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Walking across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope

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  • 16-06-2013 10:38am
    #1
    sunflower27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,822 ✭✭✭


    A guy called Nik Wallender is going to do this next Sunday - without a harness.

    What would make someone want to do this? Obviously on some level fame - as you can watch it live on the Discovery channel June 23, but what would make anyone do something so dangerous.

    I couldn't watch this. I watched the documentary Man on Wire (which is brilliant) and went to bed feeling nauseas at the risk he had taken.

    Bit of info here on it:

    http://press.discovery.com/us/dsc/programs/skywire-live-nik-wallenda/


    Edit: Wallenda, 34, said that this latest event will be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to walk at such a great height as well as a chance to honor his great-grandfather, the legendary Karl Wallenda, who died after falling from a tightrope in Puerto Rico in 1978.


    Oh Gawd!


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    #2
    Frosty McSnowballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,396 ✭✭✭Frosty McSnowballs


    Live on TV?!

    I hope he picked a few tricks up off the cartoons, otherwise he may need to pack a parachute or a bodybag.


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    #3
    sunflower27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,822 ✭✭✭sunflower27


    Yep, live on TV.


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    #4
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man



    What would make someone want to do this?]
    To get to the other side.


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    #5
    sunflower27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,822 ✭✭✭sunflower27


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    To get to the other side.

    There are other, less dangerous, modes of transportation! :p


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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    He wants to do this without a harness to honour his grandad who died falling from a tightrope. Sounds like a clever guy.


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    #7
    sunflower27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,822 ✭✭✭sunflower27


    He was the first guy to tightrope across Niagra Falls - not sure if that was with a harness or not!


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    #8
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    Dónal wrote: »
    He wants to do this without a harness to honour his grandad who died falling from a tightrope. Sounds like a clever guy.
    His grandfather's famous last stunt!

    73 years old,no harness, winds of 30mph

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAdRMcrzM9M


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    #9
    crockholm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭crockholm


    Dónal wrote: »
    He wants to do this without a harness to honour his grandad who died falling from a tightrope. Sounds like a clever guy.


    Your sig is truely apt for this topic


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    #10
    LizT
    Registered Users Posts: 29,089 ✭✭✭✭LizT


    sunflower27 wrote: »
    Yep, live on TV.

    It will probably be time delayed by a few seconds in case he falls. I can't imagine them broadcasting that.


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    #11
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    meh, do it in winter after the wire has been left over night


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    #12
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    LizT wrote: »
    It will probably be time delayed by a few seconds in case he falls. I can't imagine them broadcasting that.

    why not, its not like you will see the bottom of the canyon where he would fall to [and the sudden stop that comes with it and the big spread out mess it will make, its a 1500ft drop afterall] . its no big deal. someone just posted a clip of his grandfather dying above plus it will be on youtube in minutes by someone there anyway. the only reason people will watch it to see if he dies or not


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    #13
    Ava_e
    Closed Accounts Posts: 241 ✭✭Ava_e


    I'll be watching.














    From behind the sofa.



    Edit: agree Sunflower27 Man on Wire was absoultely brilliant, but you knew he was going to get to the other side. The tension in this one will go up to 11 as there is no definitive outcome.


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    #14
    Micky Dolenz
    Registered Users Posts: 44,080 ✭✭✭✭Micky Dolenz


    He is in for some fall if he fails.


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    #15
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,409 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    He needs to have an ACME rocket strapped to his back in case he falls.


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    #16
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFSyXLMgEI


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    #17
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,746 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    sunflower27 wrote: »
    He was the first guy to tightrope across Niagra Falls - not sure if that was with a harness or not!
    wtf ?

    Charles Blondin did it 30 June 1859.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Blondin
    Charles Blondin owed his celebrity and fortune to his idea of crossing the Niagara Gorge (located on the American-Canadian border) on a tightrope, 1,100 ft (340 m) long, 3.25 in (8.3 cm) in diameter and 160 ft (49 m) above the water, near the location of the current Rainbow Bridge. This he did on 30 June 1859, and a number of times thereafter, always with different theatrical variations: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, carrying a man (his manager, Harry Colcord) on his back, sitting down midway while he cooked and ate an omelet and standing on a chair with only one chair leg on the rope


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    #18
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,233 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    His grandfather's famous last stunt!

    73 years old,no harness, winds of 30mph

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAdRMcrzM9M

    Yep. That was quite the stupid way to go...


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    #19
    Festy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭Festy


    Just a reminder that it's on tonight at 1 am on channel 520 (Discovery)


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    #20
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Festy wrote: »
    Just a reminder that it's on tonight at 1 am on channel 520 (Discovery)
    Show last 2 hours 20 mins?

    Is he walking it lengthways or wha?:eek:


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    #21
    mikehammer67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 699 ✭✭✭mikehammer67


    LizT wrote: »
    It will probably be time delayed by a few seconds in case he falls. I can't imagine them broadcasting that.

    must be

    some station paid out millions a while back cos poeple got traumatized when someone died live on tv


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    #22
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    Show last 2 hours 20 mins?

    Is he walking it lengthways or wha?:eek:


    If he's anything like his grandad, it won't last more than 34 seconds !


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    #23
    mikehammer67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 699 ✭✭✭mikehammer67


    prob cut to an ad if he falls


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    #24
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    mikehammer67 wrote: »
    prob cut to an ad if he falls

    For Specsavers.


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    #25
    mad m
    Registered Users Posts: 9,002 ✭✭✭mad m


    Lapin wrote: »
    For Specsavers.

    Nah....The Andrex toilet roll ad....


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    #26
    looking_around
    Registered Users Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭looking_around


    I was wondering when/if someone would post this OP.
    endacl wrote: »
    Yep. That was quite the stupid way to go...

    He was 73! Would it have really mattered if he went by illness?

    Personally I'd rather die by the fall, quick.


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    #27
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    Or that Lotto one where the ould granny gets a private jet to the Grand Canyon instead of the Grand Canal.

    I'd piss myself if that one came on !


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    #28
    mikehammer67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 699 ✭✭✭mikehammer67


    looking_around wrote: »
    I was wondering when/if someone would post this OP.



    He was 73! Would it have really mattered if he went by illness?

    Personally I'd rather die by the fall, quick.

    dunno

    don't really fancy falling off a tightrope to my death myself


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    #29
    My name is URL
    Registered Users Posts: 25,060 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    Festy wrote: »
    Just a reminder that it's on tonight at 1 am on channel 520 (Discovery)

    Fcuk that... it'll probably be on LiveLeak in the morning anyway


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    #30
    BNMC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,231 ✭✭✭BNMC


    1:00am-3:20am on Discovery.

    What time is trip off?


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    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    It will be on tape delay, if he falls there is no chance they will show it live on TV. You'd be better off watching liveleak for a couple of hours.


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