Wallenda to take on Niagara Falls on tightrope

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Wallenda will have one safeguard, a tether that will keep him out of the water if he falls, but not on the wire. ABC, which is televising the walk, insisted on it. Wallenda said he only agreed because he’s not willing to lose this chance and needs ABC’s sponsorship to help offset some of the $1.3 million cost of the spectacle.

"This is what we do. I feel like that’s taking away from it," Wallenda said. "I feel like I’m cheating at that point."

The tether is another obstacle to contend with in a family whose shunning of safety devices is part of the appeal of the act.

"Life," he said, again quoting his great-grandfather, "is on the wire. Everything else is just waiting."

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