Slacklining → Robert’s backstory | Gibbon® Slacklines

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You’ve probably heard of Gibbon Slacklines, the renowned slackline equipment brand founded in Germany in 2007. Listen to host André Brathwaite share the backstory as to why its co-founder, Robert Kaeding, turned his passion into a lasting brand—so that you can enjoy slacklining as a hobby.

Listening to this backstory is just one of the many ways we at Forms of Recreation help you find or reconnect with the hobbies you love.

The opinions expressed are solely those of Forms of Recreation and do not necessarily reflect the views of any brand mentioned. We encourage you to check their corresponding websites for further information.

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• Transcript

  🎙️ Episode 26 — Slacklining | Gibbon Slacklines

  1) Opening Reflection: The Hobby as Recreation

  Picture two trees standing a few feet apart,
  and a line, inches off the ground, stretched between them.

  The line is narrow, with just the right amount of tension.

  You step up barefoot.

  The muscles in your feet wake instantly.
  The line shifts.
  Not dramatically — just enough to remind you
  that balance isn’t something that is given.
  It’s something you negotiate.

  Slacklining has no scoreboard.
  No finish line.

  There is only one thing on your mind.

  Every step asks the same question:
  Is everything ok?

  Your arms go up.
  You look straight ahead.
  Your breath deepens.
  Then… you happen to look down.

  You wobble.
  You jump off.
  You laugh.
  And then… you step back on.

  Slacklining teaches you something rare:

  It doesn’t reward crossing the line.
  It rewards staying.

  Staying calm.
  Staying focused.
  Staying present long enough
  for balance to find you.

  That feeling —
  that conversation between body, breath, and attention —
  became the foundation of a brand
  built by people who loved the line for what it gave back:

  Gibbon Slacklines

  2) How the Brand Was Built on a Founder’s Hobby

  Before Robert Kaeding ever co-founded GIBBON,
  he was already shaping the sports world —
  not as an athlete, but as a product designer.

  Design was his profession.
  But balance was his obsession.

  Robert believed something most people overlooked:
  that balance and coordination weren’t a nice-to-have —
  they were foundational skills for being human.

  When he discovered slacklining,
  he didn’t see exclusivity.

  He saw inclusivity.

  A simple line that trained attention.
  A practice that strengthened the body without aggression.
  A form of play that worked just as well
  for hobbyists, athletes, and anyone
  trying to reconnect with their center.

  The problem was accessibility.

  Slacklining, at the time, was improvised and intimidating.
  The setups: complicated.
  The learning curve:  steep.

  So in 2007, in Germany,
  Robert Kaeding and Stefan Lippert co-founded GIBBON
  with a clear intention:
  make balance a fun part of everyday life.

  Their breakthrough wasn’t marketing —
  it was design.

  They launched humbly

  15 slacklines, a Gibbon stamp, and a mixtape cassette

  that became their soundtrack of courage to move forward.

  They developed the first simplified, two-part slackline kit using industrial ratchets.
  No guesswork.
  No advanced knowledge.
  Just a clean, simple entry point
  that allowed anyone to step onto the line.

  That single decision changed everything.

  It became the world's best-selling slackline set.

  Slacklining moved out of niche circles
  and into parks, schools, backyards, and gyms.

  Cultivating a lifestyle he called “slacklife.”  

  What started as one designer’s belief
  that balance belongs in daily life
  became a worldwide practice
  you get to enjoy today.

  3) Closing Reflection: The Founder Laid the Groundwork

  Think about it.

  Because Robert believed
  balance shouldn’t be reserved for athletes,
  you get to step onto a line today,
  almost anywhere.

  Between two trees.
  Or in your living room.

  You get a practice that improves balance
  without expecting perfection.
  That strengthens the body
  without punishment.
  That sharpens focus
  without instruction.

  Gibbon wasn’t built to perform.
  It was built for an audience of one.

  You.

  An invitation to wobble.
  To fall.
  To step back on.

  So the next time you find a slackline,
  pause before you step up.

  Feel the tension beneath your feet.
  Notice how your body listens before it moves.
  Let balance teach you what impatience never could.

  Because someone once believed
  that play could be practical,
  that balance could be shared,
  and that a simple line
  could change how people move through their day.

  Have the courage to keep returning to your hobby.
  And make a small promise to yourself —
  one that involves play.

  Because someone loved slacklining enough
  to build a brand around it —
  and now,
  you get to love it too.

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