High Wire Walking

I thought this was amazing ... and crazy.

If you haven't seen Academy Award Winning Man on Wire, it's a documentary featuring Philippe Petit's mind bending 45 minute walk between the World Trade Center Towers in 1974.

High wire walkers, including Pettit, hold a pole in their hand to take advantage of inertia (resistance to change in motion). The pole gives the tightrope walker a larger moment of inertia - meaning their angular motion will be less susceptible to change because the pole offsets any force the wire exerts on the walker - meaning they have less a chance of falling.

So, now that you know why high wire walkers hold a pole, watch Man on Wire ...

Then, watch this