VooDoo Fearless Review

The VooDoo Fearless trickline is a 100 foot long, 2-inch line with a double ratchet tensioning system (one for each end of the line). It comes with specialized rubber graphics for more friction and grip on the trampoline-style webbing.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Set-up

Because of the dual ratchet tensioning system, this line is slightly more complicated to put up than your standard 2-inch line. The instructions are three pages long and detailed. While written for the novice slackliner, don't expect this line to go up in five minutes if you aren't well versed in ratchet systems. If you are looking for a decent trickline but want a lightweight and easier system to use, check out the Slackline Industries Trick Line which uses only one ratchet for tensioning.

Don't let the double ratchet complexity deter you, however. If you are, or want to be, serious about tricklining, once you get the hang of it the double ratchet set-up is a breeze. The ratchets work smoothly, so while it is a bit of a challenge to tension a system with two ratchets, the equipment provided makes it as easy as possible.

Versatility

The VooDoo Fearless is a relatively versatile line. Although designed specifically for tricklining, this line does a lot and we rigged it in various different ways during our tests. It's good for beginner walkers if rigged at a short distance (30 feet), though it's slightly bouncier than a true beginner line like the Gibbon ClassicLine. If you set it up much longer than that, the extra bounce of the trickline webbing gives beginners a hard time. If you are already good at walking shorter lines and looking to step it up a notch, rig this line at its full length but leave it a little loose and enjoy the new challenge of longlining. Finally, you can crank the ratchets down and get to work on your aerial tricks.

Quality

Built with two strong and extra-long ratchets, sticky graphics and bouncy webbing, the Voodoo Fearless line was crafted by those with years of slackline building experience. Like any of the 2-inch lines rigged with ratchets, there was a trivial amount of fraying on the edges of the line where it entered the ratchet. With diligence, this was not a problem. The manufacturer claims that they've reinforced the webbing edges to minimize the fraying issue. While we didn't notice this having an effect during our two month testing phase, perhaps with extended use this trait will become more evident.

The heavy duty ratchets make achieving the high tension required for extreme tricklining a piece of cake. In previous generations of 2-inch slacklines, the ratchet was a source of frustration. The handles bent, the edges destroyed your line no matter how careful you were, and the release system occasionally locked up making it impossible to take down your line without a knife. Thanks to years of experience and upgrades, today's ratchets largely avoid those problems and the ones in this kit are top of the line.

Disassembly

Taking down this line does not present any unique challenges when compared to other 2-inch tricklines. Although there are small differences in ratchet design across the different brands that we tested, overall they are very similar to one another. Over the last several years we've seen significant improvements in the fluidity and functionality of slackline ratchets. While all ratchet lines are a little dramatic to take down because of the extremely high tension that gets released quickly, once accustomed to the POP that occurs, they are easy to disassemble.

The only slight annoyance we faced with disassembling this particular line came from the sticky rubber graphics printed on it to minimized slipping while executing precise dynamic tricks. Even during short sessions, the high tension in the system caused the rubber on the top of the line to melt to the bottom section of the line that it had contact with in the ratchet. This meant that as we tried to pull the line through the ratchet after the tension was released, the line stuck to itself, forcing us to have to pull hard to free it from the ratchet. While this is a bit of a nuisance, it is a common problem seen across the board in all tricklines with high traction graphics.

Features

The stand out feature of the Voodoo Fearless line is the double ratchet tension system. Professional trickline competitions rig their lines with two ratchets to achieved adequate tension and this is one of only two lines on the market that come as a complete, straight-from-the-box, professional-grade trickline. The extra long handle on the ratchets also gives you more leverage to get your line competition tight.

In keeping with trickline essentials, this line has rubber graphics printed on one end to help your foot land with confidence in between jumps. As well, the 100 feet of webbing is a great feature that lets you slack just about anywhere at the highest levels of the sport. No other line on the market gives you double ratchets and a full 100 feet of line.

Best Applications

This model is a state of the art trickline. It can be set up as an introduction to longlining and surfing when rigged at its full 100 feet, but really this line is meant for tricking. Squirrel flips, chest bounces, huge atomic airs and more, this is the line for the more acrobatic side of slacklining.

Value

This is the most expensive line that we reviewed by far. However, this line also has the highest production costs with the dual ratchets and 100 feet of specialty webbing. If you are looking to step up your game when it comes to tricklining, this is the line to purchase. In comparison to the only other professional grade double ratchet trickline on the market (the Slackline Industries Boss Line, not reviewed here), this line is a steal at about $40 less. If you are looking for something more affordable but still with a lot of bounce, check out our Editors' Choice winner, the Slackers Wave Walker.

Conclusion

The Voodoo Fearless trickline is a specialty line that's still versatile and a great buy for a more serious slackliner looking to invest in high quality, although expensive, gear. The dual ratchets mimic the professional competition lines, and the bouncy webbing and sticky graphics are exactly how we like them. While we like some other tricklines, like the Slackline Industries Trick Line, those kits come with one ratchet and can't achieve the extremely high tension used by the pros. This is hands down the best, complete trickline set on the market.

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