while rockclimbing because it involves mostly a lot of the same gear/safety equipment, although you do need to bring webbing and a ratchet. It appeals to the same type of people who like rockclimbing to begin with. Mostly what the slackliners do in parks and other small drops is practice falling and catching oneself on the rope, and practice stunts like backflips and other such things.

I can see frisbee being good practice recovering and keeping your balance (and catching yourself) although it wouldn't be possible to do it at actual altitude due to wind D:

Unfortunately I don't know anyone back east here who is into slacklining because I'd definitely like to try it again.

On a note unrelated to the current comic but a related note to Canadaness, I was so close to the border that we got was Canadian radio. With no cable or satelite TV and limited books I spent my year on that farm listening to CBC radio 1 and I highly suspect that you shifty Canadians are beaming some kind of mind control waves over the radio 'cause damned if I don't still miss listening to CBC. White Coat, Black Art, The Age of Persuasion, Q with Jian Ghomeshi, I've never really been a radio person before but canadian radio rocks and you guys don't know how lucky you are, American radio sucks.