Tancrède Melet (1983 – 5 January 2016) was a French slackliner.

Biography

Born in 1983 in

Meurthe-et-Moselle Meurthe-et-Moselle () is a department in the Grand Est region of France, named after the rivers Meurthe and Moselle. It had a population of 733,760 in 2019.Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.slackline Slacklining refers to the act of walking, running or balance (ability), balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tension (physics), tensioned between two anchor (climbing), anchors. Slacklining is similar to Slackwire#Slack rope ...

and more particularly an elevated version of it known as the highline. After a few years, Melet started focusing on performing arts, presenting himself as an "artist of the void." He was the co-founder of the ''Flying Frenchies'', a group which combines artists, athletes and engineers. Melet, as well as the group, became known for mixing traditional circus arts (

Chinese pole Chinese poles are vertical poles on which circus performers climb, slide down and hold poses. The poles are generally between in height and approximately in diameter. Some poles have a slightly larger pole that rotates around the static central ...

, Korean

Teeterboard The teeterboard or Korean plank is an acrobatic apparatus that resembles a playground seesaw. The strongest teeterboards are made of oak (usually 9 feet in length). The board is divided in the middle by a fulcrum made of welded steel. At each en ...

) with more daring stunts ( BASE jumping). On January 5, 2016, while preparing a show, he died in Aurel as a result of a fall from a

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...

that had dragged him up while taking off.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melet, Tancrede 1983 births 2016 deaths French stunt performers Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in France People from Laxou