Wallenda, a daredevil from 'The Flying Wallendas' who previously walked across the Grand Canyon, has announced his new death-defying challenge which is set for November.
- September 17, 2014
AceShowbiz -
Daredevil Nik Wallenda is set to perform tightrope walk between skyscrapers in Chicago. Wallenda announced the mission on Tuesday, September 16, saying that he would attempt tightrope walk over the Chicago river at night on Sunday, November 2. The show will be broadcast live by Discovery at 4 P.M. PT/7 P.M. ET.
In the upcoming high-wire stunt, Wallenda will walk from the Marina City's west tower to the Leo Burnett Building more than 50 stories above the Chicago River without safety net or harness. Then, he will continue from Marina City's west tower to the east tower.
"This is going to be the most incredible tightrope walk of my career," Wallenda said in a statement. "I can't think of a better city to do it. I have fond memories of spending time performing in Chicago and the Midwest with my family. Besides, it's the 'Windy City' and there's nothing like doing this during winter in Chicago. That's a challenge for me, and I love to push myself to do things that most people think are impossible."
Back on June 23, 2013, Wallenda crossed the Grand Canyon on a 1,300-foot-long wire. The challenge was aired on Discovery and watched by 13 million viewers. "We are excited about shifting from the natural backdrop of the Grand Canyon to the urban environment of Chicago. It is an iconic American city that presents a number of extreme conditions and challenges that Nik has yet to attempt on such a grand scale," Marjorie Kaplan, group president of Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said of "Skyscraper Live With Nik Wallenda".
Wallenda is the seventh generation of acrobat family "The Flying Wallendas". His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda fell to his death during a tightrope attempt in Puerto Rico in 1978.
