World record holder dazzles Lagos residents with slacklining skills

Jaan Roose, the highly skilled World Record holder in slacklining, captivated Lagosians with an impressive display of his skills on a suspended 66m (217 ft) rope tied to Sterling Towers and Onome rig, Marina, Lagos, a distance of 350 meters.

The 31-year old Estonian was sponsored by Red Bull in collaboration with the Lagos State government on an exciting project to capture the ‘perfect Lagos selfie’ and delight Lagos residents.

The sport entails walking on a rope suspended above the ground, often used for balance training, recreation and moving meditation.

Roose drew the attention of commuters and residents of Central Business District (CBD), Marina, that trooped out to watch his display.

Also present at the event was the Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyitolu, and para medics, ambulance operators, among others.

Oke-Osanyitolu described slacklining by Roose as audacious and interesting.

📸 Lagos government and Red Bull collaborate on an exciting project to Capture the perfect Lagos selfie from Sterling Towers to Onome Rig.

🌇 Estonian slackliner Jaan Roose, Guinness World Record holder, captures the beauty of the state. #LagosSelfie pic.twitter.com/pneOAvXmJO

— Voice of Nigeria (@voiceofnigeria) November 16, 2023

Roose, a three-time world champion and holder of numerous world records, was accompanied by another slackliner, Oskar Jussi, and crew members who were excited to visit Nigeria for the first time.

Roose’s partner, Jussi, who has been involved in slacklining for the past eight years described his experience in Nigeria as amazing.

“Having slacklining in Nigeria is amazing and this is my second experience in Africa because we have had one in Kenya and it was also pleasant.

“We are unable to have the event during the day because of the hot weather. So, we had to wait till evening.

“This is a sport that is strange in Nigeria but maybe we may have some Nigerians that may be interested in it. I don’t know, but it’s not really as dangerous as many would think it is,” he said.

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On what brought them to Nigeria, Jussi said it was a Red Bull project aimed at exploring new terrains, especially Nigeria.

“We had a lot of difficulties setting up the rope because of the traffic in Marina, also we are careful about not causing too much discomfort to the people in their offices.

“We have been in Nigeria for about four days now and the people have been amazing. I have tried to eat Nigerian dishes but its too spicy for me, maybe I will have some more bites before leaving on Friday,” he said.

Some onlookers at the event expressed delight seeing such bravery by the 31-year old Estonian, walking on 66m (217 ft) rope covering a distance of 350 meters.

The event was concluded later in the evening, and the slacklining team was scheduled to return to Estonia on Friday.