By Grace Bascos
Whatever you do, don’t call them slackers. The slackliners in Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE who bound up and down on the narrow bands to Jackson’s iconic song Bad may not necessarily be defying death (because their lines are not that high off the ground), but the high-energy performance still requires great balance, core strength, timing and skill, and has become one of the post popular acts in the show.
SEE MORE: A sneak peek at Michael Jackson ONE
Wednesday, October 16, all that changes however, when Cirque du Soleil commences a partnership with Gibbon Slacklines. The act will take to the sky for a daredevil stunt, stretched between the two towers of Mandalay Bay to kick off the World Slackline Federation’s World Cup Finals high above the Las Vegas Strip.
Andy Lewis, the slackline athlete famous for his Super Bowl XLVI halftime show appearance with Madonna, will attempt to set the world record for walking the longest urban highline: 360 feet across and 480 feet in the air. While Lewis traverses his line, three of the world’s best professional slackliners — Hayden Nickell, Josh Beaudoin and Mickey Wilson — will be doing their own stunts and tricks on individual slacklines rigged at the same height.
