( CNN ) -- Cloaked in darkness and enveloped by mist , aerialist Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope late Friday and into the record books . It was a historic walk that observers say was in line with his appetite for the extreme and the high-wire customs of his `` Flying Wallendas '' family . Pumping his fist in the air , Wallenda sprinted the last few steps on the wire . After touching down on Canadian soil , he embraced his family , grinning ear to ear . The tense 1,800-foot journey took 25 minutes , according to CNN affiliate CTV . `` I 'm extremely blessed to be where I am , '' Wallenda said after stepping onto Canadian soil . Got ta watch : Tightrope stunts . To abide with immigration law , he had a U.S. passport tucked in a plastic bag in his pocket during the trip , according to the affiliate . Two border guards were waiting as soon as he stepped on Canadian soil to ensure he had the correct paperwork . `` It has n't sunk in yet , '' he told ABC , which broadcast the event . `` This is something that I 've played over and over in my mind for the last 20 years , and to finally be here at this point , it is very surreal . As I said as I left that wire , I 'm extremely blessed to be where I am . '' Wallenda described the difficulties of dealing with the wind and heavy mist from the roaring falls . `` It 's all about the concentration , the focus , and it all goes back to the training . You know , in the middle of the wire at one point , I just started thinking about great-grandfather and paying tribute to him and all the walks that he did , '' he said . His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda was killed at the age of 73 , attempting to walk between two buildings in Puerto Rico in 1978 . When asked by ABC how he planned to top the walk over Niagara Falls , Wallenda said he hopes to become the first person in the world to walk a tightrope across the Grand Canyon , in Arizona . Thousands were on hand to watch Wallenda teeter his way on the 2-inch-wide wire over Horseshoe Falls toward Canada . He wore a harness at the insistence of those sponsoring the event , officials say , despite what he said was his desire to walk without a safety rig . Nik Wallenda , 121 feet in the air : 'It 's extremely important to never let your mind wander ' Wearing a red and black rain jacket and a balance pole around his neck , Wallenda appeared calm and focused as he took small steps , gingerly placing one foot in front of the other . Wallenda , who hails from multiple generations of high-flying daredevils , had a near fall as he stumbled on a tightrope above Baltimore 's Inner Harbor earlier this year . `` It 's been a dream of mine for a long time , '' Wallenda told CNN before the Niagara Falls attempt . `` I 'm one of those people who always tries to overachieve . I want to do more . I want to do bigger things . '' Other daredevils have tried their luck walking over Niagara , but farther downstream and not since 1896 . More than 10 people have attempted to cross different parts of Niagara Falls , some in barrels , one on a bicycle and even one with a washing machine strapped to his back . Wallenda is the first person in recent history to cross over the actual falls , braving the thick mist and roaring waters , according to the affiliate . Nik Wallenda finishes high-wire act that killed great-grandfather . CNN 's Jason Carroll contributed to this report .
NEW : Other daredevils have tried their luck , but farther downstream . Next on his to - do list ? The Grand Canyon . Wallenda had a near fall after stumbling on a bridge above Seattle 's Inner Harbor . His great - grandfather was killed at the age of 73 trying to walk between two buildings .