Why I built the world’s first spotting belt made specifically for AcroYoga.
If you’ve ever tried to spot a dynamic AcroYoga pop or an Icarian throw with just your arms, you know the feeling—equal parts adrenaline and mild terror. You’re trying to catch your friend mid-flight while keeping your toes and fingers intact. It’s chaos disguised as grace. And for years, there just wasn’t a tool that truly fit what we do.
I looked around at what existed. Gymnastics belts? Great for flips and tumbling, but covered in swivels and metal bits that are an absolute nightmare when someone’s feet or hands are nearby. Climbing harnesses? Loops everywhere, made for carabiners, not contact. They’re brilliant for what they do, but in AcroYoga they’re like showing up to a pool party wearing ski boots.
So I decided to build something new—something born from Acro, not borrowed from another sport. I studied everything from kite-surfing belts to weightlifting belts, trying to understand how to balance strength, mobility, and comfort. I wanted a belt that didn’t fight you during a trick. Something light enough that you could forget you were wearing it but strong enough to handle the unexpected.
That’s where the FlySafe Spotting Belt started taking shape. I stripped away every unnecessary loop and metal piece until it was clean, sleek, and safe for bases. Then I built it back up with what truly mattered: reinforced stitching, a triple-layer Velcro system, and a military-grade buckle that refuses to fail. Redundancy on redundancy. Because in Acro, if something breaks, you don’t just lose gear—you risk bodies.
I wanted the belt to feel good too. The inside is padded for comfort and lined with soft, breathable material so flyers can train longer without rubbing or bruising. On the sides, I added removable hand-spot straps—short, padded, neoprene-wrapped handles that give spotters better grip and control. No more rope burns or clumsy wraps. Just clean, predictable catches that feel natural.
The hand-spot system was a big breakthrough. Traditional spotting ropes are long, heavy, and can whip or tangle. My design gives each spotter a single loop per side, positioned close to the hips—the natural center of gravity. It creates a balanced connection between spotter and flyer. You can react faster, smoother, and with less interference on the trick itself.
The belt weighs just about half a kilo. That means it’s easy to travel with, throw in your Acro bag, or use anywhere—from beaches to backyards to big studios. You don’t need a full rigging setup to train safely. Just a couple of friends, some creativity, and the FlySafe.
Of course, none of that matters if it’s not built to last. I went through multiple manufacturers, and none of them hit the level I wanted. Eventually I found one with the right machines, but even then, I invested in a specialized sewing machine just to get the tight, dense box-X stitching I knew this product needed. Every line of thread is intentional. Every belt is checked, re-checked, and tested beyond the limits of spotting.
Why? Because this isn’t a gimmick—it’s safety equipment. And I want to sleep well at night knowing that when someone wears a FlySafe belt, it’s not going to fail. Like all tools, it does need care: inspect it, keep it clean, treat it with respect. If you do, it’ll take care of you for years.
For me, this belt represents more than just hardware. It’s a philosophy of how we grow safely in AcroYoga. The goal isn’t to prevent all falls—it’s to slow them down, to minimize risk, and to build confidence so that both flyer and base can push their limits without fear. The FlySafe gives that extra margin of safety that allows real progress—the kind that only comes from repetition, trust, and play.
When you see someone catch a pop cleanly or stick a dynamic whip with full commitment, there’s always a story of trust behind it. That’s what FlySafe is for. It’s a bridge between courage and caution, between trying and thriving.
So if you see me at a jam or a festival, come say hi. Try the belt. Throw a pop. Feel the difference.
Because when we fly safer, we fly higher—and that’s what Acro’s all about.
