Dan Goodwin

Daniel Goodwin (Kennebunkport, November 7, 1955) is an American climber best known for performing gymnastic-like flag maneuvers and one arm flyoffs while free soloing difficult rock climbs on national TV and for scaling towering skyscrapers, including the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, the World Trade Center, the CN Tower, and (for the program Stan Lee's Superhumans) the Telefónica Building in Santiago, Chile.

For the American clergyman, see Daniel Raynes Goodwin.
Dan Goodwin
Born (1955-11-07) November 7, 1955
Kennebunkport, Maine
NationalityUnited States
Other namesSpiderDan
SkyscraperMan
Known forBuilding Climber
Rock/Sports Climber
Skyscraper Defense Advocate
Cancer Survivor
Motivational Speaker
President and founder of Triple Black.com
Websitehttp://www.dangoodwin.com/

https://www.webcitation.org/6O3VMOkdS?url=http://www.skyscraperman.com/ http://www.tripleblack.com/

http://www.skyscraperdefense.com/

Building climber

On November 21, 1980, Dan Goodwin witnessed the MGM Grand fire in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, including the inability of the Clark County Fire Department and the supporting fire departments to rescue scores of hotel guests trapped inside. Believing he knew how to rescue the trapped people, Goodwin presented a rescue plan to the on-location fire boss. Goodwin's plan included his climbing up the building and connecting cables to the floors to enable rescue baskets to be ferried to and from helicopters. The fire boss responded by threatening Goodwin with arrest and then ordered him escorted from the scene. The following day, Goodwin approached the fire chief of a Fire Department sub-station and presented his rescue plan. The fire chief told Goodwin he needed to climb a building to learn of the dangers of high-rise firefighting and rescue. The following Memorial Day, Goodwin scaled the outside of the Sears Tower in Chicago (renamed the Willis Tower in 2009), which at the time was the tallest building in the world.[1]

History of Building Climbs[2]
DateName of the buildingLocationHeightTool
May 25, 1981Sears TowerChicago, Illinois110 floorsSuction Cups / Camming Device / Sky Hooks
November 7, 1981Renaissance TowerDallas, Texas56 floorsSuction Cups / Hands & Feet
November 11, 1981John Hancock CenterChicago, Illinois100 floorsSelf-Made Climbing Device
February 7, 1982Centro Simón Bolívar TowersCaracas, Venezuela30 floorsHands & Feet
February 14, 1982Parque Central ComplexCaracas, Venezuela56 floorsSuction Cups / Sky Hooks / Hands & Feet
May 30, 1983World Trade Center – North TowerNew York, New York110 floorsSuction Cups / Camming Device
March 9, 1984Nippon Television TowerTokyo, Japan10 floorsSuction Cups
February 27, 1985Bonaventure HotelLos Angeles, California30 floorsSuction Cups / Hands & Feet
June 26, 1986CN TowerToronto, Ontario, Canada100 floors x 2Hands & Feet (scaled twice on same day)
September 6, 2010Millennium TowerSan Francisco, California60 floorsSuction Cups / Hands & Feet
March 1, 2014Torre Telefónica ChileSantiago, Chile32 floors 433 feetSuction Cups – Hands & Feet (world's longest lead climb on a single rope)

Sears Tower

On Memorial Day, May 25, 1981, wearing a Spider-Man suit and using suction cups, camming devices, and sky hooks, Goodwin successfully scaled the then-tallest building in the world, the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois, United States. For seven hours Goodwin fought the high altitude winds, slippery glass, and repeated attempts by the Chicago Fire Department to stop him. A few feet below the top Goodwin taped an American flag to the building to honor his father who fought in the Korean War. Chicago’s press dubbed him "SpiderDan". Goodwin stated the reason he scaled the building was to call attention to inadequacies in high-rise firefighting and rescue.[1][2][3]

Renaissance Tower

On November 7, 1981, wearing a Spider-Man suit and using suction cups along with his hands and feet, Goodwin scaled the 56-story Renaissance Tower in Dallas, Texas, United States. Goodwin stated the reason he made the climb was to keep a promise he made to a young Dallas resident stricken with cystic fibrosis.[2]

John Hancock Center

On November 11, 1981, wearing a wetsuit disguised as a Spider-Man suit and using a climbing device he designed for the building, Goodwin scaled the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago. To elude firemen who were descending toward him in a window-washing machine, Goodwin swung across the building with a rope. The fire department, on the inside of the building, used fire axes to shatter window glass near Goodwin and then through the openings in the glass attempted to dislodge Goodwin from the building with grappling hooks attached to long poles. Chicago’s Mayor, Jane Byrne, intervened, allowing Goodwin to continue to the top. Goodwin said he made the climb to call attention to the inability to successfully fight fires in high-rise buildings.[2][4][5]

