HERAT, AFGHANISTAN – International headlines frequently focus on Afghanistan’s conflicts, but in Herat, 30-year-old Edris Ganji is taking a different path. As the country’s only professional slackliner, Ganji just completed a daring stunt he believes is a world first, stepping confidently into new territory for Afghan sport.
The 13-Second Defiance of Physics
This May, during a promotional event for local company Hero, Ganji took his sport further by rigging a tightrope between two moving vehicles instead of the usual stationary anchors.
The technical specifications of this high-stakes feat are immense:
- The Rig: A razor-thin, 3-centimeter-wide webbing stretched across an 8-meter span.
- The Motion: Both vehicles moved continuously at speeds shifting between 10.5 and 11 km/h.
- The Dynamic Sag: Because of constant vehicular traffic, the line’s height fluctuated drastically—dropping from 1.2 meters at the anchors to just 50 centimeters at the center.
Balancing on a constantly shifting line with heavy industrial safety gear, Ganji successfully “sent” (completed) the 8-meter walk in just 13 seconds. This was no rehearsal; it was the culmination of years of rigorous training. A video of the stunt posted on his Instagram profile quickly went viral, amassing over 600,000 views and drawing immense local and international attention.
The Long Queue for Global Recognition
Ganji is now actively pursuing official validation. He has submitted comprehensive evidence to both the International Slackline Association (ISA) and Guinness World Records.
The ISA has already responded to his emails, requesting technical data which Ganji has provided. The evaluation process is expected to take between 4 and 8 months, but the Afghan athlete remains highly confident that his moving-anchor walk will be officially registered.
As for Guinness, the wait might be longer. Due to financial constraints, Ganji cannot afford the expedited application fee and must wait in the standard free-review queue. “I don’t have the funds for fast-track processing, so I have to wait my turn,” Ganji explained.
From YouTube to Iranian Universities: The Journey
Born in Herat in 1996 (1375 Solar Hijri), Ganji’s passion for slacklining sparked a decade ago when he stumbled upon the sport on YouTube. He began practicing classic, low-altitude slacklining in local parks.
Five years ago, his passion turned professional when he moved to Iran to study engineering. The availability of specialized gear and training facilities allowed him to master the sport’s complex physics. Upon graduating, he returned to Herat, bringing this niche extreme sport to a curious and growing local audience. Today, thousands of people in Afghanistan watch his daring setups in person and online.
A Vision Beyond the Line
For Ganji, this viral stunt is about much more than personal glory. It is a calculated effort to change how the world views his homeland.
“Foreigners always know Afghanistan by the name of war,” Ganji said. “But incredible talent is hidden in this soil. I want to show the world what Afghan youth are truly capable of.”
As the sport gains traction among local youth, Ganji hopes to establish Afghanistan’s first official Slackline Federation. Looking ahead, his ultimate dream is to take his webbing out of the urban streets and rig highlines across the majestic canyons and untouched mountain ranges of rural Afghanistan, proving that even in the face of immense instability, balance is always possible.
