Gothamist: Man on Wire, Petit in NYC

Papercutninja

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:31:22 -0500

@#12 They used a crossbow to shoot a fishing line across the gap. At night. AWESOME.

NannyState

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:22:37 -0500

#2, the bell bottoms were during his "David Bowie Period". After the massive publicity from this stunt, he retreated to a brief isolation and then emerged as a chain-smoking rockabilly tightrope walker. Those pictures, however, have been supressed.

Fritzdecat

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:55:48 -0500

I'd like to hear the story of how he got that wire between the buildings?

savedbyzero

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:46:02 -0500

Rockenrope, you're thinking of Karl Wallenda.

ereene

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:55:55 -0500

Saw this at Tribeca in April and it was really well done. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Bottomless Chips

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:41:39 -0500

If I remember correctly, he was fined a penny for every floor in the trade center and forced to do community service - which was teaching kids how to tight rope walk in central park. I think there were two different people. This guy who tightroped, and another guy who just scaled the building with special climbing gear to wedge himself in.

arsguide

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:03:25 -0500

oh man - what an incredible feat. I have nothing but respect for him. amazing

NoelMcCabe

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:41:01 -0500

Saw a documentary on this guy. If I remember correctly, he was fined a penny for every floor in the trade center and forced to do community service - which was teaching kids how to tight rope walk in central park.

Gregoire

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:27:30 -0500

I can't even look at those pictures without cringing. Isn't it really windy up that high?

Snoopy

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:22:49 -0500

I hope he learned his lesson. He wont be doing that stunt again.

Rocknrope

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:58:14 -0500

Does anyone remember someone else trying this stunt and falling? I remember as a little child watching the news and seeing an old tightrope walker tightrope walking between two buildings (may have been the Twin Towers) with the winds gusting, and he lost his footing and fell. Am I going crazy or does anyone else born in the 70s recall this?

groovehouse

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:46:20 -0500

I can't wait to see this. Very cool.

WorksInDUMBO

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:39:28 -0500

he did it while wearing BELL-BOTTOMS??

Kevin Walsh

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:06:15 -0500

It was a more innocent time. These days, if another building had been destroyed and the WTC was still there, he'd probably be in Sing Sing and the Post and News would be calling him an idiot, a terrorist or worse. www.forgotten-ny.com (down but up soon)