REBECCA THE SLACKER

When Rebecca’s parents (a lawyer and a civil engineer ) sent their daughter to UC Berkeley they figured she’d get a degree, but they never expected that 4 years later, with a psychology degree in hand that she’d become a world class slacker.

THE SLACKER

Her full name is Rebecca Whitney and when I met her, she was twisting, flipping, and flying over a long nylon line spanning Muscle Beach near the Santa Monica Pier. There was a crowd. She’s one of the top female slackliners in the world.

This is her story.

Now, Rebecca has accomplished one of her goals and is making a living as a professional trickliner. Only a few can say this.

Slacklining is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It’s akin to performing arial gymnastics on a trampoline that’s 2 inches wide, 50 feet long, refuses to stay in one place, and wants to hurt you.

While she first began slacking, Rebecca’s friends worried that her boyfriend was abusing her. Her legs and arms were covered in cuts and bruises.

Today, Rebecca is pioneering the sport into the mainstream. A major slackline company sponsors her, she’s represented by a sports modeling agency, has guest starred in a TV show, was on the cover of January Athleta Catalog as well as a national ad campaign in People and Women’s Health magazines, and was offered a world tour with Cirque du Soleil.

Pushing the envelope, Rebecca recently landed a Backside Blender (horizontal 360 with a lateral twist), making her the first female to pull it off on the slackline.