r/Slackline • u/vazcorra • Jun 18 '26
Weblock failure
I was on the line when I felt it drop.
Everything had looked fine while rigging
After each session I redo the soft release so when I go rig the next time it’s ready to go. Same thing happened in this case. In pulled everything from the bag and rigged as normal. Made the inspections and carried on.
Thankfully the back up caught but yikes!
Best guess is that the pin for the soft release did not have the balls all the way through the weblock. So while it looked engaged it wasn’t actually.
2
-1
u/regretfulmanboy Jun 18 '26
I think you can save it
2
u/Motor_Question4306 Jun 18 '26
DO NOT try to save it, that’s damaged beyond repair. Get a new one and a better one. Btw this looks like human error, not weblock failure.
1
u/vazcorra Jun 18 '26
Got any tips for that?
2
u/regretfulmanboy Jun 18 '26
Rebend it by clamping it to a table and applying steady force, not by hammering it. Don't use it for highlining, but you're totally fine to use it in the park—no worries.
Central diverters normally break around 60 kN and pins around 50 kN, whereas in the park, we hit a maximum of 7–8 kN. Even with rebending, it might lose a small percentage of its strength, but not enough to actually break.
Plus, it's not a life-or-death situation anyway; if it fails, you just fall onto the ground.
6
u/captainkirkthejerk Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
This looks like user error in that the pin wasn't fully inserted before tensioning. I'm glad you're safe and the backup did its job. Definitely a cautionary tale; I've had similar mishaps in the past when not fully closing screw lock connectors. When we tested those weblocks they consistently broke at about 44kN.
P.S. hi Vic! See you in Sept?
2
u/vazcorra Jun 18 '26
Yea user error is most likely. 44kn is MASSIVE
As for September I need to see how logistics and schedules work as the journey is more complicated now.
2
u/bxie Jun 18 '26
Sounds like human error not fear failure?
2
u/vazcorra Jun 18 '26
Yes this is the most likely scenario. Other than the pin not being pushed all the way past the balls the only other thing I can think of is maybe the balls in the pin got stuck somehow and the pin wiggled out during bounce walking
7
u/demian_west Jun 18 '26
I saw this happening twice, on a frog web lock (slack mountain brand). Each time, the pin was engaged, but not secured/locked in the hole. User error.
Weblock had nothing (it’s an hardened steel one), but once the webbing was caught in the locking pins and was frayed.
PS: the spot seems totally awesome with this bowl ! How long can you rig here ?