‘Unshackled by Fear’: Slackliner Snaps Unimaginable Selfies, Videos While Walking Wires Between Peaks（附中文）

‘Unshackled by Fear’: Slackliner Snaps Unimaginable Selfies, Videos While Walking Wires Between Peaks
In a word full of distractions causing diminished attention spans, Andy Lewis is an anomaly. The 35-year-old slackliner must focus every ounce of his brain on his balance to avoid a potentially fatal fall.

Describing the feeling as he snaps impossible self portraits while walking lines between mountaintops, Lewis says he is 100 percent present.

“You feel your heart beat, you hear your breath, you are seeing, acting, and reacting as one in a moment where distraction is non-existent,” he told The Epoch Times.

“It is a moment of full awareness that empowers every molecule of your existence. Without a safety harness it’s up to you and the power of your mind and body to keep you safe.”

Originally from the Bay area, Lewis works in commercial film production, rigging, set designing, and performing stunts. A real-life action man, he also partakes in BASE jumping, and discovered slacklining 20 years ago.

“I was doing it every day, and the more I practiced, the more became possible,” he said. “The more that was possible, the more I imagined.”

For Lewis, slacklining went from hobby to sport to profession, and eventually became a kind of religion for him. Before long, the trend really began to take off; the festival scene helped energize the sport, and Lewis found himself at the forefront.

He has rigged lines at Leviathan, stretching between two of America’s tallest free-standing sandstone towers in Moab, Utah. Taking 21 days to rig and walk once, Lewis asserts Leviathan is one of the most legendary walks he’s ever done. Over 10 years later, he remains the only person to have repeated it.

The most common reaction from people viewing his high-risk hobby is incredulity; isn’t he completely terrified so high up, with no safety net? Lewis says that is one of the main points.

“I personally believe there is nothing more unhappy than a man that does not face adversity, for he is never given the chance to prove himself,” he said.

Of course, it takes many, many hours of intense training to become competent, and to stay safe on the wire.

“Even when you have done the training, it takes ultimate focus,” he admits. “Some people don’t like the stress of that commitment. And for a lot of people, trusting themselves is impossible.”

If that sounds scary—or crazy—the extreme-sports pro insists that slacklining is also great fun. One of the other things he most values about it is its versatility.

“It can be a relaxing afternoon, or it can be a challenge of your complete and total entity—mind, body, and spirit,” he said. “It teaches you dedication, it teaches you to believe in yourself, and it teaches you strength, both mental and physical; and trains all of your reactions. It is a philosophy of anything I can do on the ground, I can do on the line.”

Speaking of one of his close calls in Yosemite last September, a friend captured him “dangling over danger with only the last of your grip keeping you from falling,” as he captioned on his Instagram, hanging with a sublime moon as a backdrop.

“This was a moment of pure bliss and creativity; unshackled by fear in any way,” the daredevil said.

Lewis has won world championships, broken records, and appeared on TV and in movies; but what he’s most proud of is learning what’s important in life.

“None of that really matters,” he said. “Being a good person and loving what you do is the core of anyone who is happy. Bringing others around you up. Winning with style and sportsmanship. Taking loss and success the exact same way.”

Whether it be helping kids learn slacklining or performing live in the Super Bowl half-time show before millions, it’s all been enjoyable.

“Even the training, and hardship, was fun in the end” Lewis reflected. “I am proud to say that I lived my life in the most spectacular of ways, barely was ever injured, saw the world, made enough money to survive, and now have a beautiful life I have created for myself.”

Harnessing that same high energy attitude, Lewis runs a business called BASE Jump Moab, taking people tandem parachute jumping and soaring through scenic cliffscapes.

“It’s a great way to help others experience the desert—and it brings me energy and happiness to share those feelings,” he added.

附大紀元《超越一切恐懼束縛兩峰之間走繩自拍》-英文大紀元記者ANNA MASON報導／李宇君編譯

強大的精神力和專注力讓安迪‧路易斯（Andy Lewis）感到生命百分之百的存在。

35歲的美國極限運動家路易斯被稱為「走繩先生」（Mr. Slackline）。他必須百分之百把每一分腦力都集中在高空平衡上，否則可能帶來致命的悲劇，但他卻樂在其中。

路易斯在兩峰之間的扁繩上進行不可思議的自拍。他說，此時，他百分百感到自己生命的存在。

「沒有安全設備，你的安全完全靠你自己——仰賴於自己絕佳的體力和強大的精神力。」路易斯說，「你會感受到自己的心跳，聽到自己的呼吸。此時，你所看、所聽、所做都合為一體。這一刻，不存在任何一絲一毫的分心。」

路易斯說，「此刻，你完完全全感受到自己每個分子的存在。」

路易斯來自美國舊金山灣區，從事商業電影製作、裝配、布景設計和特技表演。

他本人就是個現實生活中的特技演員，平常從事危險性高的低空跳傘（BASE Jumping）。20年前，他找到了高挑戰性的走繩（Slacklining）。

走繩運動曾在美國風行一時，在兩桿或兩樹之間架上走繩專用扁繩，在自家後院就可藉此來訓練平衡力與專注力。因在扁繩上行走極不穩定，是一種極具挑戰性的運動。