BoddaH1994 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 As many of you know, Nik Wallend of the Flying Wallendas will be making a death-defying highwire skywalk at Kings Island on August 16th. If you missed the Rick Wallenda walk last year you really must see this one. Seeing this done for yourself is an extremely exhilarating experience that's difficult to put into words. Nic Wallenda is a seventh generation member of the Wallenda Dynasty, whose death-defying acts date back as early as 1780. They began traveling as a circus troupe of acrobats, jugglers, clowns, aerialists and animal trainers and added a flying trapeze act in the next two generations. The great Karl Wallenda was born in 1905 in Magdeburg, Germany and would be the family member that brought this great dynasty to America on an invitation to join the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. John Ringling witnessed the family's pinnacle act of a 4 person 3 level pyramid on a highwire and invited them to be a part of The Greatest Show on Earth. Karl Wallenda Attempting a Death-Defying Sky Walk at Kings Island in 1974 Tragedy struck in at the State Fair Colleseum in Detroit on January 30, 1962 when the family was performing their crowning act of a 7 chair pyramid when one of the frontmen on the wire faulted and the pyramid collapsed, leaving three men dead and one paralyzed. A Historical Piece on The Wallenda Tragedy in Detroit Years later, Karl Wallenda continued his skywalks walking between buildings and across stadiums, including Busch, Veterans, JFK, 3 Rivers Stadiums and the Astrodome, with his most famous walk being a 1,200' walk at Tallulah Falls Gorge in Georgia in front of 30,000 spectators. Karl Wallenda, at the age of 73, attempted to make a building-to-building walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico in March 1978. The ocean winds began to pick up, and he struggled to catch his balance. Wallenda ultimately didn't make it across and he plunged to his death in a 700' fall to the street below. Official ruling was that the fall was a result of a bad rigging job on the wire. ABC New Report on Karl Wallenda's Fall The Wallenda Family is no stranger to Kings Island. Karl made an amazing tight rope walk down Coney Mall in 1974 and just last year Rick Wallenda made a world record walk of over 2,000' when he walked the distance of the Eiffel Tower, past the front gate and back. Rick Wallenda attempts a world record as he walks from the Eiffel Tower, past the front gate and back at Kings Island on July 4th, 2008. Nik Wallenda was born in Sarasota, FL on January 24, 1979, and began performing with the circus at the age of 3 as a clown and did his first professional wire performance at the age of 13. Debating between a medical career and a career in the circus, Wallenda was quoted in saying, “It was in 1998 when members of my family – including my father, Terry Troffer, and my mother, Delilah Wallenda – re-created the seven-person pyramid on a high wire in Detroit, MI, after many decades of the act’s retirement. I knew then what I was born to do.” Nik Wallenda performing his famous high wire act in which he rides a bike. Nik was part of the group that carried out one of the proudest moments for the Wallenda Dynasty in 2001 when they created a world record 8 person pyramid on a high wire in Japan’s Kurashiki Tivoli Park. This was a feat that was rehearsed heavily for five months. Recently, Nik has adapted his high wire act to a grander scale performing water stunts, diving and other daredevil exploits. His act, featured around the world, can be found at amusement parks or other similar venues. Nik's wife Erendira is the matriarch of a 8th generation circus performer family that owns the largest circus in Australia. He proposed to her on bended knee on a 30' high wire in 1999 in front of 18,000 people in Montreal. Nik and Erendira have three children named Yanni, Amadaos, and Evita which carry the legacy of a combined total of 25 generations of performers. Wallenda's future ambitions include paying homage to his grandfather, the great Karl Wallenda, by walking the width of the Grand Canyon. This dream may become a reality for him as he has apparently secured the permits. Clearly there is a lot of history vested in the Wallenda Dynasty. It is a fantastic opportunity to see one of the great Flying Wallendas for yourself, and you can do see Nic Wallenda FREE with park admission at Kings Island on August 16th! Sources Nic Wallenda's Official Site Photo Credit: Book Stevie's Library Wikipedia: Nic Wallenda Photo Credit: Leheigh Valley Entertainment Wikipedia: Karl Wallenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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