Daredevils Walk Slackline High in the Sky
Two German athletes walked a thin slackline between two hot-air balloons 2,500 metres in the sky to set an astonishing new Guinness World Record.
Imagine looking out of an aeroplane window and seeing someone casually walking on a narrow strap suspended in thin air! On 9 November 2026, two adventurous friends from Germany did something just as unbelievable. Extreme athletes Friedi Kühne and Lukas Irmler completed the highest slackline walk in history, floating thousands of metres above Riedering in Bavaria, Germany.
The brave duo balanced on a 19-metre-long line strung between the baskets of two giant hot-air balloons. They were floating at a dizzying altitude of 2,500 metres, which is more than 1.5 miles up in the sky. Their incredible journey earned them an official spot in the famous Guinness World Records book.
What happened?
Walking on a slackline on the ground is tricky enough, but doing it miles above the Earth is an entirely different test. Up in the clouds, the two hot-air balloons kept turning around, rising up and dipping down, and rocking in the breezy wind. To help the walkers, team members inside the baskets had to tug on the line to keep the balloons as steady as possible.
Lukas Irmler was the first person to step onto the narrow strip. The shifting winds were very challenging, and he slipped twice during his attempt! Thankfully, both athletes wore tight safety harnesses connected to a secure backup leash, which kept him completely safe each time he slipped. Lukas calmly climbed back up, reset his footing, and made it all the way across to the second balloon basket.
Next up was Friedi Kühne, who stepped onto the line with great focus. Friedi walked steadily along the full 19-metre distance without slipping once, meaning both pals officially broke the world record. To celebrate their massive victory, Friedi strapped on a parachute, walked back out onto the line, and skydived straight off into the open air to float safely back down to Earth.
This daring sky walk broke the old world record of 1,901 metres, which had been set in Brazil in 2021 by an athlete named Rafael Zugno Bridi. The German team spent months planning every detail alongside a skilled 30-member crew of balloon pilots and safety engineers.
Why does it matter to you?
You probably will not be walking between two floating balloons above your school playground, but this feat teaches a wonderful lesson about life. Whether you are learning to ride a bicycle on a busy street in Mumbai, practicing a new sport, or trying to solve a tough maths puzzle, things will rarely go smoothly on your first attempt.
Just like Lukas slipped twice before reaching the other side, everyone makes mistakes when trying difficult things. Success comes from dusting yourself off, being patient, and trying again. Most importantly, the adventurers stayed safe because they listened to rules and worked together as a team with their engineers.
Words to know
- altitude: the height of an object or place above the level of the sea or ground.
- slackline: a flat, stretchy strip of strong webbing that people balance on between two points.
- daredevil: a brave person who enjoys taking part in exciting, tricky, and dangerous activities.
- harness: a set of strong safety straps worn around the body to protect a person from falling.
Did you know?
The new record height of 2,500 metres is so high up that it is nearly as tall as seven Eiffel Towers stacked directly on top of one another!
Think about it
Can you think of a time when you slipped up while trying something new? What helped you stay calm, try again, and achieve your goal?
Quick quiz
At what altitude did the athletes set the new world record for the highest slackline walk?
- 1,901 metres
- 2,500 metres
- 3,500 metres
See the answer
2,500 metres
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
