Source: ctv.ca
Notorious daredevil Nik Wallenda has announced the summer date of his latest stunt – a tightrope walk over Niagara Falls.
The seventh-generation member of the Flying Wallendas family will traverse the furious falls on June 15.
The stunt was given the green light in February after Wallenda managed to convince the Niagara Parks Commission and the New York Legislature to support the event.
“Not only is it a dream, but we had to change two laws in two countries that were over 100 years old,” Wallenda, 32, told media gathered in Niagara Falls on Wednesday.
“Nothing like this has ever been done before anywhere in the world. This is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
A study suggests live television coverage of the event could generate up $120 million in revenue for the Niagara region.
Wallenda, who bills himself as “King of the High Wire,” has completed tightrope walks that were higher and longer than the anticipated crossing at Niagara Falls, but has said the internationally known location has a special appeal.
“I’ve done walks longer, I’ve done walks longer. I’ve done walks in the rain that were longer and higher. But none of them will compare to this. This is the walk of my lifetime,” he said.
“I have the permits to do the Grand Canyon, but I don’t know that it will be a bigger deal than this. This is it. Which is kind of a scary thing when you are my age and as part of your career you want to keep doing bigger events.”
The Niagara Parks Commission agreed to approve Wallenda’s request despite a policy against allowing stunts. Chairwoman Janice Thomson said the board will only consider requests for such stunts once every 20 years.
See video of the announcement here.
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