'Man On Wire' Philippe Petit Still Risks It All At 73
Muhammad Rameez Published March 23, 2023 | 12:50 PM
Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Mar, 2023 ) :Almost 50 years after his famed tight-rope walk between the Twin Towers in New York, Philippe Petit still has his head in the clouds.
Clad in an orange shirt and red suspenders, the 73-year-old French native peers across the vast lobby of a Washington museum, the site of his next exploit.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a short red string.
"Sometimes I stop and say, 'It would be nice to put a wire there,'" he told AFP, showing how he holds it out at arm's length to get a sense of the set-up.
"This little rope, for me, helps me to dream of crossings." Even at his advanced age, Petit still plans to make the walk without a safety net or harness.
At 50 feet (15 meters), his high-wire act in Washington will be at a much lower height than the 1,350-foot World Trade Center skyscrapers -- but the risk of death certainly remains.
He'll step out onto the wire Thursday evening -- this time with permission -- above a watchful gala audience in the National Building Museum's voluminous central hall.
He began prepping for the event years in advance. Next to where the cable is anchored to a wall, lies a thick notebook containing hundreds of detailed sketches and calculations.
"I will never retire," says the energetic septuagenarian.
"I have a lot of projects up my sleeve." Petit says he keeps plans for possible tight-rope locations -- "extraordinary places... canyons, icebergs and incredible buildings" -- stored in a box at his home in New York state, where he has lived for decades.
From childhood, "I started not following the lead of authority," he said, describing how he climbed everywhere -- on kitchen chairs, in the trees.
"And then one fine day, quite naturally, I put a rope between two trees." A feature film, "The Walk" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the Oscar-winning documentary "Man on Wire" tell the historic story of his 1974 crossing, under the wide eyes of New York pedestrians and police.
Tired of being reduced to those few minutes, he prefers to bring up other moments from his "life of passion".
"Two performances are never the same... each time is an adventure where I learn, where I discover," he says in front of the wooden beams, pulleys and measurement tools that will support his aerial stroll Thursday night.
"With my 50-55 years of experience, I am more in control," says the veteran daredevil.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 26 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 26 April 2024
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable ..
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
Shahzeb Chachar to hold khuli kachehri on April 26
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
Court adjourns Judicial Complex attack case till May 17
Nasreen Noori’s book ‘Popatan Jahra Khwab’ launched
Wafaqi Mohtasib inspection team visits Excise and taxation office
AJLAC announces 5th Conference titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil ..
Pak-US officials engage to enhance trade, investment ties
More Stories From Sports
-
Victor Boniface: Leverkusen boss Alonso makes you 'up your game'
15 minutes ago -
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable victory over UAE
4 hours ago -
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
10 hours ago -
National Hockey camp to be organized for Azlan Shah tournament
11 hours ago -
Islamabad Tennis Club demolished by CDA amid anti-encroachment action at public park: Tarar
13 hours ago -
Shayan, Rashid, Junaid to represent Pakistan in U12 Regional Qualifying Jrs
14 hours ago
-
Olympic Games Paris 2024: How teams qualified
14 hours ago -
ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy unveiled in Islamabad
13 hours ago -
Pakistan to tour New Zealand for 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is next March
14 hours ago -
Xavi and Barca remain tied in marriage of convenience
13 hours ago -
Pakistan Master Tenpin Bowling C'ship postponed
13 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results
13 hours ago