skyride cable walker
Does anyone know what time the guy is gonna be walking on the skyride cable next Sunday? Id like to go watch it but cant find times anywhere.Also for Jeff Gordon day,what do you have to do to meet him,and what time is he going to be around?
The schedule for Nik Wallenda’s walk at Cedar Point has been changed to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 26.
How was the show? Did anyone here watch it?
"I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks." - Pete Babic (RIP)
"The joint on the site of the old antique cars is the tits." - Jeff Putz
I got video, which I'll be posting to my blip.tv site soon.
They left a bunch of gondolas on the Sky Ride, except in the section where he did the walk. There, the bay-side (that would be the side that normally runs from Carousel to Corkscrew) cable was left empty between the second ant third towers and secured by twelve guy wires. What surprised me was that each guy wire terminated in a large sling which was wrapped around and sat upon by...a guy (or gal) in a red shirt. What also surprised me was that some of these human counterweights were, quite frankly, pretty scrawny. I figured they'd want a bunch of big guys like the ones who ran Blue Streak prior to 1994*.
The section in question is right over the new fountain and is the most visible section of the Skyride as it has sightlines that extend from the Blue Streak all the way across to the Giant Wheel. So the location was perfect.
Nik went up on a snorkel lift and then hiked across to the next tower. As he did so, his ground crew coached the people holding the guy wires. Nik walked almost all the way to the tower, then laid down flat on his back on the cable, then stood up and jogged the last few feet to the waiting man-basket.
It occurs to me that Mr. Wallenda's job cannot actually involve doing his high-wire act. That has to be separate from his actual job, because if he's doing it occupationally, then OSHA rules would apply, and he wouldn't be allowed to be higher than 6' without approved fall protection...!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
* I understand you had to be >180 pounds to work that crew.
--DCAjr
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Please don't consider that an explanation! I'm just trying to figure out how he gets away with walking a tightrope on the job when CP has been doing all kinds of crazy engineering things to solve their OSHA fall protection issues. Anybody notice the new railing on Dragster?
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
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I wonder if maybe there's an exemption for stunt performers who are intentionally putting themselves in dangerous situations? I know very little about how OSHA works, but it seems to me their main purpose is to protect workers who aren't intentionally looking for dangerous situations. It would almost seem like there would have to be and exception for people to be able to do these sorts of things.
As promised, my video is now up on my blip.tv site.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\_/XXXXX\_/XXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\__/XXXXXX
Excellent video Dave. Didn't realize from the pics how much the wind was really blowing. That definitely helped put some perspective on the feat.
Goodbye MrScott
John
Check out the movement on the other cable (and Wallenda's pause at 1:23) in the clip Tony posted. Insane.
CP lets this guy walk the cable wire with no net, but makes the Blue Streak into a big kiddie ride by installing individual lap bars and a seat dividers. I don't get it.
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