Karl Wallenda
Encyclopedia
Karl Wallenda was the founder of The Flying Wallendas
, an internationally known daredevil
circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net.
, Germany
in 1905, began performing with his family at age six.
in 1928 and began an association with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus. Later they performed as freelancers. In 1947 they developed the unequaled three-tier 7-Man Pyramid. The Great Wallendas, a 1978 made-for-TV movie starring Lloyd Bridges
as Karl Wallenda, depicts the act's comeback after a fatal accident involving several family members during a performance. Wallenda was killed in a high wire accident a mere 38 days after it was first broadcast.
, a gorge formed by the Tallulah River
in Georgia
. An estimated 30,000 people watched Wallenda perform two headstands as he crossed the quarter-mile-wide gap.
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
, on a wire stretched 37 metres (121 ft) above the pavement, but fell to his death when winds exceeded 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour). The Wallenda family attributes the tragedy to "several misconnected guide ropes along the wire" and not the windy conditions. A film crew from WAPA-TV
in San Juan taped the fall, and the video, featuring anchorman Guillermo Jose Torres
' anguished narration of the fall, circled the world.
Karl Wallenda was quoted as saying, "Life is being on the wire; everything else is just waiting."
, a direct descendant of Karl Wallenda, continues the family tradition of performing stunts on highwire without a safety net. On October 15, 2008, during a live broadcast of Today (NBC program), Nik Wallenda walked and then bicycled across a suspended highwire twelve stories
from the ground off the roof of the Prudential Center in Downtown Newark
, New Jersey
for a Guinness Book of Records World Record
for longest and highest bicycle on a highwire. On June 4, 2011, he completed the high-wire crossing that killed his great-grandfather, citing Karl Wallenda as his "biggest hero in life".
The Flying Wallendas
The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 40s and has stayed since...
, an internationally known daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net.
Personal life
Wallenda, born in MagdeburgMagdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1905, began performing with his family at age six.
The Great Wallendas
The Great Wallendas were noted throughout Europe for their four-man pyramid and cycling on the high wire. The act moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1928 and began an association with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus. Later they performed as freelancers. In 1947 they developed the unequaled three-tier 7-Man Pyramid. The Great Wallendas, a 1978 made-for-TV movie starring Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
as Karl Wallenda, depicts the act's comeback after a fatal accident involving several family members during a performance. Wallenda was killed in a high wire accident a mere 38 days after it was first broadcast.
Daredevil stunts
On July 18, 1970, a 65-year-old Wallenda performed a high-wire walk across the Tallulah GorgeTallulah Gorge
The Tallulah Gorge is a gorge that is formed by the Tallulah River cutting through the Tallulah Dome rock formation. The gorge is approximately long and features rocky cliffs up to high. Through it, a series of falls known as Tallulah Falls, drop a total of in one mile...
, a gorge formed by the Tallulah River
Tallulah River
The Tallulah River is a river in Georgia and North Carolina. It begins in Clay County, North Carolina, near Standing Indian Mountain in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness and flows south into Georgia, crossing the state line into Towns County. The river then travels through Rabun County and ends in...
in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. An estimated 30,000 people watched Wallenda perform two headstands as he crossed the quarter-mile-wide gap.
Death
Despite being involved in several tragedies in his family's acts, Wallenda continued with his stunts. In 1978, at age 73, Wallenda attempted a walk between the two towers of the ten-story Condado Plaza HotelCondado Vanderbilt Hotel
The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico was built in 1919. It is or has been known also as Grand Hotel Condado Vanderbilt, The Condado Hotel, Hotel Condado, Condado Beach Hotel, or Hyatt Puerto Rico Hotel. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008...
