Webbing the World
When you think of gibbons, the first thing that might come to your mind is a form of apes, located in the rain forest that loves to swing from tree to tree and makes it look like flying. On the other hand you might think of the young, but rapidly raising brand "Gibbon Slacklines" from Stuttgart, Germany that has a large group of fans and team members, which actually fly through the air most of the time, too. As exotic as the apes and their origin are, as diverse is the team of Gibbon. Their slogan "Webbing the World" makes definitively sense when you take a look at the map and the countries involved: Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, the US and many more are actually connected through the band of a slackline. They proved it once more during the ISPO trade fair in Munich, Germany last week. A huge group of followers and friends that work together, from building up the slacklines and the arena, to networking and even partying after the main events. The 1st ISPO Slackline Open made their debut at this years International Sports trade fair and it became an instant success, even if the dominating rider, Benjamin Schmid, at the end of the men pro competition wasn’t riding for Gibbon. But nonetheless the "Gibbons" as they call themselves had a great time in Munich and conquered everybodys heart with their professionality and their fun approach of promoting themselves. Events for the audience like "Slack-Bingo", "Pillow-Fighters" and "Cash for Combo" were not only nice to watch, they also offered the audience a fun introduction to the world of slacklining. Of course, the prices you could win at the events, sponsored by brands like Numa, Deuter, Berghaus, Pink Mamba or Moshiki helped too. Not to forget main sponsor Five Ten Shoes, who helped organizing the whole main event.
Slacklining is not as big as american football or soccer yet, but events like the rookie competition or the girls contest proved it's on its way. Maybe with some prominent help they will get the attention they deserve. It is constantly growing on a platform that is build on friendship and cultural diversity, which makes sure they are looking into a bright future.
Results of the Contests:
Pro Contest:
1. Benjamin Schmid
2. Jaan Roose
3. Luis Meier
Girls Contest:
1. Elisabeth Schulte
2. Christine Rank
3. Sara Kugler
Rookie Contest:
1. Ezequiel Troncoso
2. Friedi Kühne
3. Nate Node
