Arts & Entertainment
Sarasota Daredevil Crosses Grand Canyon on High Wire
Nik Wallenda, the famed high-wire artist and Sarasota native, made the harrowing walk live on Discovery on Sunday night.
This story was written and reported by Patch Associate Regional Editor Jason Bartolone.
He did it.
Nik Wallenda, Sarasota's modern-day daredevil, crossed the Grand Canyon on a high wire Sunday night as a live television audience watched his grandest stunt yet.
Dressed in jeans and a blue Discovery channel shirt, Wallenda made the harrowing walk 1,500 feet above the ground. It took him 22 minutes and 54 seconds to get from one side to the other — even running the last few steps before greeting his family and crew waiting for him.
"It was breathtaking," Wallenda said on TV when asked about his view looking down at the canyon. "It was everything I ever wanted it to be."
Wallenda, the latest in long line of famous family performers, trained for the stunt earlier this week back in his hometown, at Nathan Benderson Park.
"Last week in my hometown of Sarasota, I trained ... during Tropical Storm Andrea with wind speeds of 52 miles per hour," Wallenda told TV hosts Willie Geist and Natalie Morales before making the walk.
Wallenda also used the giant fans from airboats to generate winds of up to 90 mph for his training walks.
So what's next for Wallenda? He said on TV after Sunday's walk he'd like to walk between two skyscrapers in New York City. He'd also like his fans to make their suggestions.
Last year, Wallenda became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a wire. The stunt was shown live on ABC.
Wallenda followed that up in January by walking over U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota, crossing the highway 200 feet in the air.
He did it.
Nik Wallenda, Sarasota's modern-day daredevil, crossed the Grand Canyon on a high wire Sunday night as a live television audience watched his grandest stunt yet.
Dressed in jeans and a blue Discovery channel shirt, Wallenda made the harrowing walk 1,500 feet above the ground. It took him 22 minutes and 54 seconds to get from one side to the other — even running the last few steps before greeting his family and crew waiting for him.
"It was breathtaking," Wallenda said on TV when asked about his view looking down at the canyon. "It was everything I ever wanted it to be."
Wallenda, the latest in long line of famous family performers, trained for the stunt earlier this week back in his hometown, at Nathan Benderson Park.
"Last week in my hometown of Sarasota, I trained ... during Tropical Storm Andrea with wind speeds of 52 miles per hour," Wallenda told TV hosts Willie Geist and Natalie Morales before making the walk.
Wallenda also used the giant fans from airboats to generate winds of up to 90 mph for his training walks.
So what's next for Wallenda? He said on TV after Sunday's walk he'd like to walk between two skyscrapers in New York City. He'd also like his fans to make their suggestions.
Last year, Wallenda became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a wire. The stunt was shown live on ABC.
Wallenda followed that up in January by walking over U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota, crossing the highway 200 feet in the air.
"I truly love this city and anything I can do to shine an international spotlight and attract more visitors, I'm more than willing to do," he told Patch at the time.
For his efforts to promote his hometown, Wallenda was honored last month with the "Voice of Sarasota" award by Visit Sarasota County.
Tell Us: Where do you think Nik Wallenda should walk next?
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