All photos: Keith Ladzinski/Red Bull Content Pool
On Monday, (August 21st, 2017) Alex Mason, Bay Area native and professional slackliner, took to the Tetons to highline across his most scenic adventure yet: walking a slackline in front of the first solar eclipse visible in the continental United States in 38 years.
Mason, a World Slacklining Champion in 2013, said
Crossing the couloir was the most amazing and surreal experiences of my life. Highlining is already so out of my comfort zone, so it was really intimidating to take this on during total darkness … But I’m so glad I did. Such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Jackson Hole, claimed to be one of the best places to view the total solar eclipse in the United States, is where Mason rigged a line through the famous Corbet’s Couloir with the help of fellow slacking legend, “Sketchy” Andy Lewis. Just last year, this duo created the futuristic “slackladder” in Hawaii together.
“The line that Alex walked is 23-meters long, or roughly 75 feet,” says rigger and mentor, Andy Lewis. He explains that
It was 150-feet high off the deck directly, with 10,000 feet of exposure, and at 10,450 feet elevation, so it truly feels like you are walking in the sky. I’m really glad we were able to get a memorable shot today.
Mason’s adventure across the most-shared eclipse in history, lasting roughly 2 minutes and 26 seconds beginning around 11:35am, was shot by National Geographic photographer and explorer, Keith Ladzinski.
“Photographing a solar eclipse is something I’ve never done but I’ve always wanted to do. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was really special, I’m super excited on the outcome,” Ladzinski said.
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