Historic high: Moab hosts the first U.S. Slackline World Cup

Last year, BLM’s Canyon Country District held the United States’ first ever slackline world cup event.  Participants from eight countries delicately balanced along suspended lines anchored across a 200-foot canyon, then skillfully performed tricks 500 feet above the ground, landing on an inch-wide strip of webbing after flipping, twirling, jumping and bouncing ... all while the rest of us struggle to balance on one leg while putting on a boot! 

With nearly 500 special recreation permits administered each year, the Moab Field Office manages the BLM’s most diverse special recreation program. Local outfitters, guides, event hosts and other businesses play a significant role in helping the BLM serve local communities and visitors while also contributing to an important revenue stream and boosting the region’s economy. 

Slacklining has increased in popularity over the years. Since the early 2000s, the Moab Field Office has hosted one of the largest slacklining events — the GGBY World Highline Festival. The festival started off as a group of friends looking for and finding an exquisite place to slackline with various line distances. Through the years, the gathering grew, and Slackline US stepped up as a partner and obtained an SRP in 2017 to manage the event. The event is now held under a permit issued to Friends of the Fruit Bowl.  

“If it wasn’t for the BLM, Friends of the Fruit Bowl and GGBY wouldn’t be where they are today. As our community has grown, this area has been an incubator for the sport,” said President of Friends of the Fruit Bowl Jackson Helgevold. “The agency has been as welcoming as our wonderful participants, to this daring form of recreation on public lands.”  

Attendance and participation have varied, and the event now sees between 300 and 500 visitors from all over the world. Registered participants range from beginner to advanced and workshops are held to increase awareness of public land agencies, management challenges, stewardship, and related topics. “It was great working with Friends of the Fruit Bowl for this first ever slacklining world cup. They made efforts to educate the participants and were careful to mitigate for impacts to public lands while hosting a safe and successful event,” said Moab Field Office Recreation Manager Jennifer Jones. “We will continue coordination and hope they consider holding the world cup in the Moab Field Office in the future.” 

Held over the Thanksgiving holiday, this event features a collective meal (around 150 participants in 2025), 22 slacklines of various lengths, workshops for new slackliners, and plenty of opportunities to build community.  

This event attracted attendees and participants from around the world, with 2025 competitors hailing from seven different countries: Mexico, Canada, Poland, France, Australia, New Zealand, and, obviously, the United States. For about half of these visitors, it was their first time attending the gathering, while some event volunteers have been taking part for a decade. Often participants are traveling from their home countries for the first time. And in many cases, it is a participants first time traveling to the U.S. Being an official world cup event means that contestants are able to build their resume and qualify for other world cup events in other nations. 

For the Friends of the Fruit Bowl, this event is deeply personal. The group is comprised of some Moab residents with direct ties to and vetted interest in this landscape. Several years ago, the community partnered with BLM by donating funds to construct a vault toilet at the trailhead, ensuring the usage impacts would be lessened. This festival provides many opportunities to share their stewardship, their passion for enjoying and taking care of this incredible and unique sandstone paradise for future generations and events. To learn more about our partners and this slacklining event, visit the Friends of the Fruit Bowl website. 

“We greatly appreciate the BLM’s assistance in working through the permit process and ensuring that this event is in alignment with regulations and land management aspects,” said Jesse Faircloth, who serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Fruit Bowl. “Not only are we speaking directly to the local community at this event; we are sharing Leave No Trace and Know Before You Go messaging with a worldwide audience.”  

Congrats to the winners and all participants — it’s truly impressive just to stand on that line!