Photo by Craig Lenihan
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The Bahamas - Atlantis, Paradise Island, Hosts Death-Defying High Wire Stunts Breaking Current
Guinness World Record for Highest Bike Ride
Suspended more than 26 stories above the ground between the Royal Towers of
Atlantis, Paradise Island and The Cove, Nik Wallenda, The King of The High Wire, made
two death-defying stunts and at the same time broke the current Guinness World
Record for highest bicycle ride (without a safety net) on August 28, 2010.
A seventh generation high wire and aerialist star, Wallenda traveled by bicycle over 100
feet from the West to East Towers at Atlantis while suspended 260 feet with a
breathtaking view of the world’s largest open-air marine habitat and the turquoise
ocean of The Bahamas. The feat saw Wallenda break his previous World Record set in
2008 at 135 feet high from the roof of the Prudential Building in Newark, New Jersey.
Nik’s performance was a welcomed delight to the thousands of Atlantis, Paradise Island
guests who got a first hand view of history in the making.
Photo by Craig Lenihan
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In addition to his Guinness Book of World Records bicycle stunt, Nik Wallenda also set a
personal record by walking a distance of just under 2000 feet from the West Tower to
The Cove Atlantis at an unbelievable and terrifying height of 250 feet above
Aquaventure, the non-stop water experience, containing 7 million gallons of water and
thrilling water slides. Nik called it, ‘the longest walk of his life’.
This particular attempt for the King of the High Wire was not without its challenges as
Wallenda’s father, a former tight rope walker himself, suffered from heat exhaustion
while rigging the wire for his son’s ambitious walk and was not able to witness his son’s
brave attempt.
Even rain and the threat of lightening didn’t seem to phase the brave King of the High
Wire whose feats were well documented by the Discovery Channel and are set to air at
a later date.
The large crowd gasped as Nik, once again without a safety net and without any safety
harnesses, slowly made the magnificent trek between two of the property’s most iconic
buildings. With what seemed like a sense of pure calm and delight, he paced himself in
a feat that took less than 20 minutes.
Photo by Craig Lenihan
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After completing the walk, some of it on an incline, Nik talked about the experience. He
said it was actually the first time he’d completed a walk without his father, who is his
Chief Rigger, present.
“I did this for my dad. I could have decided to quit considering what happened to him
minutes before I was set to go; however, I knew he would have wanted me to continue
and as a performer, the show must go on,” he stated casually.
Wallenda’s precision and skills can be traced back to his legendary Great Wallendas
roots. In 1780, the ancestral Wallenda family traveled as a circus troupe of acrobats,
jugglers, clowns, aerialists and animal trainers with the next two generations adding the
flying trapeze.
Photo by Craig Lenihan
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Photo by Craig Lenihan
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