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Wallenda Walks 1K Ft. Long Tightrope At Regatta

Tightrope Suspended 200 Ft. In Air

Posted: 4:46 pm EDT July 1,2009Updated: 11:17 pm EDT July 4,2009

PITTSBURGH -- Nik Wallenda was almost 200 feet in the air when he walked across the Allegheny River during this year’s Three Rivers Regatta.

The walk took take place at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Thousands watched as Wallenda walked a cable length of more than 1,000 feet, successfully making it to the other side.

The walk took about 20 minutes to complete.

VIDEOS
Walk Part 1
Walk Part 2
Walk Part 3
Walk Part 4
Walk Part 5

"This is the first time I've walked across an entire river, and the first time I've rigged a cable this way," Wallenda said.

At 200 feet, the water below him didn't make Wallenda any safer; at that height, if he would have fallen, it would have been like falling on pavement.

"You know, there are a lot of dangers and concerns over a waterway," he said. "Higher winds (have) more time to build up."

"It’s something I love to do," he said when Channel 11 News asked him why he’s risking his life. "We train and practice very hard. We train for high winds -- it's what we have to do. It’s a way of life -- more of a lifestyle than anything to me."

Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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