Jaan Roose, 32, has beforehand made sporting historical past as the one athlete ever to finish a double backflip on a slackline.
Sicilians have been ready for a bridge between the island and the Italian mainland for years, sick of utilizing ferries to cross the Strait.
However, now, one man has discovered a novel new approach of creating the crossing: on foot. Sure, actually.
Estonian slackline athlete Jaan Roose made historical past on Wednesday (10 July) as the primary particular person to stroll throughout Italy’s Strait of Messina.
The slackline he used for the daring feat was the longest ever constructed – measuring 3,646 metres, greater than 3.5 kilometres.
Roose managed to finish the treacherous journey in slightly below three hours, technically beating the prevailing Guinness World Document distance of two,710 metres.
Sadly for him, although, a fall within the ultimate 80 metres prevented him from formally setting a brand new World Document.
“I really feel ‘Jaantastic’” – Roose is thrilled together with his efforts, regardless of the setback
On Wednesday, within the mainland metropolis of Villa San Giovanni, Roose ascended to the anchor level on Santa Trada, a 265-metre tower that surpasses the peak of Italy’s tallest skyscraper.
Stepping onto his slackline, a strip of webbed material measuring solely a terrifying 1.9 cm extensive, he started his journey.
The complete journey was a distance of longer than 30 soccer fields.
At its lowest stretch, the slackline was 100 metres above the water. In the ultimate stage, Roose ascended 130 metres in elevation to the endpoint on Sicily’s Torre Faro tower, which he reached 2 hours and 57 minutes after he started the mission.
Utilizing extraordinary steadiness and focus alongside distinctive power and stamina, he was compelled to resist winds of as much as 38 km/h and temperatures reaching 28 celsius.
Sadly, simply 80 metres earlier than the end, Roose fell off the slackline.
That stumble signifies that, regardless of slacklining considerably additional total than the earlier world report of two,710 metres, he has not damaged a brand new world report.
Regardless of this disappointment, the 32-year-old mentioned, “I really feel ‘Jaantastic’, I’m tremendous pleased, a bit drained and worn out. However guys, I made historical past! I walked 3.6 kilometres throughout the Strait of Messina! It was an extended stroll, stuffed with surprises from begin to end, I had some difficulties, however the climate was good! I anticipated extra wind.”
Who’s Jaan Roose?
The Estonian native is already a three-time slackline world champion – and the one athlete ever to finish a double backflip on a slackline.
His earlier achievements embrace finishing the world’s longest single-building slackline in Qatar and appearances in movies like 2016’s Murderer’s Creed and Marvel Girl 1984, launched in 2020.
Nevertheless, he had by no means tried something as audacious and demanding because the Messina Crossing.
Roose spent greater than six months making ready for the Messina Crossing and labored along with an eight-person crew, who helped him to arrange the slackline with meticulous care.
The method concerned a helicopter carrying a pilot rope to information the slackline into place, marking the longest in historical past, with the road then tensioned utilizing a custom-built winch system.
What’s the Messina Strait – and can a bridge throughout it ever be constructed?
The Messina Strait, a slender channel on the Mediterranean Sea, divides Italy’s Calabria area from the island of Sicily.
It’s been written about for hundreds of years, even showing in Homer’s seminal work The Odyssey.
“The strait possesses historic and cultural significance going again for hundreds of years, in addition to unbelievable pure magnificence,” Jaan Roose mentioned, “Mix that with variable climate situations and robust marine currents, and it supplied a singular and significant alternative to push the bounds of slacklining.”
The thought of getting a bridge connecting Sicily to mainland Italy has been round for arguably so long as Homer’s writings.
The traditional Romans had been eager to hyperlink Italy’s ‘foot’ to its ‘ball’ through a rudimentary bridge, eradicating the need to cross the strait through boat.
Over the past a number of hundreds of years, the bridge has virtually come to fruition on a number of events – however they’ve at all times fallen flat.
As of 2024, although, the Italian authorities has accredited plans – and it seems like a bridge might truly be constructed.
Set to price round €11.6 billion, as soon as full, will probably be the longest suspension bridge on the earth.
At 3,600 metres lengthy, the strong design means theoretically it might stand up to a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and 300 mph winds.
The unhealthy information although? It’s not set to be accomplished till not less than 2032.
Till then, you’ll should make just like the Italians and both take a aircraft or a ferry between the mainland and Sicily.
If you happen to really feel like taking each choices in a single journey, you may also take a prepare from Sicily to Rome and Naples which boards its personal ferry.
