Wallenda's Highwire Walk in the Windy City: Everything You Need to Know

Will you be watching Sunday when Nik Wallenda attempts to walk between two Chicago buildings 50 stories over the Chicago River?

Did you know he’ll be walking at a 15-degree inclined pitch, too? In whipping 40-mph Chicago winds. In the dark. With no harness. No net. And part of the walk will be blindfolded.

No other member of the famous Flying Wallendas has ever attempted a stunt like the one airing on “Skyscraper Live With Nik Wallenda” at 6 p.m. Sunday on the Discovery Channel.

Wallenda, 35, first will walk a 454-foot steel wire from Marina City West on North State Street, at 588 feet, to the Leo Burnett Building on West Wacker Drive, at 671 feet. Then he’ll descend the building in an elevator, walk back to Marina City and walk blindfolded from one Marina City Tower rooftop to the other, a 94-foot span.

Wallenda’s father and his uncle will secure the tightrope.

And if he falls?

A fall from 600 feet would take 4 to 5 seconds and Wallenda’s body would reach 70 to 120 miles an hour, Dr. David Zich, a doctor in private practice in Chicago, told DNAinfo.

“There’s no question you’re going to die,” he said.

What if he fell into the Chicago River?

“It still would be highly unusual that you would survive,” Zich said. “At that height and that speed, there is significant impact and energy that is transmitted to all of the organs, to the heart and the liver and the spleen, and it just is not compatible with life.

“The chance of him surviving, even hitting the water, is awfully small.”

The talk of Wallenda failing in the Windy City and falling to his death recalls memories of his 73-year-old great-grandfather, Karl Wallenda, whose fatal plummet during a 1978 walk between two buildings in Puerto Rico lives forever on YouTube. High winds were said to be a factor.

‘I’M NOT SCARED TO DIE’

That ill-fated walk actually inspired Wallenda to attempt this Chicago stunt — and add to his family’s 200-year reputation for amazing feats.

“I’m not scared to die. That’s where my faith plays a key role in my life,” Wallenda told NBC Chicago as he stood on the Dearborn Street bridge Thursday night. “Fear? I call fear respect. My fear is not debilitating. ... Yes, it is dangerous, but I’ve prepared properly.”

Wallenda, who’s been practicing in Florida with simulated 60 to 120 mph winds, said he’s praying for good weather.

“I feel great. I feel confident. Now it is just up to mother nature and saying a lot of prayers and asking for good weather,” Wallenda said on My Fox Chicago.

If winds exceed 50 mph on Sunday night, however, the stunt could be postponed.

His crew in Florida packed up his gear, including the 3/4-inch, all-steel tightrope, on Monday night. This week, they began installing Wallenda’s gear atop the buildings. The wire was designed by his uncle, Mike Troffer, a mechanical engineer. Terry Troffer, Wallenda’s dad, is the chief rigger. Together, the Troffer brothers carefully monitor all aspects of the installation and pay critical attention to the tension placed on the wire.

In addition to wind, loose wire was also a factor Wallenda’s great-grandfather’s Puerto Rico fall.

IF YOU WANT TO WATCH IN PERSON

Why did the city allow Wallenda to put his life on the line over Chicago?

“You can’t buy coverage (of) a two-hour special on Chicago that’ll air in 220 countries around the world. You can’t put a price tag on that,” Wallenda said in the Chicago Tribune last month. “As much as it is about Nik Wallenda, it’s about Chicago. Chicago is my co-star.”

If you want to be there in person, know this: Wacker Drive will be closed to traffic at 6 p.m., and viewing areas will be along Wacker Drive, between Clark and Dearborn and between Wabash and State. Several other streets in the area may be closed and Chicago River access won’t be permitted.

David Kennedy, deputy director of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said the city has no idea how many people will turn out to gawk at this event.

Dozens of Discovery Channel cameras are positioned around the area, too.

“We’re super-excited about it,” Kennedy said. “This is going to be shown in over 220 countries, but like any major event in Chicago, we’re prepared. We’ve got a significant amount of police resources, and the Fire Department. ... We can handle the crowd.”

You can expect the streets to be packed and anyone who can get a window seat from a building with a good view will no doubt be perched there, camera in hand.

DON’T BE A JERK

Chicago cops, most likely, will keep their eyes on the crowd, not on Wallenda. Any attempts to distract Wallenda will be dealt with Chicago-style — swiftly and severely.

Marina City management told residents there that fireworks, yelling, loud music, grilling, flash photography, drones and any loud noises that might distract Wallenda, intentionally or not, are prohibited on Sunday night. “Violations will be dealt with severely,” a letter to tower dwellers stated.

As tower residents and the city of Chicago look skyward on Sunday, as the eyes of millions in 220 countries tune in, what will Wallenda do in the moments before he takes those first steps?

He will pray with his family, he said, and tell them, “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

» Learn more, see the route and watch online at SkyscraperLive.com