Money talks, so Wallenda walks

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that Canada has come to its senses. Not all of Canada, mind you….it’s not like the entire country has gotten together and decided to apologize to the world for Celine Dion.

No, just the Niagara Parks Commission, which has come down from its high horse concerning Nik Wallenda’s high wire act.

They finally wised up and agreed to let Wallenda walk from the U.S. to Canada on an 1,800-foot tightrope high above Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge.

Originally, they said no after New York State had given its approval. And think about that one…when’s the last time folks on the American side of the Falls made the right decision?

So once all the details are worked out, a final agreement will be signed and sometime this summer, Wallenda will join the Great Blondin and all the other daredevils who have challenged the Falls.

What led to the change of heart? What do you think? Money, of course. They realized what a goldmine this is.

And that’s what it’s all about.

When the Parks Commission said no to Wallenda last year, they cited safety concerns….but also said the daredevil act just didn’t fit their “mandate, priorities, and long-term goals”. They said those goals were to “promote the Falls as a world-class, natural attraction with unmatched scenery and beauty”.

In other words, everything that Niagara Falls Ontario ISN’T! What’s the image of the city? Schlock. Pure Schlock. If there’s a cheesy, sleazy tourist trap it’s on Clifton Hall. It’s the Jersey Shore, only less classy.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Look, we’re talking about tourism. For years now, Niagara Falls Ontario has made every right decision and Niagara Falls New York has made every wrong one. There’s a reason the Canadian side is jammed with people all summer long and the American side is a ghost town.

Last week when the Parks Commission did its about-face, its chairperson admitted they changed their minds after reviewing not just Walenda’s safety proposal, but also his economic one. Millions of dollars spent by tourists, pumped into the local economy. Priceless publicity.  Wouldn't it be nice if some of those dollars ended up on the American side?

Think about it….we’re months away from Wallenda’s walk. Months of news coverage. Months of feature stories on networks, websites, in newspapers and magazines. And think of the hype when it gets closer.

It’s going to be interesting to see what date they set for the walk. Personally, I think it should be June 30th. That’s the anniversary of the Great Blondin’s first tightrope walk at the Falls. (here’s a link to my story about him and some of the other Falls daredevils)

And actually, speaking of money, June does make more sense than July or August. Those are the peak tourist season months, so anything that would get more people to come here in June would make sense.

But whatever the date, at least it’s going to happen. At least Canada came to its senses.

Now if we can just do something about Celine.

Niagara Falls: daredevils, drama, and death

I love Niagara Falls daredevil stories.  LOVE THEM.  I used to tell them all the time when I was in college, and had a summer job as a Niagara Falls tour guide.  If you had a good group of people on your tour, and you kept them entertained, the tips could be pretty good….so I worked hard on my daredevil stories.

I was thinking about them when I heard that Governor Cuomo has signed legislation allowing one of the Flying Wallendas to perform a tightrope walk over Niagara Falls.  If Canada also gives its blessing, then next June, Nik Wallenda will walk nearly 2,000 feet on a two-inch steel cable, high above the falls.

Whether he succeeds or fails, Wallenda will join the long list of daredevils who have been attracted to Niagara Falls for centuries.

The Great Blondin

It all starts with the Great Blondin.  His story dates back to before Abraham Lincoln was president.

His real name was Jean Francois Gravelot.  Born in France in 1824.  At the age of five, trained as an acrobat.  At the age of six, he began performing in Europe, known as “The Little Wonder”.  In 1855 he came to the United States, and thrilled American audiences.

But his biggest claim to fame was yet to come.

Blondin became obsessed with crossing the Niagara River on a tightrope.  And in 1859,  he did it.   June 30, 1859…..Blondin crossed above the rapids beneath the falls on an 1,100 foot rope, three inches in diameter.

But he wasn’t done.  Far from it.  Blondin performed his death-defying act EIGHT MORE TIMES that summer.  Once, he did a somersault.  Once, he did it with his arms and legs shackled.

But one of those crossings topped all the others.  And still ranks as one of the top achievements ever at the falls.  Blondin walked across that tightrope CARRYING HIS MANAGER ON HIS BACK.

Blondin was back in Niagara Falls the following year for more crossings, in front of hundreds of thousands of sightseers.  In one of them, he pushed a wheelbarrow across the gorge.

Blondin truly was great.  He was the first to cross the Niagara on a tightrope, he’s still considered the best….and more than 150 years later, he’s still the most famous of all Niagara Falls daredevils.

