A life for sport in search of uniqueness, freedom, a “road” that is uniquely his. This, in a few words, is the profile of Jan Roosewho at just 32 years old is already a world legend of slacklining and is preparing to accomplish, next weekend in July, the incredible feat of crossing the stretch of sea between Sicily and Calabria. The athlete will be suspended on a strip of fabric less than 2 cm wide, stretched for over 3600 m between the two majestic pylons of the former power line of Strait of Messina. Only a multifaceted character like Jaan, the one who has been defined as “the biggest export of Estonia since Skype”, could attempt so much. For him – a self-defined “athletic performer” – sports practice is on one hand a form of art and cannot ignore the spectacular dimension; on the other hand, it is something deeply intimate, because all the challenges he takes on are first and foremost against himself, against his own limits and fears. Jaan’s training routine varies depending on his goals, but it is always very intense: on the slackline even a short distance can be exhausting, both physically and mentally, as much as and more than a marathon. Nothing can be left to chance, the weather is not always an ally, in particular the wind can turn into an invisible enemy: planning, the preparation of his team, the meticulous care of the materials of the webbing, the choice of shoes are all essential factors and even just a small shortcoming can cost you dearly.
In slacklining, fear, pain and fatigue are unavoidable companions: a large part of the training is focused on learning to live with them, to control your body without being overwhelmed, especially in unfamiliar situations or in front of an audience. In this sense, Jaan wanted to add skydiving to his personal repertoire of extreme sports… which in his opinion is less exciting than walking suspended. Self-taught, from a very young age he was inspired not so much by individual athletes or real people, but by superhero films and the desire to be able to achieve their same superpowers, to fly and cross distances at crazy heights. A mystical goal to always strive for, day after day, challenge after challenge. His sporting career has ranged from parkour, free running and acrobatics, then in 2010 the “love at first sight” with slacklining. After the first uncertain steps, with the stubbornness that is his own, he soon began to perform his first tricks. The desire to push himself “further” was the natural consequence: Jaan thus began not only to compete in international competitions, but above all to stretch the line in increasingly daring and unlikely places, crossing ever longer distances and challenging the most hostile weather conditions. Today his very personal list of achievements is pure gold, with three world titles and legendary records, such as the first double backflip (a backward jump with a high coefficient of difficulty) ever successfully performed on a slackline. He has also crossed skyscrapers, hills and valleys on a line in various countries around the world, even trying to walk on a trailer towed by a moving truck. His commitment as a stuntman in the cinema is also noteworthy – he has appeared in Assassin’s Creed and Wonder Woman 1984, among others – and his participation in Madonna’s world tour. Even with such sporting and life experience, Jaan has never stopped feeling excited when faced with new challenges. And the crossing of the Strait of Messina will be more special than the others, not only for the distance to be covered, but above all for the setting, a millenary crossroads of ancestral stories and myths, which will perfectly frame the sporting gesture.
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