Watch David Blaine Ascend 24,000 Feet Using 42 Helium Balloons

Talk about a real life version of Disney’s ‘Up’.

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As part of his latest stunt called Ascension, David Blaine has been carried up into the sky by 42 eight-foot helium balloons alongside 10 smaller balloons measuring roughly 4-6 feet each. Blaine’s selection of balloons were all based on his weight of 198 pounds, as per Variety.  The crazed magician and performer underwent intense training in both skydiving and breathing in low-oxygen levels prior to the stunt.

For safety reasons, he’s also equipped with a parachute and a team is nearby tracking his vitals inside a helicopter just in case his body temperature drops to hazardous levels. The magician is attempting to reach a height of 18,000 feet. “I’ve never gone up beyond just a few hundred feet,” Blaine expressed in the earlier moments of his stream.

The performance was originally planned to happen in New York City’s Hudson River earlier this week. However due to inclement weather, Blaine and his team moved the stunt to the Arizona desert. Watch the stunt in the video above.

In other entertainment news, Akon announced that construction for his “Akon City” will begin in 2021.

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Keith Estiler Managing Editor, Hypeart

Keith Estiler is a New York-born curator, writer, and the Managing Editor of Hypeart, the contemporary art arm of Hypebeast. Based in NYC, Keith heads up editorial strategy at the intersection of contemporary art and culture, capturing the icons and outliers of both the local and international scenes. He has curated exhibitions worldwide, dedicated to championing the emerging voices and subcultures currently redefining contemporary visual culture.

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