BOULDER - Super Bowl XLVI broke new ground. It became the most watched show in the history of U.S. television. It also put on a very big stage a sport that most of the world had never seen before: slack lining.
During the halftime performance by Madonna, two-time world champion Andy Lewis performed on a Gibbon Slackline, a company based in Boulder.
"When we were first approached to take part, at first we were kind of hesitant. We didn't want to be part of a circus show. We don't want people to consider us a circus act, but then when we realized what it was for. We weren't told at first it was for the halftime of the Super Bowl. It took all of about three seconds to decide we were going to do this," Emilio Torres, vice president of sales for Gibbon Slacklines, said.
Lewis is a member of Gibbon Slacklines US Pro team and was selected to perform during halftime of the game. It was actually Madonna, a fitness guru, who insisted that slack lining be part of the performance.
"Andy did incredibly well. He did very well dancing too. Andy said before the show started that it was harder for him to learn how to dance with Madonna than it was for him to become a world-class slack liner," Torres said.
Lewis' performance lasted just over 30 seconds, but may have raised awareness about this niche sport. Phones at Gibbon Slacklines office in Boulder started ringing off the hook following the performance with employees fielding calls from national media outlets.
"We were able to take the sport mainstream all in one 30-second spot," Torres said. "It was very emotional for all of us. We've worked very hard for the last few years to build a sport."
(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)