Slackline athlete Jaan Roose from Estonia launches UAE’s 1 Billion Followers Summit with stunning world-first walk between Dubai skyscrapers.
UAE, Dubai, 11 January 2025 – Three-time world champion slackliner, Jaan Roose, has delivered yet another world-first highline walk, this time with an inspirational feat between the iconic Jumierah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
The project signalled the start of the third edition of 1 Billion Followers Summit, the globe’s world’s largest event dedicated to the content creator economy.
Walking back and forward along the 100 metre line, at a height of 224 metres, Roose’s achievement is one of his most visually stunning to date; the skyscrapers of Dubai providing a futuristic backdrop to his challenge.
32 year old Roose from Estonia commented, “The technical setup itself was something we really had to look at because although both buildings of the Emirates Towers are similar in terms of design, they are very different in height so to find the right spots to anchor the highlines was challenging. What we ended up with is one side is at a higher anchor point so I’m walking uphill here and then also walking back downhill.”
Speaking on the walk itself, Roose seemed to genuinely enjoy the crossing, “All I was thinking was, ‘I wish we had more wind!’ That can make it easier to walk on a shorter line. But when I’m on the line just being by myself walking alone that’s the best feeling, especially when I’m performing at the same time. It’s not just sport, it’s performance art; two in one.”
When asked if he still feels nerves ahead of these projects Roose added, “I’ve been doing this for 15 years and I do still feel fear but of course it’s different each time, it depends on the situation, the wind conditions. But for me it’s necessary to feel the fear because then safety-wise I’m pay more attention to the details while anchoring, setting it up and also while walking, so I’m not just trying to rush.”
Roose speaks at the 1 Billion Followers Summit today. The event, organised by the UAE Government Media Office features 15,000 globally-renowned influencers and social media content creators, and runs until 13 January.
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