Tightrope walker Nik Wallenda, “The King of the High Wire,” has made history by becoming the first person ever to cross over the Grand Canyon. This was the highest tightrope walk ever attempted by Wallenda — towering 1,500 feet (~ 457 m) above the Little Colorado River, a height greater than the Empire State Building. Discovery Channel’s SKYWIRE LIVE WITH NIK WALLENDA aired LIVE across the United States and in 223 countries on Sunday, June 23.
“The Grand Canyon was a place I visited as a kid. For as long as I can remember, it has been a dream of mine to cross over such a spectacular setting,” said the 34-year-old Wallenda, a seventh-generation member of the legendary Flying Wallenda family. “I’m incredibly grateful to the Navajo Nation for allowing me to accomplish my dream and the Discovery Channel for trusting in my abilities.”
“This was certainly history in the making,” said Eileen O’Neill, Group President Discovery and TLC Networks. “Nik inspires so many people around the world to follow their dreams. We are incredibly proud to have brought this event into so many homes across the country and around the globe.”
“A walk we’ll never forget, it was quite an honour to produce this historic live event for Discovery,” said Sharon Scott, President and GM of NBC News’ Peacock Productions. “Nik’s vision and lifelong dream, this was a remarkable project to collaborate on, and we congratulate Nik on achieving this astonishing milestone.”
The tightrope crossing took place in a remote section of the Grand Canyon operated by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation and served as a spectacular backdrop to the event.
Viewers around the world joined Team Wallenda through social media leading up to and during the historic walk. Discovery Channel shared insight about Nik, his family and training through videos, pictures and more. Audiences also had the opportunity to visit wallenda.yourdiscovery.com/sea-360.html to go on a 360-degree panoramic virtual tour of Nik’s walk across the Grand Canyon, an immersive experience complementing the LIVE Discovery on-air event.
