Wallenda high-wire walk to soar above SarasotaBy Billy Cox, Sarasota Hearald Tribune
Published: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:37 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:37 p.m.
Published: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:37 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:37 p.m.
SARASOTA - The public will get a rare glimpse of the Wallenda daredevil legend on Thursday morning when Nik Wallenda walks a high wire without a net in downtown Sarasota.
Weather permitting, at 9 a.m., the great grandson of Karl Wallenda is scheduled to begin his famed balancing act from 200 feet up at One Watergate Condominium. From there, he'll head 600 feet west to the roof of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The 31-year-old Sarasota native estimates the tense journey will take 15 to 20 minutes.
Wallenda holds two Guinness Book of Records high-wire marks: the greatest height (235 feet) and longest distance (128 feet) ever traveled on a bicycle. That 2008 milestone was covered live by NBC's Today show in Newark, N.J.
Wallenda performed 15 skywalks last year of 100 feet or more, the highest of which was 262 feet. The longest was 1,100 feet. He has permits to forge the south end of the Grand Canyon, and has not yet embarked on that feat, and is pursuing negotiations to conquer Niagara Falls.
Thursday will mark the first time the performance artist has staged a major public event in Sarasota. The exhibition is a warm up for his booking at Circus Sarasota, which runs under the Big Top on Feb. 12-28 across from Ed Smith Stadium.
Weather permitting, at 9 a.m., the great grandson of Karl Wallenda is scheduled to begin his famed balancing act from 200 feet up at One Watergate Condominium. From there, he'll head 600 feet west to the roof of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The 31-year-old Sarasota native estimates the tense journey will take 15 to 20 minutes.
Wallenda holds two Guinness Book of Records high-wire marks: the greatest height (235 feet) and longest distance (128 feet) ever traveled on a bicycle. That 2008 milestone was covered live by NBC's Today show in Newark, N.J.
Wallenda performed 15 skywalks last year of 100 feet or more, the highest of which was 262 feet. The longest was 1,100 feet. He has permits to forge the south end of the Grand Canyon, and has not yet embarked on that feat, and is pursuing negotiations to conquer Niagara Falls.
Thursday will mark the first time the performance artist has staged a major public event in Sarasota. The exhibition is a warm up for his booking at Circus Sarasota, which runs under the Big Top on Feb. 12-28 across from Ed Smith Stadium.
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