Skywalker Freddy Nock Knocks Down Another World Record

Circus artist Freddy Nock did it again. Only two days after completing a Guinness worthy world record on the Zugspitze in Germany, he completed another world record attempt successfully on the Feuerkogel Mountain in Austria, this time on a slack rope with a steady incline.

Freddy Nock, circus artist

Skywalker Freddy Nock attempted his second world record bid on the cable of the Feuerkogel cable car in Austria. The Feuerkogel is a rather low lying mountain in respect to geographical altitude; its station building in the valley is at 475 m (1558 ft) with the cable car leading up to 1585 m (5200 ft) over a distance of 2,917 m (9,570 ft). The steady incline on the cable over that distance varies between 41 and 52 percent. His aim was to complete a new record for the longest rope walk with a steady incline and at the highest geographical altitude.

As on his previous world record bid on the Zugspitze in Germany, the cable of the Feuerkogel cable car is 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter; unlike on the Zugspitze, weather conditions this time were far from perfect from the performer’s point of view. Sizzling heat of 32 degrees Celsius in the shade made the trial an ordeal. Despite being handed water at regular intervals from the gondola tracing him, Nock had to take a break in the gondola on the third pylon after 1,980 m (6,497 ft) for fear of dehydrating and overtiring his body. He also decided to make a full stop 200 m (656 ft) short of the mountain station and to let himself be conveyed the distance in the gondola.

A new record worthy of the Guinness Book of Records was set all the same albeit over a shorter distance than anticipated. The record was set using a balancing pole but no safety harness or safety lines despite of the cable hanging 305 m (1,001 ft) over ground level at places. The new record came only two days after his successful completion of a similar feat on the Zugspitze in Germany.

There, Freddy Nock completed a walk over 995 m (3265 ft) without the aid of a balancing pole and as on the Feuerkogel unhampered by safety harness of safety lines and under perfect weather conditions. The two records set so far form part of a charity stunt tour in favour of UNESCO’s educational charity under the name of Seven Records in Seven Days.

Further stations of the tour will include destinations in Switzerland with the Diavolezza on the Bernina Pass, Corvatsch near the Maloja Pass, the city of Bern, the Jungfrau, and the city of Thun.

Freddy Nock is the scion of one of Switzerland’s most prestigious circus dynasties. He virtually spent his life on a rope wince the age of four. In 2009, he garnered the title of World Champion as the fastest rope walker covering 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in 10 minutes. During his career, he broke 10 world records; six of those are currently listed in the Guinness Book of Records not counting the current bids for further records.

Further reading
The Real Skywalker: Freddy Nock
History in the Alps: Flüela Pass
Bern: Seat of the Swiss Government