May Ludo
/
Switzerland
FOLLOW ME
www.lukas-irmler.com/en/
Date of birth:
1988.06.14
Hometown:
Freising, Bavaria
Sponsors:
Adidas Outdoor,
Adidas Eyewear,
Elephant-Slacklines,
PETZL,
Archimede,
Mymuesli,
Vitago,
Bosch,
Hobbies:
Climbing, Hiking, Reading and Swimming
Favourite athletes:
Dean Potter, Chris Sharma, Andy Lewis
BIO
In 2006 when I first stepped on a Slackline I had no clue where this one Inch wide Webbing would take me. Slacklining back then was not a sport, it wasn´t known in Europe and I was really lucky coming across it. Now almost 10 years later this balancing Challenge has grown into my profession and makes up for a great part of my everyday life. Slacklining has evolved into a sport with a great variety of facets and challenges and I have grown with it.
It sounds cheesy to say but some of my happiest hours have been taking place on this one inch wide paradise and my Slackine has taken me to five continents and almost 30 countries around the globe, so I could meet great people and discover the finest places on earth. Along with this I have been continuously pushing the limits of our sport by establishing world records, creating new tricks, helping to create new event formats and doing expeditions in order to be the first to Slackline across gorges and mountain ranges.
INTERVIEW
What are you looking for to accomplish?
Always keep the fun and continue to slackline for a long long time. If you wanna know numbers, then there would be the goal of walking more than 500m or maybe one day even a kilometer long Slackline.
What would be your greatest achievement?
I have had many great days in my almost 10 year long slackline career, but if I have to pick some outstanding ones, it will be the first 1000ft+ Longline on Polyester, a Worldrecord back in 2011 or the Luke Skywalker Highline trick I could land in 2013.
In terms of expeditions there is the Altitude Record in Peru with a Highline above 5220m and the almost 100m long Highline across the Victoria Falls which I could realize in 2014. In 2015 I could push my Highline record to almost 190m length, which was a great achievement walking this Line on polyester.
What kind of difficulties does your sport’s performance involve?
Highlining for me is a lot about orientation and the difficulties of the individual spots. Every place is unique and sometimes just getting to the places where I wand to set up my Line is a challenge in itself – It is an adventure.
What makes you feel satisfied when performing your sport?
Slacklining is some kind of moving meditation, where you enter your own small world and try to stay in this narrow little tunnel, where you need to control all your emotions and thoughts and really focus on the now.
This is what I love about it – reducing all the important things in life to just a one inch line is really feeding up your mind like nothing else.
Where do you practice your techniques when being alone?
I try to get in the mountains with my friends whenever it is possible, but if the weather is not good enough, we stay in a little valley close to my hometown or I simply rig my Lines across the meadows right next to my home to walk and play.
What do you do during your training which is key to your success?
I think for me it all comes down to giving 100% every time I get on the Line. You always need to practice something new, get yourself a new stimulus and try to go beyond all what you have tried before – every day.
What are you most nervous about when competing?
I rarely compete these days, at least not in competitions, but only against myself – thought this can be tougher than every competition I ever had – if you have a bad day :D
Who would you say is your biggest fan and why?
HAHA! My biggest fan… Maybe my little brother.
What is the best piece of advice you have been ever given?
Never stop following your heart.
What are your future plans?
Finishing my master´s degree in economics and continuing my profession as a Slackliner for as long as possible.
What are your tips for those who begin now?
Don´t get frustrated. It is tough to start on the Line, but once you have overcome the initial hurdles it will be falling all in place and you will discover something new every day.
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