But the family 's circus roots go back further than that , Nik said . Van Wallenda ran across a wire 1,500 feet above a river in Arizona . He said the wind was worse than he expected . Without safety equipment , he made the quarter - mile run with just a balancing pole . When asked how he planned to eat , he said eating a nice steak .
Van Wallenda ran across a wire 1,500 feet above a river in Arizona . He said the wind was worse than he expected . Without safety equipment , he made the quarter - mile run with just a balancing pole . When asked how he planned to eat , he said eating a nice steak .