Blue nylon ropes were tossed to the top of a rock feature on the southeast side of Smith Rock on Sunday, where about 15 women were standing to learn how to attach a line securely to the ground.

Chelsey Magness, a Bend resident and organizer of the U.S. All Girls Slackline Festival, watched as the first walker slid onto the rope, feet dangling 25 feet above the rocky ground below. Down the hill from that, lay a steep slope and a sheer drop into the Crooked River.

The walker, sitting, balanced herself on the rope, called a slackline. She found her balance well enough to plant her foot on the rope and push herself up to a standing position. She balanced for a second before the rope shifted and her momentum sent her back toward the ground. A harness caught her fall as she dangled upside down, 3 feet from the rope.

“The harness works!” she yelled to the group below, a collection of slackline enthusiasts on their last day of the three-day event.

Slacklining, balancing on a narrow rope suspended between two areas, commonly occurs near ground level between two trees. The activity gets its name from the tension in the rope — although the line is tight, it will bend under weight and shift with each step.

“It’s a very male-dominated sport,” Magness said Sunday. “We wanted to make an event that would bring the sport to a lot of women and give them the chance to experience it.”

Smith Rock State Park, Magness said, is a well-known location for slackliners who want some more thrill with the sport.

“Bend and Central Oregon are such perfect spots to hold an event like this,” she said. “We were so excited to be here.”

The group also slacklined at Juniper Park in Bend and Salmon Falls in Marion County. The participants ranged in experience from beginner to expert, and came from around the country.

Kathryn Joyce, a 27-year-old San Diego participant, was the first to make it all the way across the 25-foot line.

“It was a nice, accessible line,” she said. “I’ve been slacklining for about five years — the past two years more so than the others. This is one of the coolest spots I’ve done, though.”

About 30 minutes after the line was ready for walking, a thunderstorm moved through the area and stopped the event. As the storm passed, three climbers were able to attempt the line before another storm moved in and forced the nearly 30 women into surrounding caves and overhangs.

“I saw the other storm moving in and wanted to get one walk in before I lost my chance,” Joyce said. “It was an intense day, but a good dynamic.”

Camille Aussord, who traveled to the event from New York City, said she was newer to slacklining but loved the sport.

“It is something that you just need to try,” she said. “It can be pretty scary, but after you do it, it is a lot of fun.

The Smith Rock Highline Festival is slated to take place Sept. 14. At that event, multiple slacklines will be set up around the notorious rock feature, including a 180-foot line set up 500 feet above the Crooked River.