North Tower of the World Trade Center

On Memorial Day, May 30, 1983, using suction cups for the first four floors before switching to a camming device he connected to the building’s window-washing track, Goodwin successfully scaled the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Goodwin attached an American flag, the same one he taped to the Sears Tower in 1981, to the upper-most floor of the North Tower in tribute to Americans who died in war. Goodwin said he made the climb to call attention to the inability to rescue trapped occupants from the upper levels of skyscrapers.[2][6][7]

CN Tower

On June 26, 1986, Goodwin successfully scaled the world’s tallest structure (not building) at the time, the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Using his hands and feet, Goodwin climbed one side, rappelled down then climbed the far side of the tower, followed by another rappel. Goodwin's climb was a sponsored publicity event celebrating the CN Tower's tenth anniversary.[2][8]

Millennium Tower
Dan Goodwin outside the 50th floor of the Millennium Tower in San Francisco (September 2010)

On September 6, 2010, Goodwin scaled the Millennium Tower in San Francisco, California, United States. In tribute to the United States, Goodwin attached a United States flag to the top of the Millennium Tower, the same flag he attached to the top of Chicago's Sears Tower in 1981 and to the top of the North Tower of New York's World Trade Center in 1983. Goodwin said he made the climb to call attention to the inability to conduct rescue operations in the upper floors of skyscrapers.[9] In addition, as a Stage Four cancer survivor, Goodwin wanted to inspire people throughout the world who have been diagnosed with cancer.[10][11]

Torre Telefónica Chile

On March 1, 2014, Goodwin scaled the Torre Telefónica Chile in Santiago, Chile to establish a new world record of 433 feet (132 m) for the longest lead climb on a single rope. On average, the safety anchors were 4 to 6 floors apart, raising the possibility of a 180-foot (55 m) fall or more. Commentators believed the weight of the rope (42 pounds (19 kg)) made his ascent considerably more dangerous. The ascent was recorded for a TV show that was planned to be aired in the fall of 2014.[12]

Rock and sports climbing

As a rock climber, Goodwin made several first ascents. Frequently, he broke with rock climbing tradition by climbing without a rope, performing acrobatic maneuvers including the one arm fly-off and flag maneuver. In response to those in the rock climbing community who called Goodwin's acrobatic moves "stunts", and therefore unworthy of recognition, Goodwin stated he was "sport climbing" and not bound by the rules of traditional rock climbing.[3][13]

Rock climber Jeff Lowe, along with Dick Bass, the owner of the Snowbird ski resort, invited Goodwin to build the climbing wall for the world's first International Sport Climbing Championship held at Snowbird, Utah, United States, in 1988. Goodwin did not participate in the championship, serving instead as a commentator for CBS Sports.[14]

History of First Ascents[2]
DateLocationClimbRating
January 1980Joshua Tree National Park, CaliforniaWhite RasterfarieV3+
November 1980Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NevadaIxtlan5.11c
February 1984Joshua Tree National Park, CaliforniaApollo5.12d
July 1984Little Cottonwood Canyon, UtahFallen Arches5.13c
August 1984Quoddy Head State Park, MaineManiac5.13d/5.14a
August 1984Quoddy Head State Park, MaineStiletto5.12b
August 1984Quoddy Head State Park, MaineYellow Dagger5.11c
August 1984Quoddy Head State Park, MaineTriangulation5.12b
November 1986Tahoe Donner, CaliforniaNeanderthal Man5.12a
November 1986Smith Rock State Park, OregonSign of the Times5.12d/5.13a

Skyscraper defense bill

Following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Goodwin wrote a bill he called the "Skyscraper Defense Act", calling for an agency within the United States government entitled "Skyscraper Defense" as well as teams of "Skyscraper Defenders", individuals trained in skyscraper defense, security, and safety protocol, to be stationed within major cities of the United States.[4]

See also

Notes
  1. "Builderers Wanted for the Skyscraper Defense Act". Buildering.net. August 12, 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  2. "Skyscraper News, Videos, Statistics, and Forum". Skyscraperdefense.com. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  3. "Skyscraperman". Archived from the original on 2011-01-06.
  4. "Skyscraper News, Videos, Statistics, and Forum". Skyscraperdefense.com. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  5. "Skyscraperman a.k.a. SpiderDan scales John Hancock Center with Spider-Man's Stan Lee interview". YouTube.com. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  6. "Kansas City High Times – News". Pitch.com. November 10, 2008. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  7. "Skyscraperman a.k.a. SpiderDan scales World Trade Center with Spider-Man's Stan Lee interview". Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  8. "CN Tower opens to the public". Archives.cbc.ca. June 26, 1959. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  9. "Police arrest man who scaled Millennium Tower". The San Francisco Chronicle. September 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  10. Man scales S.F. tower to publicize his message
  11. "Breaking News". Archived from the original on 2011-01-06. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  12. "Skyscraperman". Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  13. "Skyscraperman a.k.a. SpiderDan scales Mickey's Beach Crack without a rope for National TV". Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  14. "First International Sport Climbing Competition in Snowbird, Utah". Retrieved 2008-12-22.
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