From an article in Today’s New York Times:
Nik Wallenda is a seventh-generation circus performer, scion of the famed Flying Wallendas. He set the world record for farthest distance traveled by bicycle on a high wire. And now he has set his sights on a new deed of daredevilry — walking the 1,800 feet across the gorge of Niagara Falls while balancing on a two-inch-diameter steel cable.
But before he can attempt his funambulist feat, Mr. Wallenda must persuade officials in both Canada and the United States to abandon their century-old aversion to “stunting” as a distraction from the majesty of the falls. So for several days, Mr. Wallenda has been attempting his own form of tightrope diplomacy, shuttling across the falls and meeting with lawmakers and parks overseers in both countries as he pleads for support.
“This is a dream of mine that I’ve always wanted to do,” Mr. Wallenda, a 32-year-old father of three, said on Thursday, sitting on the pool deck of a hotel here and surveying the waterworks in the distance. “I get chills thinking about it.”
I get chills just thinking about it too.
But I’ve been to Niagara Falls. The falls themselves are spectacular (if a suggestion of their natural self), but it is also one of the most tourist tacky places anywhere. So yes, we wouldn’t want any “stunting” to distract from the majesty.