VIDEO: Niagara Falls ready to celebrate anniversary of high-wire walk over falls

 Next Wednesday, Niagara Falls will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of daredevil Nik Wallenda’s successful high-wire walk across the falls on June 15, 2012.

For the 1 pm ceremony to be held on the east side of Table Rock Centre at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls, Wallenda himself will there to give personal remarks during the official unveiling of a new limited-time exhibit created by Ripley Entertainment, installed at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls.

The tightrope walk was expected to last over 40 minutes at that time yet he crossed an 1,800-foot-long, seven-ton wire from the U.S. side of the falls to the Canadian side at a height of around 200 feet in about 25 minutes.

After the walk, Wallenda said, “The mist was so thick, so challenging, those winds hit me from every direction. There was no way to focus on the movement of the cable. If I looked down at the cable there was water moving everywhere. And if I looked up there was heavy mist blowing in front of my face. So it was a very unique, a weird sensation.”

He also admitted to exhaustion during and afterwards, being micced up to ABC-TV at the time.

In the middle of the historic wire walk, Wallenda told the viewers, “I’m strained, I’m drained. This is so physical, not only mental but physical.”

He also thought about his great-grandfather and hero during the walk. He said “That’s what this is all about, paying tribute to my ancestors, and my hero, Karl Wallenda.”

He said “This is what dreams are made of, people”. He further said this is the result of “a lot of praying, that’s for sure. But, you know, it’s all about the concentration, the focus, and the training.”

When he finished, he was greeted by his wife, children and a cheering crowd estimated over 120,000.

The Ontario Parks Commission approved a one-time exemption in to allow Wallenda to attempt a single crossing, reversing the 128-year ban on stunts.

Niagara Parks chairwoman Janice Thomson had said the approval was a “unique one-time situation” and that Wallenda was able to prove he had proper controls and safety measures in place. She also said the commission would only consider requests for such events from skilled professionals once every 20 years.

Here’s a quick look at that remarkable day.