30-Oct-14 – At age 59, you could say Terry Troffer is “retired,” at least from the job where he rides a bicycle on a high wire, carrying along his wife who dangles below from a strap attached to her neck.

But the stakes are higher now. Troffer is safety coordinator for his son, Nik Wallenda, who will high-wire walk across the Chicago River on Sunday night.

Troffer is keeping an eye on equipment being installed on the tops of both Marina City towers and on the roof of Leo Burnett Building. On Thursday, tall iron sawhorses were being assembled to anchor the wire on which Nik will walk, but keep the wire up so it does not touch any of the buildings.

They have had good luck with Marina City’s west tower. They found anchor bolts that used to support a 426-foot broadcast tower that rose from the observation deck, and at one time was the highest point in Chicago. The tower was built in 1964 and dismantled in 1978. With the blessing of modern-day engineers, the Wallenda team will attach a custom-built plate to the bolts that will help anchor the main wire. (Right) Marina City in 1964 with its newly installed broadcast tower. Photo by Portland Cement Association. (Click on image to view larger version.)

The only thing now that could stop the stunt is the weather but they are not worried.

“We all know that we can’t predict exactly what the weather’s going to do,” says Troffer, “but we have a pretty good idea it’s going to be pretty good weather. There will be a few challenges but it won’t be like walking in a freezing rain storm or anything like that.”

Troffer will talk to his son throughout the stunt

When Nik Wallenda begins his walk at about 7 p.m. on Sunday, the only person he will be talking to by radio is his father. Others are monitoring the radio in case Nik needs to speak to them. If someone else has to talk to Nik, they will first ask Terry if they can do so.

“He doesn’t like to have a whole bunch of noise in his ear,” says Troffer. “And a lot of times he’ll tell me just to be quiet, don’t talk to him.”

Troffer describes his son as unique, ambitious, and focused.

“Ever since he learned to walk, he would literally hit the ground running in the morning. And in the evening, he always put himself to bed.”

Troffer met Nik’s future mother, Delilah Wallenda, when he was still in high school. He worked summers at Sailor’s Circus, a training school in Sarasota, Florida, for aspiring performers.

As a flying trapeze catcher, he wanted to work for Karl Wallenda, Delilah’s father and arguably the world’s most famous aerial performer. He got that chance in the early 1970s, starting by driving a truck and trailer to a performance in Virginia. That is where he met Delilah.

The two married in 1974. Nik was born in 1979. He took his mother’s more famous last name when he started performing as a child.

The challenge, as a parent, says Troffer, was to help channel Nik’s energy.

“He really wanted to do the wire. We never encouraged him as child to do it but he really wanted to do it. As a result, we had to teach him how to do it the proper way at a very early age. It often sounded like, oh, this is what the parents wanted for him – no, we would have wanted whatever he wanted to do. If he wanted to be an electrician, we would have supported that.”

High wire goes up Thursday night From about 9 p.m. Thursday night to 6 a.m. Friday morning, the main cable that crosses the Chicago River will be installed, along with cables that help keep it from swaying. The “sway guys” are 800 feet long and 3/16 of an inch in diameter. The team’s biggest concern is making sure the guys do not get tangled or twisted. Says Troffer, “That could be a big headache a little farther down the road.” (Left) Terry Troffer speaks with reporters early Thursday afternoon in the lobby of Leo Burnett Building. (Photo by Steven Dahlman.)

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