Building bridges, celebrating friendship

What symbolizes the friendship of two nations better than a bridge between them? A slackliner walking across a highline between two hot air balloons, one featuring the German flag and the other the American flag.

This crazy idea — that may cause many to shudder just thinking about — was made possible last week over the mountains of Monument Valley along the Arizona-Utah border. Niklas Winter, a German athlete for slacklining group One Inch Dreams, braved the 33-foot walk at 1,640 feet in the air, looking down at the red desert sand of the Navajo Nation Reservation. After days of unpredictable and difficult weather conditions that delayed the stunt, the forecast finally cooperated, making the feat possible on October 25. With the help of a dedicated team — including Utah State Senator and balloon pilot Curt Bramble — and local support on the ground, Winter successfully walked across the highline.

The stunt is a testament to the strong ties between our two countries. Many new bonds have been forged during this project, and friendships developed in new areas and with new communities in the U.S. The project evinces the heights we can reach together. As we face shared challenges, we must build more and stronger bridges between our people.

This venture is part of Wunderbar Together. For an entire year, we are celebrating the German-American friendship with over 1,000 events throughout the U.S. We will paint a picture of everything our relations stand for in an array of topics including science, the arts, culture, language, business and of course sports. We’re excited for what other thrilling events are yet to come. Stay tuned!

By Alina Burkholder, German Embassy