Meet Ethan Arkin | Highliner & Vascular Access Specialist RN

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ethan Arkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ethan, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Elevated Experiences is the manifestation of a deep obsession with the intersection of bass music and the flow state achieved through slacklining and highlining. It’s a singular experience—tuning into deep, bass-driven rhythms and channeling that energy into the bounce and flow of a slackline. This synergy creates a cerebral ecstasy, further amplified by the excitement of a vibing crowd below. A powerful feedback loop of energy emerges between the crowd, the highliner, and the music, generating a truly elevated experience for everyone involved.

The journey to conceive Elevated Experiences spans more than 15 years. It began with falling in love with Dubstep and EDM music in 2009, followed by developing a deep connection to rock climbing and mountains in 2012, which eventually led me to highlining in August 2014. From that moment on, I became passionately devoted to slacklining, dedicating every spare moment to practice and building connections within the community. While music always played in my ears, most of my time was spent in the East Coast mountain ranges, pursuing highline projects.

During this same period, I pursued my nursing career—earning my RN license and starting in Critical Care, transitioning to the ER during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually specializing as a Vascular Access Specialist post-pandemic. I also served as the Health and Safety Director for the GGBY Highline Gathering—the world’s first and longest-running highline festival in Moab, Utah—for six years. Simultaneously, I played a pivotal role in shaping the East Coast Slackline Community, establishing and rigging dozens of highlines across states like West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee.

By 2018, I began to feel a strong pull toward music festivals. As I attended more events, I found myself looking up at the sky and wondering: Who do we need to ask for permission to rig highlines and treenets at festivals? It wasn’t a question of whether we were capable but rather of finding the right person to say yes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to “reason for being” or “a reason to wake up in the morning.” It represents a sense of purpose or meaning in life, often linked to a deep fulfillment derived from aligning personal passions, skills, societal needs, and economic sustainability.” – ChatGPT

For many years I have used the concept of Ikigai as a compass to help guide my energy and align my purpose. My biggest passions include physical movement, rock climbing, slacklining, Bass music, and Vascular Access.

By profession I am an ER and Critical Care trained RN currently practicing as a Vascular Access Specialist, aka IV Team Nurse.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Banjo Coffee, Stone Mountain, The Beltline, Emerald CIty Bagels, Central Rock Gym, The Eastern for a show and Arcadia for the afters, and Hayakawa is the next Michelin starred Omakase experience I am planning on for a close friend visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a heartfelt shoutout to the east coast slackline community, Dylan Nunn (founder of Mettā Creative), and Jered Ardry (founder of Sacred Hive). Without the collective energy and passion of the slackline community, and the vision and receptiveness of Dylan and Jered, Elevated Experiences wouldn’t be paving the way for the future of highline performance and slackline culture at music festivals.

From the beginning, Elevated Experiences (EE) has been about creating performance opportunities for slackliners, introducing slacklife culture to EDM music festivals, and simply setting up slacklines and treenets next to big sound systems. The magic of EE has come to life through the generous volunteer efforts of over 40 members of the east coast slackline community, as well as contributors from the greater national and international slackline communities.

Dylan Nunn and his team at Mettā Creative have played a pivotal role in this journey. Mettā Creative’s mission is to connect and inspire people to live more regeneratively through transformational experiences. Dylan and I first met at an electronic music event in Washington, DC, in April 2019. We immediately connected, realizing our visions were strongly aligned. Dylan shared that he was organizing a grassroots electronic and jam music festival called Beauty in the Backyard in Maryland, which offered incredible opportunities to rig slacklines, highlines, and treenets. With six months until the event, I began rallying the slackline community to create a magical space with five highlines suspended up to 50 feet high in massive oak and pine trees, a slackline park for attendees, and workshops ranging from slacklining and silks to acroyoga, handstands, and juggling. This event became the catalyst for further growth and ultimately caught the attention of Jered.

Though I was unaware at the time, my journey with EE began much earlier—back in 2010 when I fell in love with EDM and dubstep music. This passion, combined with a continuous thread of synchronicities, led me to meet Jered Ardry in 2021. Jered is the founder of Sacred Hive, an EDM promotion company that fosters community and culture through bass music events in Nashville. Sacred Hive is also behind Sound Haven, an annual four-day festival about two hours outside the city. Jered’s openness, trust, and belief in my vision have been integral to where we are today.

Elevated Experiences is a testament to the power of community, collaboration, and shared passion. I am endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported this journey and helped bring slackline culture into the spotlight at music festivals.

Website: https://www.elevatedexperiences.world/

Instagram: @elevatedexperiences42

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElevatedExperiences42/

Image Credits
Benton Bloodworth, Julien Deroeux, Bronson Lockwood, Ethan Arkin