Stunt man David Blaine is back to is old tricks again, and his latest act has a shocking twist. The 39-year-old daredevil is planning on suiting up in a chainmail bodysuit that will provide a barrier between himself and a million volts of electric currents streamed by tesla coils.
Sounds like a scene straight out of The Prestige. Blaine will also be wearing a wire helmet a visor to shield his eyes, and hearing protection for his ears. His breathing and the surrounding air will be monitored.
The illusionist will be performing this stunt at Pier 54 on New York’s West Side. “Electrified: One Million Volts Always On” will be open to the public, who will be able to send messages to Blaine and control the voltage to keep him alert. Seems safe.
To prepare for the event, Blaine will be keeping a low profile these next few days.
“I’ll mostly be relaxing, meditating and playing with my daughter … and trying not to deprive myself of sleep,” the illusionist said at a Tuesday press conference after demonstrating the stunt at low voltage.
If you can’t see him in person, “Electrified” will also be streamed live on Youtube, with viewing stations located in London, Beijing, Tokyo and Sydney. To keep things interesting, viewers at the stations will also be able to adjust the coils.
During the stunt, Blaine will be unable to eat but will have a tube for water heading out the other end. Shocked yet?
Blaine said this is his biggest idea yet, and he’s unsure if he’ll be able to top it.
“This is an overly-ambitious idea, and I’m literally shocked that it came together,” he said. “This is one of the craziest things that I ever dreamed up, and I don’t know how I could go beyond it.”