# Will Nik Wallenda succeed in his tightrope crossing of the Grand Canyon Tonight? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738 "2013-06-23T23:12:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/1 "2013-06-23T23:12:17Z")
> [@](#): > > It will be 1,500 feet straight down on either side and 1,400 feet across to record-setting glory when daredevil Nik Wallenda steps out on a two-inch-thick steel cable stretched across a section of the Grand Canyon on Sunday night. A seventh-generation member of the famous “Flying Wallendas” family, Wallenda, 34, is attempting to become the first person to walk across the Grand Canyon on a wire during the Discovery Channel’s “Skywire Live” special starting at 8 p.m. ET. > **[He did it! Daredevil Nik Wallenda wire walks across the Grand Canyon](https://www.today.com/news/daredevil-nik-wallenda-attempts-new-tightrope-world-record-6C10411621)** > > Daredevil Nik Wallenda succeeded in becoming the first person to walk across the Grand Canyon on a wire, during the Discovery Channel’s “Skywire Live” special on Sunday hosted by Natalie Morales and Willie Geist.After a tense 22 minutes and 54... Success will be stupendous. Failure will be a 1,500 fatal fall. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/2 "2013-06-23T23:21:30Z")
I’m not going to watch it, but I was 10 years old when Philippe Petit strung a tightrope between the WTC towers and walked across IIRC 8 times. I also watched the award-winning documentary “Man on Wire” on January 15, 2009. How do I remember the date? Because I turned off the movie when it was over, and turned on “All Things Considered” to find out about the Hudson River plane crash. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/3 "2013-06-24T01:13:13Z")
That’s happened by now, right? (I don’t have cable.) How’d it go? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/4 "2013-06-24T01:19:54Z")
The interminable pre-show is over, and now the interminable show is still doing run-up to the actual event. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/5 "2013-06-24T01:37:08Z")
Ha ha! Does he plan to do it in the dark? In that case, I want to change my vote! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/6 "2013-06-24T01:44:15Z")
First we need a poll to see if he’ll start. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/7 "2013-06-24T01:48:27Z")
This is too nerve wracking to watch. I’ll check in later. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/8 "2013-06-24T01:50:10Z")
Is he tethered, like he was going over Niagara Falls a year or two ago. 'Cause if he is, what’s the point? I’d attempt it, knowing if I fell I would be dangling by my ankle until rescued. BFD. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/9 "2013-06-24T01:51:59Z")
No tether. Pretty gusty too, by the looks of things. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/10 "2013-06-24T01:52:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Is he tethered, like he was going over Niagara Falls a year or two ago. 'Cause if he is, what’s the point? > > I’d attempt it, knowing if I fell I would be dangling by my ankle until rescued. BFD. No tether this time. I heard an interview with him where he said the tether on the Niagara Falls event was a last-minute change forced by the television networks’ lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/11 "2013-06-24T01:53:05Z")
So, is it on TV? ETA: Found it. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/12 "2013-06-24T01:54:27Z")
I hadn’t realized how large a part of wire-walking thanking Jesus is. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/13 "2013-06-24T01:56:23Z")
I’m going to say it: I hope he falls. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/14 "2013-06-24T02:00:45Z")
Now why on earth would you want that? I mean, yes, I think this sort of thing is extremely unwise, glorifies stupidly risky behaviour, etc, but still a fall would be a man’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/15 "2013-06-24T02:01:35Z")
He did it!! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/16 "2013-06-24T02:04:12Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > He did it!! Make it or fall? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/17 "2013-06-24T02:04:17Z")
Because it’s a very unwise thing to do. I can’t imagine taking that kind of risk, and all the Jesus petitioning got to me. Yeah, I’m glad he made it and it was a dumb thing for me to say. Still, it would have been exciting if he fell. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/18 "2013-06-24T02:05:03Z")
[Not actually the Grand Canyon?](http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2013/06/23/one-problem-with-nik-wallendas-grand-canyon-walk-it-isnt-at-the-grand-canyon) I thought a quarter mile sounded a bit brief for a GC crossing. ---
**Author:** ![AussieDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@AussieDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AussieDog)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/19 "2013-06-24T02:05:22Z")
He made it! ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738/20 "2013-06-24T02:12:01Z")
Wow. I can’t even imagine the adrenaline and cortisol boiling through his veins. That was impressive! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-nik-wallenda-succeed-in-his-tightrope-crossing-of-the-grand-canyon-tonight/661738.md?page=2)