Photos: A man’s attempt to conquer fear and promote slacklining in India
Updated On Jul 17, 2019 04:00 PM IST
Samar Farooqui, 28, wishes to promote slacklining, an adventure sport that involves walking or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. After working in New Zealand, Farooqui moved back to India to be a professional slackliner and founded Slacklife Inc. – a sport and recreation company. He wishes to create more awareness about the sport, so that more people engage in it and the country may eventually be able to send an Indian athlete to the Slackline World Cup.
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Updated on Jul 17, 2019 04:00 PM IST
Samar Farooqui performs highlining at Duke’s Nose, Lonavala, in Mumbai. 28-year-old Farooqui, who studied adventure tourism, was introduced to the sport by a friend in 2010 and since then he has become the pioneer for slacklining in India. Slacklining refers to the act of walking or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Updated on Jul 17, 2019 04:00 PM IST
Farooqui practises slacklining at a park in Wadala, Mumbai. Slacklines are tensioned significantly less than tightropes or tightwires in order to create a dynamic line which will stretch and bounce like a long and narrow trampoline. Tension can be adjusted to suit the user, and different webbing may be used in various circumstances. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Updated on Jul 17, 2019 04:00 PM IST
Farooqui cooks lunch at his house in Tardeo, Mumbai. He became the first ever representative of the country in an international forum when he competed at the Urban Highline Festival, Poland in 2014. He conducted some events in New Zealand, but moved back to India after deciding to be a professional slackliner and promote the sport in his own country.
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In 2014, Farooqui got arrested by the Mumbai police for practising slacklining. But this did not deter him from founding Slacklife Inc., a sport and recreation company, in the same year. “The company was actually born out of the need for creating a community, to feel one and feel welcome,” said Farooqui. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Farooqui performs highlining at Duke’s Nose. Slacklife Inc. hosted India’s first slacklining and highlining fest called ‘Between Years’ in 2016. Even after many attempts, what came to Farooqui’s notice was that most people were not aware of this sport. Creating awareness was perhaps the hardest part for him. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Farooqui wants to show people what they can achieve if they just pick up the sport and be a little persistent with it, do better than their previous attempt on the slackline and eventually improve in the sport. This could bring the country one step closer to actually sending an Indian athlete to the Slackline World Cup. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Farooqui relaxes with his friends after performing highlining at Duke’s Nose. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Farooqui teaches slacklining at Pushpa Narsee Park, Andheri, in Mumbai. “A lot of people turn to drugs and alcohol because they don’t have a platform to channelise their energy. I was fortunate enough to find slacklining. I want to spread the benefits of the sport to the millions of people who are out there, who can use this positive energy,” says Farooqui. (Hemanshi Kamani / HT Photo)
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Updated on Jul 17, 2019 04:00 PM IST