Sonya Iverson
Montana, USA; Copenhagen, Denmark
Highliner and slackline instructor Sonya Iverson travels around the world to slackline festivals to assist with highline rigging and to promote the efforts of the International Slackline Association, of which she is president. Sonya graduated with a PhD in Molecular Biology from Boston University in 2016. She now focuses on the development of the slackline community as the sport grows in popularity. Sonya founded Slackline U.S., a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting safety and conservation in slacklining and to assisting with access management for the slackline community. Her passion is on using slacklining to connect cultures with Crossing Lines.
Sonya is a sponsored Ambassador with Mountain Hardwear.
Mohammad Reza Abaee
Arak, Iran
Mohammad discovered slacklining as a young climber in the Nomarz climbing team after watching climbing movies and youtube videos. Having no equipment do to sanctions prohibiting import, Mohammad started slacklining by walking on a dynamic climbing rope hand tensioned between two trees. He founded Iran Slackline in 2009, though Mohammad had no gear or mentorship beyond the internet. In 2012, during the Bisotun rock climbing festival, Mohammad met three highliners from France (Theo Sanson, Robin Exertier, and Jean-Charles Fayard). Together they established the first highlines in Iran and Mohammad walked his first line, 25m, during the second day of the festival to become the first Iranian highliner. In 2013 Mohammad was invited to the first international Turkey Highline Carnival as the official videographer. With the help of his team, Iran Slackline has established 15 more highlines, including three new lines developed with the Crossing Lines team in October of 2014. Currently, Mohammad is focusing on expanding slacklining throughout his country by producing slackling equipment locally and building a climbing / slacklining gym in Arak. He is also gaining exposure with local tv programs, interviews, and developing the Iran Slackline team.
Kiavash Sharifi
Arak, Iran
Following in his father’s footsteps, Kiavash started mountaineering at the age of nine. A year later he began climbing in rock gyms and at eleven he climbed Mt. Sabalan (15,847 ft). In 2008 he joined the Nomarz climbing team and discovered slacklining shortly after through Mohammad. Initially only a hobby, Kiavash began slacklining in earnest in 2013. After only two months of training he sent a 15m highline (Prelude). Together with Mohammad, Kiavash has begun developing specialized slackline equipment and building a climbing / slacklining gym in his hometown to fill a developing market in Iran.
Jade Tabony
Seattle, USA
Jade grew up as an American transplant in San Salvador, El Salvador, getting the chance to climb mountains and volcanoes all throughout Central America and scuba dive the Caribbean Sea at a young age. After moving to Boston to pursue her Masters’ degree in environmental health, Jade found acroyoga (an acrobatic, partner style of yoga) and, later, slacklining as her outlets while trying to juggle work and study. Since completing her studies in Boston, Jade works as an data analyst in Seattle and spends all of her free time mountaineering, climbing, slacklining, and generally loving all things outdoors.
Bradley Duling
California, USA; Copenhagen, Denmark
Bradley learned to highline in California before moving to Denmark in 2012 where the highest elevation point in the country tops out at 500 feet. Despite the lack cliffs, he has managed to bring longlining and highlining to prominence in Denmark teaching hundreds of new highliners the basics and taking a leading role in developing the Move Copenhagen festival which boasts the largest man-made slackline park in the world. In his spare time he design slackline gear and is the vice chairman of the Advisory Board for the International Slackline Association.