You can vote for Dean in National Geographic Adventurer’s 1st Readers Choice Award at http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/best-of-adventure/readers-choice-award

<posted by the YogaSlackers>

On our LONG  20 hour drive to North Dakota from Denver,  Chelsey and I stopped for some much needed play time….

* * *

Curious about walking on the line but a little intimidated to try? Stay tuned for future blog posts on how to walk on a slackline for beginners, from the YogaSlackers.

We noticed our most recent post on Dean’s freesolo at Taft Point <LINK> had a lot of readers concerned and a few skeptical. We asked Dean to share with us a little about his training on the line, and dug up a prior video clip from a video feature on Dean in the New York Times earlier last year. In his own words, here’s what Dean had to share:

~ ~ ~

I rarely read blogs and am kind of an old fashioned guy who likes writing letters or talking to people face to face.  Most of the time I do literally live in a cave or under trees and forget that the public sees or cares about what I do.  It’s come to my attention that a few of the prAna blog readers are a bit concerned about me falling off of highlines while I’m solo walking.  Even though this last freesolo crossing at Taft Point was a distance record of 100 feet I assure you I was in total control.  In fact I soloed it five times in a row.  Here are a few ideas that might calm things down.  Usually I don’t divulge my secrets but maybe it’s helpful in this case.

For a long time now I’ve been interested in the martial arts.  I’m fascinated with the Aikido and strategy expert Miyamoto Musashi and have learned from his book, ‘Go Rin No Sho’ (A Book of Five Rings) and teachings over the years.  Though he lived in the 13th century his values and openness to new ideas drove him to the forefront of swordsmanship simply by disregarding others’ rules.  In his most famous dual he struck down a stronger opponent with a wooden oar that he spontaneously carved into a sword, simply because he wielded a longer blade. (more…)

Photographer Jeff Cunningham <LINK> sent us these shots on Dean’s most recent solo walk at Taft Point in Yosemite.

In Jeff’s, words, “it was a beautiful day in Yosemite. Dean had a high line set up there that he measured as somewhere between 99 to 100 feet. He had walked the line leashed a few times when I saw him untying from the tether. I figured he was just taking a break. Instead, he stepped up to the line and started walking it with confidence and determination. It’s hard to imagine what it must feel like walking across a rope with over a thousand feet of air below, but it was obvious to me that Dean was exactly where he was supposed to be…”

If you’ve picked up a recent copy of Men’s Fitness lately, check out pages 35-37! Slacklining is a “bona-fide sport”. prAna athlete Dean Potter also takes us through a few basic thoughts on the line.

(Click on image to view full article)

Headed out to Las Vegas last weekend for Red Rock Rendezvous. Instead of slot machines, the fountains of Bellagio or lights on the Strip, we had climbing, belay, hooping, acroyoga, slackline and camping fun!

“Little E” having some night-time light-up fun with the hoop in front of the prAna booth.

Did you first learn how to slackline in the rain & hail? – these guys did! YogaSlackers teaching slackline clinic while braving the elements.

Other than their ability to do yoga poses suspended on a slack line, the crazy guys and gals of YogaSlackers have been known to turn every road-trip into an epic. Whether it is bad luck, or they are paying a Karmic debt from past lives, no one is sure, but through it all they have managed to get out of some serious predicaments and have offered to share some of of what they have learned from the experiences. (more…)

On a calm summer night at Outdoor Retailer… our friends… Team Yogaslackers, doing what they love to do…