Wallenda at Niagara

[Malibook]

I certainly would not want to see a tragedy but doing this walk with a tether and removing the risk just seems totally ridiculous to me.
Removing the daredevil/danger aspect makes it pointless to me.



Wallenda will have one safeguard, a tether that will keep him out of the water if he falls, but not on the wire. ABC, which is televising the walk, insisted on it. Wallenda said he only agreed because he's not willing to lose this chance and needs ABC's sponsorship to help offset some of the $1.3 million cost of the spectacle.
"This is what we do. I feel like that's taking away from it," Wallenda said. "I feel like I'm cheating at that point."
The tether is another obstacle to contend with in a family whose shunning of safety devices is part of the appeal of the act.
"Life," he said, again quoting his great-grandfather, "is on the wire. Everything else is just waiting."


http://news.yahoo.com/wallenda-niagara-falls-tightrope-162326258.html

 

[TeasePlease]

I didn't know that he'd be tethered.

Now I need something else to entertain me on Friday night.

 

[69Shooter]

There was actually a piece on the Buffalo news the other night about how they needed to make sure that the tether moved smoothly over the cable that it was attached to. There was some concern that if it "caught" at all it might give Wallenda the sensation of being pulled backwards... could actually make the crossing more dangerous!

 

[Malibook]

How the hell can it be more dangerous if they remove the risk of him falling to his death?
Perhaps it could be more difficult but not more dangerous.

 

[69Shooter]

How the hell can it be more dangerous if they remove the risk of him falling to his death?
Perhaps it could be more difficult but not more dangerous.

I'll agree with that... bad choice of words on my part... it could make it more likely that he'll fall but, obviously, not more dangerous.

 

[james t kirk]

Well, I guess no-one wants to see him follow (tragically) in his Grandfather's (Karl Wallenda) footsteps.

 

[TeasePlease]

Notice how much the cable wobbled in Kurt's walk. Nick's cable over the Falls won't have stabilizing wires. Yikes.

 

[Rockslinger]

Wonder if this is any more dangerous than skiing, auto racing, bobsledding, boxing, etc. where atheletes(sp) have suffered major injuries or died? Yet, people watch those sports.

 

[great bear]

All I can say is I hope it "goes over well".

 

[pokergod]

Im surprised nobody mentioned his mom lol. She's quite the milf.

 

[Buick Mackane]

I bet Nik Wallenda doing fine. :thumb:

 

[userz]

I hope he removes the tether as soon as he's up there. What's the fucking point if there's no possibility of death?

 

[Questor]

He was 73 yrs. old. I'm not sure how agile he was. I think just bending over like he did was more than he could handle. Tragic, but you gotta admire his dedication to his art.

In any case, Nick Wallenda will be hard pressed to recoup all his expenses ($1.5M), let alone make any money. The "stunt as paid entertainment" genre is dead. You have morons that are willing to do it for free in their backyard and post it to YouTube. Dozens of people have gone over the Falls in a barrel (or similar) and not one of them achieved any fame or fortune.

He's asking for donations from the public. Good luck.

I believe he already makes a living by doing his act on the high wire. I expect he will be able to double his fee after this. So it might not be so important if he's in the red for this particular stunt.

I hope he removes the tether as soon as he's up there. What's the fucking point if there's no possibility of death?

What I have heard is that he may remove the tether once he is doing the crossing. That of course is mere speculation. The speculation is also that there is a "safety" clause in the contract that allows him to remove it if it is impeding his progress.

However, from the interviews I have listened to, Wallenda carries a back up tether that is already attached to his waist. If he feels he is loosing balance, he can still bend down and clip it on before he falls. This, he apparently always uses, just in case. But this was not satisfactory for ABC

 

[dr tongue]

I certainly would not want to see a tragedy but doing this walk with a tether and removing the risk just seems totally ridiculous to me.
Removing the daredevil/danger aspect makes it pointless to me.

There still is some danger. A nest of peregrine falcons is nearby and they may attack to protect their young. Also when he's half way across, do customs agents have to meet him?

 

[james t kirk]

Tether or no tether, neither me, nor any of you would do it.

One has to wonder if he did fall and was hanging from the tether - just how the how does he get back to shore?

Usually the lanyards on fall arrest harnesses are designed to deploy in order to absorb the shock and leave the fallee suspended about 8 feet below the point of attachment.

 

[Rockslinger]

I was wondering why he is doing the walk in the dark of night and then it occurred to me why (think David Copperfield).

 

[Questor]

Well, I just hope he is wearing a helmet.

 

[Moraff]

I was wondering why he is doing the walk in the dark of night and then it occurred to me why (think David Copperfield).

My thinking is that usually the winds die down at nighfall so maybe that is a factor? Plus doing it now gives people time to get there after work.

 

[Disco]

his wife is smokin!!!

 

[frankcastle]

It was pretty cool. Even with the tether it was still are hard feat to contend with swirling winds, rain.moisture, a long distance, a 40 pound pole to carry in one position for 20 minutes,

Sure the tether means he won't die but I think ABC would not broadcast it for fear of him falling and some parents suing for damagese to kids watching.