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, on a wire stretched 37 metres (121 ft) above the pavement, but fell to his death when winds exceeded 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour). The Wallenda family attributes the tragedy to "several misconnected guide ropes along the wire" and not the windy conditions. A film crew from WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV is an independent television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital channel 27, virtual channel 4. The station is owned by InterMedia Partners and is branded as WAPA Television....
in San Juan taped the fall, and the video, featuring anchorman Guillermo Jose Torres
Guillermo José Torres
Guillermo José Torres is a Puerto Rican television reporter and news anchorman.-External links:*...
' anguished narration of the fall, circled the world.
Karl Wallenda was quoted as saying, "Life is being on the wire; everything else is just waiting."
Family members
Nik WallendaNik Wallenda
Nikolas Wallenda, known as Nik Wallenda born January 24, 1979 is an American high wire artist, acrobat, daredevil and Guinness Book of Records world record-holder. A direct descendant of Karl Wallenda , Nik is known for performing death-defying stunts on highwire without a safety net...
, a direct descendant of Karl Wallenda, continues the family tradition of performing stunts on highwire without a safety net. On October 15, 2008, during a live broadcast of Today (NBC program), Nik Wallenda walked and then bicycled across a suspended highwire twelve stories
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
from the ground off the roof of the Prudential Center in Downtown Newark
Downtown Newark
Downtown Newark is Newark, New Jersey's major central business, retail, and cultural district. It is located at a bend in the Passaic River.Downtown is the site of the original Puritan settlement of Newark. The first settlers, led by Robert Treat, landed not far from the present site of the New...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
for a Guinness Book of Records World Record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for longest and highest bicycle on a highwire. On June 4, 2011, he completed the high-wire crossing that killed his great-grandfather, citing Karl Wallenda as his "biggest hero in life".
In popular culture
- Salsa singer Marvin SantiagoMarvin SantiagoMarvin Santiago was a Puerto Rican salsa singer who became famous all across Latin America during the 1970s. He was also a part-time comedian on Puerto Rican television. His brother, Billiván Santiago, had some success in Puerto Rico as a plena singer.- Early life :Santiago was born in San Juan...
made constant references to Wallenda's death in a few of his songs, mostly as side comments. - Puerto Rican Reggaeton/Rap group Calle 13Calle 13 (band)Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar , who calls himself Residente and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez , who calls himself Visitante Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (born February 23, 1978 in Hato Rey, a subsection of San Juan, Puerto Rico), who calls...
make reference to Wallenda in their song Cabe-co-co - Unsigned US pop group A Band Called Mithras references Wallenda in their song I am the Great Wallenda'
- The death of Wallenda's sister-in-law Rietta Wallenda is referred to in Season 3 of the AMC program Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
, in the episode "Love Among the Ruins". - Wallenda's quote was used in the Movie RoundersRoundersRounders is a game played between two teams of either gender. The game originated in England where it was played in Tudor times. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by...
"Like Papa Wallenda said, 'Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting.'" - Athens, Georgia band Drive By Truckers references the Wallendas in their song The Flying WallendasThe Flying WallendasThe Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 40s and has stayed since...
on their 2010 cd The Big To-Do. - Karl Wallenda is mentioned in Tom RobbinsTom RobbinsThomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins (born July 22, 1936 is an American author. His best-selling novels are serio-comic, often wildly poetic stories with a strong social and philosophical undercurrent, an irreverent bent, and scenes extrapolated from...
book Villa IncognitoVilla IncognitoBantam Doubleday Dell and Random House published Villa Incognito in April and June 2003, respectively. One of the most quoted lines from the book is the very first, setting the tone for this Tom Robbins adventure: "It has been reported that Tanuki fell from the sky using his scrotum as a... - Folk/Alternative singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee includes references to the Great Wallenda stepping out over Tallulah Gorge in his song "Balaam's Ass" from the recording Blister Soul [1995] by the Vigilantes of Love.
- Electronic/downtempo artist Little People features the quote "Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting" in the song "Fisticuffs at Dawn"
External links
- The Wallenda family's site
- Rick Wallenda site
- Information about Tallulah Gorge State Park
- Karl Wallenda at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...