The Funambulator
"The Best New Garden Toy I've Seen!"
The Technical name for tightrope walking is "funambulism" and it is very well named. Walking a tightrope is just a whole lot of
fun.
Children simply can't keep off. There is something that draws them to test their skills and the look on their faces when they
succeed is priceless.
Endless fun.
 When your children master the skill they can't wait to get back on to have "just one more go" The Funambulator is addictive. Of
course adults aren't immune by a long way. Everyone loves to see if they can get to the other side.
High wire - Low wire
The super-stable Funambulator has been specially designed to make learning the art of tightrope walking as easy and safe as
possible. The wire is only 15inches (38cms)from the ground and so when the inevitable wobbles strike, you can just step off ready to jump back on
for another attempt. One thing is certain, on the days when we have the Funambulator on display in our workshop, the loudest sound you can hear
is laughter. It is just so much fun. The Funambulator improves co-ordination, heightens your balance and is great exercise for your legs. But you
don't really want to know about that - the bottom line is that it is huge fun for all the family.
Technical Specifications
You need to know that your children are playing on equipment that is well made from the best quality
materials.
The Funambulator has been designed to be as safe as possible in normal use and is built from solid wood and
stainless steel. In our workshop tests it has been just as happy - and as much fun - with a six stone child as a fifteen
stone adult. In fact it usually takes longer to get the adults off it.
For the technically minded, here are the facts and figures:
Overall Length : 3.3 metres
(130inches)
Wire span: 2.6 metres
(102inches)
Wire Height from ground 380 mm
(15inches)
Weight: 36.5 kg
The body of The Funambulator is constructed from European Redwood and the supports at either end from high
quality Birch ply, with the central bar being 180 mm deep and 45 mm wide for strength and rigidity.
The wire, which is easily tightened is 8 mm stainless steel with a breaking strain of 4000 kgs.
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The Funambulator showing its very stable feet
Tightrope Trivia
The first person to cross Niagra falls on a tightrope was Jean Francois
"Blondin" Gravelet, in 1859.
The ancient Greeks and Romans enjoyed high wire walkers. Medals have been
found depicting men ascending inclined cords and walking across ropes stretched between cliffs. In the Roman city of
Herculaneum there is a fresco representing an aerialist high on a rope, dancing and playing a flute.
Tightrope walkers often use poles with heavily weighted ends to spread out the
peformer's mass, causing it to shift more slowly and allowing more time to adjust balance.
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