Surfer Gilly Athanazio is used to walking the line. At least twice a week he literally walks the line - a slackline.

Gilly surfs, skateboards and does capoeira - a Brazilian martial art - so thought slacklining would be easy when he first discovered it eight years ago.

The skill involves walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors – often trees.

He tried it a couple of times but felt it was too hard so gave up, but then 18 months ago he decided he wanted to master the sport.

It took four weeks of practicing every day before he could walk the full distance of a 15-metre line.

'I was really frustrated in the beginning,” says Gilly. 'I was trying it every day and I couldn't do it.”

He knew it wasn't impossible, so kept trying until it clicked.

'You just realise that it works. The balance is there in the body and the mind connects.”

At first Gilly was doing it for the fun of it, but he quickly realised it builds strength and provides a really good workout for your core and legs.

'It also has mental health benefits, thanks to the need to focus and connect your mind and breathing,” he says.

'Keeping the balance and keeping breathing in and out - it is really meditational.”

Slacklining in Tauranga is also really social; a group of around 20 people get together regularly to exercise, chat and try each other's lines.

'I've met some great people doing it, and it's something that attracts attention as well.”

If they're slacklining at the beach, often people will stop and chat to them about it and ask if they can give it try.

'It's a good way of meeting people too because people are curious and then they want to try it.”

The group meet at different spots, including McLaren Falls Park, the Mount main beach and parks with trees far enough apart to string up the line.

Gilly says you can do it anywhere where there's trees with 5-to-15 metres between them. The longer the line, the harder it is.

His advice for people that want to give slacklining a try is, if you see people doing it ask them if you can have a go because they're all 'nice and easy to approach”.

'Slacklines aren't very expensive, and it's something you can do solo and almost anywhere,” says Gilly.

'It is fun, good exercise, is good for the body and good for your mind. So I would say, just go for it.”