Commonly, one can see students playing with flying discs in fields or skateboard on sidewalks at this time of year at Pitt-Johnstown.

This year, however, slack-lining has become a new pastime for some students.

Similar to throwing discs and skateboarding, slack-lining requires only just a ratchet strap.

Senior Dustin Hallenbeck, Pitt-Johnstown Outdoors Club’s president, said the strap is one to two inches wide and 20 to 800 feet long.

To train, he said, he watched a few YouTube tutorials to learn the basics, and then he just picked it up naturally.

Hallenbeck was practicing slack-lining in a pair of sneakers alone Sept. 16 behind Heather Lodge, which is an almost windless spot.

Two blue, adjustable straps were joined and tie that day between anchor points on two trees; the straps were about one foot above the ground, and the trees were about 20 feet apart.

At dusk, Hallenbeck was walking on the strap with his body slightly tilted to his left, his left hand above his head and his right hand help lower.

The leaves were yet to fall, which might  provide a softer lawn for Hallenbeck if he fell.

“When learning to slack-line, there really is no safety precaution; when learning to do tricks and jumps, they will stick a pad under the line, so if you do slam hard, there is something to pad the landing.”

Hallenbeck said he has seen slack-lining for a few years, and he became interested when a friend bought a strap and asked him to practice together.

“Soon enough, I found myself obsessed and purchased one for myself.”

Having practiced on campus, his next goal in slack-lining is to try highline slack-lining; that is to slack-line high above the ground over valleys or large drops, while being harnessed.

“ … So if you fall, you are attached to the line, and you don’t fall to your death,” he said.

Regarding his preference for locations for highline slack-lining, he said he would like to go to the mountains out in the West, since he goes there for work and vacations.

Junior Molly Dupin, the Outdoors Club’s vice president, said she has tried slack-lining and that she said it was fun, although she does not do it often.

Senior Kylie Hogan, the club’s event coordinator said Thursday that she had bought a strap yesterday, but she was still getting used to slack-lining, since she had yet to try it out.

“It’s better to do it in your bare feet and don’t look down, just look straight ahead and concentrate on keeping your balance,” Hogan said.

She said she had also bought a tree protector so she does not damage the trees when practicing slack-lining.

Hallenbeck said he is teaching his roommate and some other friends to slack-line and is willing to give a quick tutorial to people who stop by and ask.

“I love showing people how to walk on it. It’s certainly a hobby that, when seen, people always want to at least try it,” Hallenbeck said.