From Shop To Studio: Rigging Installation & Mats

The rigging install was a huge project that took weeks of planning, site visits and liaising between multiple sources. I’ve wanted a pulley system installed for years for the ease of switching out equipment, washing equipment and the many other benefits it has. The time has come! But also there’s absolutely no way I could reopen without one thanks to Covid-19. Due to Covid-19 there is to be no sharing of apparatus’s and every silk must be switched out after every class. These things would be impossible without a pulley system. 

There are many different ways you can go about this but I decided on a welded plate to the beam with cleats. After getting the system engineered Alex and I got to work on welding the cleats to the plate with me assisting with filing the cleats so they were nice and smooth for the rope. Although not directly welding myself, I was not wearing safety glasses and must have looked directly into the light at some point. The next day I woke up and felt like my eyes were sunburned. Alex having experienced this before was sympathetic but somewhat humoured by my plight. I spent the rest of the day with the lights off, sunglasses on and eyes watering like they had sandpaper in them all day. Another mistake I’ll only learn once.  

Finally the rigging was ready to go up! Ian, a professional rigger I’ve been using for years got the install done in one day and I’m really happy with it. Bonus that the roll out carpet-bonded foam mats arrived on the same day and all of a sudden, the aerial area came to life. I actually shopped around for these mats as they are extremely expensive. My friend Sara who has some at her dance studio recommended the flex roll option which are way easier to roll and instead of the traditional blue gymnastics colour they now have a lot more choices. So we went with black which looks great against the wood feature wall. Living in Canada has the recurring problem of ordering from the States, the exchange rate killing you, then the import and the excessive cost of shipping not to mention the time it takes to get here. I found a great company called ‘Perfect Surfaces’ in Alberta who matched Canada Mats pricing and gave me cheaper shipping. It pays to shop around especially if you can save a few bucks as a result. 

“It pays to shop around, especially it can save you a few bucks as a result.”

Huge progress was made this week and I even managed to fit in some aerial fun at the weekend. We collaborated with several other aerialists residing in BC to come together at a photographer friend’s cabin to do an aerial photo shoot on his dock on a private lake. It was a great opportunity to connect with other aerialists and enjoy what we love doing most in nature. 

Brian Aikens Photography

You may have noticed that we have done a few different outdoor aerial shoots in nature this summer and I must admit it is awesome scouting out locations and packing up the rig to go shoot in these stunning backdrops we call home, but at what expense? When considering an outdoor shoot I ask myself many questions. Number one; is this safe? 95% of the time we bring my certified freestanding rig to shoot pictures and often photographer’s photoshop it out to give the illusion of hanging in mid-air or from an imaginary point.

Although the thrill of hanging from a tree, a bridge or in front of a waterfall may spark a feeling of adrenaline in you; please consider the impact it has on your own personal safety and those around you. We have many young aspiring aerialists in our Sea-to-Sky community who may not recognize the dangers of where they hang their silk and who look up to the more seasoned aerialists in the corridor.

After myself and other members being asked more than once this past week, including by a stranger in a coffee shop who noticed the Treeline logo on my t-shirt, I want to be clear that that was not me or any of our members rigging from The Chief. I am not a climber and I choose to shoot outdoors in locations that work for me and make me feel safe in my environment. I recognize that what aerialists choose to do outside of the training space is their own decision but these are humble reminders for all to look out for each other and keep the aerial community safe and thriving in Sea-to-Sky.