A fall from a high wire sent five circus performers to the hospital Wednesday, leaving two in critical condition. But Circus Sarasota still plans to open its 2017 Winter Performance as scheduled this Friday.

Ashley Lusby, emergency services media relations officer for Sarasota County, says five individuals fell from a high wire on Thursday, with four of the the five quickly listed as “trauma alerts” and transported to area hospitals. No names were released. Three went to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, two of whom were listed in critical condition Tuesday afternoon with at least one requiring surgery. A fourth patient was transported to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and a fifth went to Blake Medical Center in Bradenton. 

The injured were all part of the headlining act for this year’s Circus Sarasota show, where world-famous skywalker Nik Wallenda would be part of a show which included an eight-person pyramid. The show was to be the first to feature a pyramid with that many individuals at a height greater than 25 feet off the ground. Lusby says that the injured performers all fell from heights ranging from 25 to 30 feet off the ground.

Wallenda has won national attention for stunts such as crossing Niagara Falls and traversing the Chicago skyline on a high wire, and last year he performed at Circus Sarasota with a seven-man pyramid show. He has held rehearsals the last several years at a facility near The Mall at University Town Center, which is also where the big top for Circus Sarasota now sets up for its annual winter performance.

The Flying Wallendas famously practice without netting. In The Show Must Go On, a documentary about the Wallendas screened at the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival, filmmaker Paula Froehle showed how the family at a young age starts on low wires and then moves to a higher wire. During promotion for that film, the Wallendas defended that practice in an interview with SRQ Backlot. “When you have a net, you are prone to take chances further than what you are capable of,” Alex Wallenda said then. “What we do is a very calculated risk. We’ve done it 100 out of 100 times. Also, we don’t train to fall.”

The Circus Sarasota show wasn’t just a spotlight on the Wallenda family but on Sarasota’s circus heritage all around. The nonprofit operating both the education programs and Circus Sarasota rebranded four years ago as the Circus Arts Conservatory after the circus took over the Sailor Circus program. Jennifer Mitchell, managing director for the Circus Arts Conservatory in Sarasota, noted to SRQ a couple weeks ago that five of the seven individuals performing with Nik Wallenda in the pyramid this year are Sailor Circus alumni. 

Editor’s Note: This is part six of an ongoing series documenting the flights of active-duty US Navy Pilot Ryan Rankin on his journey to fly 52 planes in 52 weeks through the year 2017.

Flying out of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, FL, Rankin feels at home in the cockpit of a Bellanca Citabria. Having flown the plane’s older brother, the American Champion Super Decathlon, on many an occasion, the Citabria is a comfortable fit. Everything from the airframe to the instrument layout is “very similar,” he says. “I felt like I was getting into a car I’d driven before.”

Accompanied by Travis Brown, a friend and flight instructor with Tailwheels Etc, Rankin took the Citabria out for a roughly 30-minute cruise to get the feel for the aircraft. Less powerful than the Super Decathlon, the difference was noticeable, says Rankin, with the biggest difference being the lack of inverted flight capability on the Citabria, due to various gravity-fed components in the engine. Still, Citabria is “airbatic” backwards and the plane is designed to perform. Putting the aircraft through its paces, Rankin executed loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls and even some dogfighting maneuvers like the Split S—a roll into a downward half loop resulting in the plane facing the opposite direction but at a lower altitude—and its counterpart, the Immelman.

Key to designing an aerobatic plane, says Rankin, lies in “certain structural limits that will allow it to pull a certain amount of Gs.” He’s a pilot, not an engineer, and can’t speak to the details, but everything from wing shape to frame design and engine type come into play. The Citabria can handle five positive Gs and two negative Gs, which are actually harder to deal with, says Rankin: “Those are a lot less comfortable and the body is a lot less capable of adapting.” Some pilots can take up to 10 or 11 Gs in test aircraft, but even a few negative Gs can be a challenge, with blood rushing to the head instead of the feet.

Another tailwheel aircraft, Rankin’s growing more and more comfortable with the design but still welcomes the challenge. “There’s more pilotage involved,” he says, “and I appreciate that.” He’ll fly the Super Decathlon again soon and looks forward to comparing the two. 

Pictured: Ryan Rankin and the Bellanca Citabria. Photo courtesy of Ryan Rankin.

With Valentine’s Day approaching in less than a week (cue 50 Shades Darker trailer), romance is in the air—and your skin can join the party too if you head over to PHbotanical, Sarasota’s local hub for organic skincare products. Try out the new Island Romance Face Serum (also available in facial mist and body oil), created with fatty-acid rich apricot kernel oil and vitamins A, C and E, making this oil highly skin-nutritious. The lightweight serum contains high levels of antioxidants that fight free radicals and skin aging; use as a moisturizer to deliver nutrients and antioxidants to the skin on a daily basis or double as a night cream and makeup primer. Whether you’re single or in a committed relationship, take a leap of faith and fall in love with this face serum this Valentine’s Day.   

Photo courtesy of PHbotanical

PHbotanical, 539 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota,850-591-1329.

Madfish Grill knows how to talk tacos. In a city specializing in perfecting the art of the beloved fish taco, some feel the pressure is just too much. Madfish Grill surpasses expectations with its spin on this Mexican favorite while staying true as masters of seafood. The soft flour tortillas (or corn tortillas upon request) overflow with fresh, spicy blackened mahi, cilantro slaw and get filled to capacity with lettuce, cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo, all served along house-made salsa. It’s no wonder people have been talking about the Mahi Mahi tacos at Madfish Grill for over a decade.

Madfish Grill is a member of Nosh, the SRQ magazine content marketing program for local restaurants. 

Madfish Grill, 4059 Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, 941-377-3474.

Michelle Crabtree of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, has been selected as a 2016 Five Star Real Estate Agent. This is the 10th year that she has won for providing exceptional service and overall satisfaction to clients, peers and industry experts, a distinction only held by the top 6 percent of realtors. Less than 7 percent of licensed agents in the Sarasota area are listed as Five Star Real Estate Agents. Crabtree is a third-generation Sarasotan and has been a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker Sale Associate for over 30 years. She is a graduate of the 2014 Florida Realtors Leadership Academy and in 2013 she was awarded Meritorious Service by the Sarasota Association of Realtors and Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Sarasota Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors.  

Premier Sotheby's International Realty

Jane Buckman, director of the Longboat Key Center for the Arts (LBKCA), has announced that she will be departing the position as of Friday, February 10, in order to take up her new position as Deputy Director of the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg. Buckman has been director at the Ringling College of Art and Design's Longboat Key center for 9 years, with the most recent dedicated to the community-wide revival of studio glass. Buckman begins her new role at Imagine Museum on March 1. 

Longboat Key Center for the Arts