Nik Wallenda - Career

Career

Nik Wallenda has produced a variety of large-scale productions for amusement parks and similar venues in several countries. The acts often feature him alongside family members, especially his wife Erendira. Wallenda's children are sometimes part of the act. His youngest child, Evita, has been performing balancing feats since she would balance in the palm of her father's hand at six months old. Wallenda's shows have incorporated water and diving feats, the Wheel of Death, incline motorcycles, aerial silk and hoop, the globe of death, and of course the high-wire. "We've performed nearly every circus or daredevil skill there is," claims Wallenda. "I like to mix it up", he says. "It keeps on our toes and gives the public something new to see every year." Wallenda's father, Terry Troffer, serves as his safety coordinator, having retired from acrobatics after 36 years in the business. Troffer's brother Mike serves as chief engineer. Wallenda has never had a serious accident, describing the worst injury of his life as a broken toe while playing football.

Wallenda performs without a safety net or harness. "My great-grandfather taught that safety nets offer a false sense of security," he explains. He notes that a safety net is no guarantee – an uncle was killed while performing despite falling into a safety net. However, he says he does not have a "death wish in any way. I plan on living and dying a natural death when I'm old." Asked about fear, he remarked "I would say the only thing I fear is God". He adds that his Christian faith allows him to "know where I'm going to go when I die ... I'm not scared of dying."

Wallenda says that the high-wire performance is not a daredevil act or a mere stunt, but rather an athletic feat requiring great physical training. "I see a stunt as somebody who gets in a barrel and goes over the edge and hopes they don't hit a rock," he said commenting on his walk across Niagara Falls. "What I do is very calculated. I train a long time for it and I consider it more of an art. I guess I don't get offended by calling it a stunt, but to me it's more of an art than anything." He aims to be "over-prepared" for every event he does, training six hours a day, six days a week. He does ten hours of weight training and five hours of aerobic exercise each week. Even so, he says wire walking is primarily a mental skill.

Wallenda has developed several tricks that he often incorporates into his high-wire routine including stopping to make a phone call, sitting on the wire, and lying down on the wire. He is said to be "obsessed" with the technological aspects of his acts, insisting on calculating every detail himself. When asked why he risks his life on the high-wire, he replied "I do this because I love what I do ... If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd still be doing what I do." "Walking the wire to me is life," he adds. Wallenda and his family spend roughly 48 weeks per year on the road.

As of 2013, Wallenda has a contract with the Discovery Channel for near-exclusive broadcast of his acts. He carries a US$20-million insurance policy. He has called his career "extremely lucrative, more lucrative than I would have ever dreamed of." He plans to retire at age 50.