Yesterday’s total solar eclipse got Americans very excited, being the first to travel from coast to coast across the entire United States in the height of summer during prime daylight hours for 99 years.
Among the millions who travelled to the ‘area of totality’ where the sun was 100% obscured by the moon (outside this diagonal line from the northwest to the southeast US the sun was a few percent less than completely covered) were a few athletes and professional photographers working for Red Bull and aiming to do something different during this “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
In Wyoming Alex Mason stepped off the edge of a cliff high above Jackson Hole, spending the entirety of the two-minute 26-second eclipse totality on a 75-foot-long slackline (just one inch wide) strung 150 feet over one of the world’s most famous ski runs, Corbet’s Couloir, at an elevation of 10,450 feet.
“The line is 150-feet off the deck,” Mason explained. “But with over 10,000 feet of exposure, it truly felt like I was walking in the sky. It was the most amazing and surreal experience of my life … it was really intimidating to take this on but I’m so glad I did. Such a once in a lifetime experience!”
Highlining the Solar Eclipse | Alex Mason | Solar Eclipse 2017
Highline over Corbet's Couloir during the solar eclipse? Yes, this just happened with Alex Mason.More: http://win.gs/2vkfvXb
Posted by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Rigged by Sketchy Andy and captured by photographer Keith Ladzinski, it was a hard shoot to manage in many ways.
“This was an extremely challenging setup and photo shoot with a ton of different variables and such a short window of opportunity. We had to rig the line in the exact right location and make sure the tension was perfect while minimizing wear and tear and keeping Alex safe. In the end, I’m really happy with the way it all came together,” they explained.
“Photographing a solar eclipse was something I’ve never done but always wanted to do,” Ladzinski said. “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and such a special shoot to be a part of. I’m super excited on the outcome and sharing these photos with the world.”
Image credit: Keith Ladzinski & Red Bull Content Pool
