david blaine dive of death

Magician David Blaine performed a dramatic ‘Dive of Death’ in Central Park earlier tonight, and lived. Read about it below and see photos and a video.

David Blaine is as much a showman as a magician, but I believe he bills himself as a magician. He’s kind of Harry Houdini Lite. Very lite. He’s stunts usually consist of public spectacles in public places.

In 2003, he stayed in a transparent box suspended over the Thames River in London for 44 days. In 2002, he stood on top of a 27 metre pillar behind the New York Public Library for 35 hours. In 2006, he lived in an acrylic sphere underwater for a week in front of the Lincoln Center. In 2000, he sat inside a block of ice in Times Square for 61 hours.

Every time I hear about one of his stunts, I always wonder where he goes to the bathroom. I’m sure they have something worked out for that.

His exhibitions all seem to be endurance tests as much as anything else and this latest one was no exception. Today he ended his latest stunt. He hung upside down in Central Park for 60 hours.

Yeah, it was not real interesting to watch. However, he always ends them with a grand finale and this was no different. He ended his upside down hanging with a two-hour television special. You might wonder how he could draw standing upright out for two hours. Well, the special was interspersed with pre-recorded footage of David Blaine doing other things, like talking to people.

Then, finally, right at the end was the spectacular coup de gras. He plunged 13.4 metres in what has been billed as the ‘Dive of Death’. Following the dive, dangling from the cable he was attached to, he started ascending and disappeared into the night sky above Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Ta-Da!

And he lived to tell about it …. and do another stunt on another day.

Kelly Ripa, left, and magician David Blaine separate as Ripa descends following her interview with Blaine for the "Live with Regis and Kelly" television show done while both hung upside down over Central Park's Wollman Rink during Blaine's latest endurance challenge "David Blaine: Dive of Death" Monday morning Sept. 22, 2008 in New York. David Blaine plans to hang upside without a net for 60 hours concluding his challenge with a plunge.