Above the Abyss

Slacklining is an ever-evolving extreme sport in which an athlete must walk across a thin line of flexible webbing from one point to another. What once began as a trendy hobby—with a person balancing just a foot or two off the ground between two trees—has now evolved into intense feats of athleticism, including performing flips, twists, and other tricks across the slackline (tricklining) and achieving incredible balancing acts from, for some intrepid athletes, heights upwards of 6,000 feet (highlining).

In Above the Abyss, author and professional slackliner Friedi Kühne dives into his slackline journey, from doing tricks as a kid on trampolines and park benches to trying his first highline at 18 years old. Along the way, Kühne learns how to train his body to achieve balance, find focus, and stay resilient. His love of slacklining takes him all over the world as he competes for world records, achieves personal milestones, and ultimately discovers how physical and mental limits can be overcome if we don’t allow our fears to hold us back.

From nail-biting descriptions of highline adventures to practical advice and strategies that have carried Kühne between mountains and skyscrapers, Above the Abyss captures the passion, struggles, and determination at the center of one man’s pursuit of slackline greatness.