This July, 20 SlackNED’ers from all over the world – including the U.S., Munich and Schoorl – travelled to MadNes festival on Ameland to teach the art of slacklining.  With about six beginner lines, three 40-meter lines and the shortest rodeo on earth, there was something for everyone. Despite the extreme wind making slacklining extra challenging, it didn’t stop any festival-goers from trying out this new lifestyle. In fact, when half of the workshops were canceled, slacklining remained one of the few activities that could continue, making it a true festival hotspot

On Saturday afternoon, the wind grew so intense that the entire festival had to be evacuated. Sixteen of our team found refuge in Rachel’s and Jonas’s van – setting a new record for both hospitality and human Tetris. The van transformed into the only psytrance stage at MadNes, doing justice to the hippie-image of slackliners on the festival. According to one team member, who wishes to remain anonymous, this was their “favorite moment of the whole weekend”. Plans are now underway for a spin-off called Psyslackers.

This year marks the end of an era, as Jonas steps down after twenty years of organizing slacklining on MadNes. We thank him for his hard work, good spirit, and those cherished morning coffees at the campground. For many others, this was their first MadNes, but certainly not their last. Next year, SlackNED will take over the organization. Personally, I’m already stoked for next year. In the meantime, I’ll be dealing with the beach sand that continues to appear everywhere in my house, even three weeks later.

By Nicolien Janssens

The 2024 SlackNED X MadNes team