The Great Farini

Another great one.  Like Blondin, the name sounds foreign.  But he was American.  Actually, he was from Lockport….the other end of Niagara County from the falls.  His real name was William Leonard Hunt.  He was among the many who saw Blondin cross the gorge in 1860.  But he did more than cheer.  He turned to his girlfriend and said “I can do that”.   So he quit his job to pursue his dream.  The job, by the way, was working for his girlfriend’s father, and when he quit she dumped him….but if you have a dream, you have to pursue it.

Farini’s dream came true later that summer.  And talk about a daredevil act.  He pulled off a stunt for the ages.

Farini made it halfway across the gorge, then LOWERED HIMSELF to the Maid of the Mist boat, 200 feet below.  While there, he had a glass of wine (who wouldn’t?) and then climbed back up.  He underestimated that part of the stunt and barely made it, nearly falling several times.  But he finished his crossing.

He never tried the boat stunt again, but crossed the gorge several more times that year, each time trying to outdo one of Blondin’s stunts.  He balanced on his head, he hung by his toes, he carried a woman, he carried a washtub…..many of his acts were more daring, but Farini never achieved Blondin’s fame.

Annie Edson Taylor

This was my favorite daredevil story to tell tourists.  Because when you think of daredevils and Niagara Falls, you think of barrels.  And when you think of people going over the falls in a barrel, you think of men….young men….dashing young men.

The first person to do that wasn’t a man.  And wasn’t young either.

Annie Edson Taylor was a school teacher from Michigan.  A widow….her husband was killed in the Civil War.

She decided that becoming the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel would be her ticket to fame and fortune.

So on October 24, 1901…her 63^rd birthday…she climbed into a wooden barrel, and over the Falls she went….surviving with only minor cuts and bruises.  But the fame and fortune thing?  That didn’t quite work out.  People had a hard time believing this matronly widow actually conquered Niagara Falls.  Her manager took off with her barrel.  At one point an attractive young woman pretended she was Annie….and more people believed her!  Taylor died penniless 20 years after her stunt.  Want to see her grave?  It’s in the “Stunters section” of Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, NY.

She never achieved fortune….but Annie finally did achieve fame.  Unfortunately, she didn’t live to see it.  But no story of Niagara Falls daredevils is complete without her.  Annie Edson Taylor will always be part of the legend of the falls.

George Strathakis

This is another one of those stories that prove God has a sense of humor.  George Strathakis survived his plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.  But he still died.

Confused?  I’ll explain.  But first, here’s a little background.  Strathakis was a Greek immigrant who worked as a chef in Buffalo.  So naturally challenging the falls was his next career move.

On July 5, 1930 Strathakis climbed into a wooden and steel barrel, and over the falls he went.  The barrel survived intact.  So did he.  Just one problem.  As the barrel bounced and bobbed in the middle of millions of gallons of water, it ended up stuck behind the falls.  For 22 hours.  Strathakis only had an eight-hour supply of air.  By the time the barrel came free, rescuers recovered it, and pried it open…..Strathakis had suffocated.

But the news wasn’t all bad.  Strathakis took his pet turtle with him.  It survived. 

Jessie Sharp

This one is relatively recent…..Jessie’s brush with Niagara Falls immortality happened about 20 years ago.  The reason he’s on this list is because….even though it’s wrong of me to speak ill of the dead….Jessie Sharp was a moron.  An incredibly, dramatically, overwhelmingly stupid person.  He’s not just the dumbest daredevil ever to challenge Niagara Falls.  He may be the dumbest person ever to VISIT Niagara Falls.

You see, Jessie decided to go over the falls in a kayak.  

He planned it for three years.  Then on June 5, 1990 he climbed aboard and paddled off into the upper rapids, while his friends videotaped his journey.

He didn’t wear a helmet because that would have covered his face in the video.  He didn’t wear a life preserver because that might hamper his escape if he got caught under the falls.  No helmet, no life jacket, just Jessie and a kayak.  Did I mention he planned this for three years?

The video of Jessie paddling away was the last anyone ever saw of him.  His body was never recovered.  Not even part of it.

So assuming Canada goes along with New York and approves Nik Wallenda’s request, next summer he’ll be the next name on the list of Falls daredevils.  Will it be triumph or tragedy?  Either way, next year’s tour guides should have a good story to tell.