Visitors to Niagara Falls can now do more than just look down on the world famous waterfalls.They can look up. That's because Jay Cochrane, a renowned high wire walker, is bringing his act to Niagara Falls, Canada beginning today. Cochrane, 63, will perform twice a day - some 20 stories in the air - walking between two specially designed towers located near the Skylon Tower.
The towers are 1,000 feet apart and Cochrane said he expects it will take between 20 minutes and 30 minutes to complete each walk, depending on weather conditions.
Cochrane's act, which is free and used as a promotion to attract more tourists to Niagara Falls, will take place at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily through Sept. 3, weather permitting.
He was supposed to start last weekend as part of the city's Canada Day celebration, but windy conditions postponed Cochrane's debut until today.
Cochrane will meet visitors after each walk at Skylon Tower.
In the late 1800s, Niagara Falls attracted many tight-rope walkers and crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. Unlike Cochrane, these 19th century daredevils balanced themselves and performed tricks on a high wire strung from one side of the gorge to the other. The most famous was a French aerialist who called himself "The Great Blondin." High-wire acts over the river were eventually outlawed as too dangerous.
