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ERENDIRA WALLENDA, THE aerialist wife of daredevil Nik Wallenda, successfully hung by her teeth from a helicopter over Niagara Falls today, pulling off the stunt five years to the day her husband walked a tightrope over the falls.
The 36-year-old mother-of-three was tethered to a hoop suspended from a helicopter 300 feet above the water.
With the mist from the falls as a backdrop, Wallenda worked herself into a series of dramatic poses, waving her arms as she dangled by her knees and toes and doing handstands and splits. She hung twice by her teeth with the use of a mouth guard.
About 200 people watched on shore at Niagara Falls State Park, many with cellphones aloft to capture photos and video of Wallenda, who appeared as a graceful silhouette against the clouds.
“There are no words. It was beautiful,” she said afterward.
The Wallendas said the stunt broke a height record Nik Wallenda set in 2011 when he hung by his teeth 250 feet above Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.
Caught off guard
Erendira Wallenda said she was caught off guard by the windy conditions above the cataracts, something her husband had to deal with during his 2012 stunt.
“I respect this man so much more because it was way more windy than I thought it would be,” she said.
Helicopter pilot Paul Barth said Wallenda signaled to him to fly higher during the routine to get away from the wind.
“She was trying to get up above the turbulence,” said Barth of Palm Beach, Florida, who has worked before with the Wallendas. “It billows up as you can tell by the spray.”
The aerialist spent about eight minutes of the 10-minute stunt hovering over the falls.
Afterward, she and her husband spoke of the attraction of the falls, which has long attracted daredevils.
There’s something almost magical that draws you to it. It’s kind of dangerous but it’s beautiful in the same way.
County and city officials who helped finance the stunt hope people watching news coverage will feel the same pull. The city and Niagara County Legislature each committed $35,000 (€31,400) to the stunt with the goal of boosting tourism.
Scheduled for 8:30am on a weekday, Erendira Wallenda’s stunt drew nowhere near the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of her husband’s 2012 prime-time high wire walk. Legislators and the Wallendas said the payoff would come later, with the spread of photos and video from the stunt.
“It’s generating the awareness, getting people here, people who wouldn’t have come before,” said Randy Bradt, the county legislature’s majority leader.
I really believe the rate of return on our investment will be tenfold for us.
The Wallendas have talked about opening a Wallenda-themed entertainment complex in Niagara Falls for several years, but there has been little, if any, public progress. The Wallendas are scheduled to go on a 2 ½-month tour with the Big Apple Circus in October, Nik Wallenda said.
Erendira Wallenda, who traces her circus roots back seven generations on one side and eight on the other, also performs on a 70-foot sway pole and high wire. She set a world record in 2016 by completing 40 revolutions in her hoop in 50 seconds beneath a helicopter above the Atlantic City shore.
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What could they have possibly come up with at the 11th hour that no one thought of before. My guess is that it will be Mays deal but with new language and the DUPs are the fall guys as they will have to try to convince the media it’s a different deal. They also need to convince their electorate that it’s a new deal because they want happy campers post Brexit and to be able to say they saved their precious union.
@Paul Furey: Boris’s paper has adopted a long awaited change of tone – interesting … looks like the Boris bus is on the way
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/10/northern-ireland-burden-rest-uk-cant-let-get-way-brexit/
Boris was always planning a deal. It was noted in Sept by senior Tories Johnson had said he’d have no problem throwing the DUP under the bus. For that, first he needed to lose the majority, go for the no deal and flush out the patriots from the Tories, Gets rid and the majority’s gone and with that the DUP became meaningless. The blame game and erratic nonsense since wasnt for the EU’s benefit, the ridiculous offer was for Arlene Foster so she’d row in behind and lose public support in NI-job done. Unlawful actions was to throw parliment up in arms and have them aghast so when he comes back with something similar to the red line May Deal that she wouldnt put to parliment, the Labour rebels and theTories set adrift will row in behind him and suddenly he has the majority again. I think the first vote he’ll win will be that deal and the DUP are thrown away. Its the only thing that makes sense the past number of weeks. Its actually genius when you think about it a s much as I hate to say it
@Daimhín De Naois: the Editorial in The Daily Telegraph today reflects exactly what the Tories think of Northern Ireland within the UK – a millstone! Terrible stuff.
@Daimhín De Naois: you’re giving the tories too much credit there.
….not sure the DUP see the bus coming…..
@Michael Murray: I’m sure the penny must be dropping – Boris’s newspaper, published this morning, is letting them know of the imminent arrival
Ireland and EU can and hopefully will drive a deal through . EU the ones always using Ireland as a stick to beat UK. Varadker needs to get a deal done that’s best for Ireland , not the EU. Junk the drunk and mister Barnier won’t be best pleases at Boris and Taoiseach making progress. EU don’t do democracy and will do all in their power to stop Brexit.
@Willy Mc Bride: poor UK been forced to leave and look for a deal oh wait there choice there lies.
Easiest deal ever , they need us more than we need them , we can get a great deal .
On the plus side, Johnson at least bothered to tuck his shirt in this time. He must mean business.
Good conversation about socks so
@Eugene Conroy: Haha a sock joke so original
That’s Ireland and ‘UK’ can and hopefully will ensure a deal…
@Willy Mc Bride: hey Willy where’s the bus .
How did the DUP ever think, could get a veto on the backdrop? These are big boys games, as they are about to find out!
I hope Varadkar didn’t flinch.
@JoyMonkey: When could FG ever say no to the Tory party???
Nothing like a good fudge?
Veradker should make a deal with Johnson for a free trade deal
@Alan Scott: Ah jesus come on, inform yourself.
He’s now even tying his bloody tie like Trump!
@Big Red: Boris gets Trump to tell Leo what to do and that is my fear… And Boris does what Trump tells him then???
It’s not just an Irish border but also an EU one as well???
@TamuMassif2019: In case you did not know Ireland is part of the EU – and quite happy to be a member according to latest polls. So if it would be an Irish border with a non EU country then you can call it both – Irish and EU border – no problem. What is exactly your question?
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