22-Sep-14 – A new type of high wire may be used when professional daredevil Nik Wallenda attempts his stunt in Chicago in November.

It will be a compressed steel wire cable, 0.75 inches in diameter, coated with a polymer mixed with sand to improve traction. It is a smaller rope than what Wallenda has used before. Earlier walks have used rope that is two inches in diameter.

Wirerope Works Inc. of Williamsport, Pennsylvania is making the rope. They also made the rope that Wallenda used to walk across Niagara Falls in 2012 and Little Colorado River Gorge in 2013.

The 35-year-old Wallenda is training in Sarasota, Florida, for the November 2 stunt in which he will walk a high wire at about 7 p.m. Central Time from Marina City’s west tower to Leo Burnett Building, come back to Marina City at street level, and then wire walk from the west tower to the east tower. The stunt will be broadcast live on The Discovery Channel to 220 countries.

(Above) Looking west down the Chicago River in early evening with Leo Burnett Building at far left and Marina City at far right.

In a video interview published on Saturday, Wallenda told the Sarasota Herald Tribune he is training with gloves, head gear, and layers of clothing, and studying downhill skiers for ideas about clothing to keep him warm and mobile.

“The biggest thing that I have on my mind is, it’s going to be nighttime,” says Wallenda. “It’s going to be dark, it’s going to be cool, and is this wire going to be extremely wet? And am I going to have enough traction to make it from starting point to the finish point?”

Wallenda says his training for Chicago is different than for previous stunts.

“Normally, most of the strain is in my arms…for this one, there will be much strain in my legs, as well.”