Nik Wallenda

Nik Wallenda, the self-described "King of the Wire," made himself a household name and carried the legacy of the Wallenda family by performing death-defying feats in front of an international audience. After he crossed Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, Wallenda became one of the premiere daredevil acts of the 21st Century. He was born on January 24, 1979 in Sarasota, Florida, part of the seventh generation of the well-known circus and daredevil troupe The Flying Wallendas. Early on, Nik displayed a deep interest in his family's line of work. He practiced walking on a tightrope two feet off the ground as a child and performed clown acts and juggling when his family was on the road with the circus.