During Super Bowl week in Vegas, Nevada when most Americans were hyped about football, climber Maison Des Champs, aka the “Official Pro-Life Spiderman” tried to steal the spotlight by climbing the Sphere, Las Vegas's newest entertainment spot and a real eye-catcher at 366 feet tall.
The stunt was dubbed “very, very dumb” by Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller. But for 24-year-old Des Champs, who is no stranger to climbing tall buildings for a cause, this was just another day's work.
Des Champs supports the anti-abortion movement, working with the Let Them Live organization to help out pregnant women who are struggling financially. This particular climb was about raising cash for a homeless pregnant woman in need and was his way of making a stand – even if it's way up high.
While NFL fans were gearing up for the Chiefs vs. the 49ers game later in the week in between visits to popular Vegas casinos, Des Champs embarked on his Sphere climb early Wednesday, performing the stunt without safety gear and quickly attracting the attention of bystanders and cops alike.
Despite being nabbed in under an hour, he managed to go live on Instagram to share, “Hey guys, I'm here on top of the Sphere”, making sure his followers got a piece of the action before he hit the headlines.
Of course, the stunt had its fallout. The Sphere ended up with a hefty repair bill of more than $100,000, and Des Champs found himself in hot water, facing charges for the damage done.
However, this whole episode has sparked a ton of talk about activism, safety, and how far people will go for their chosen causes.
As Vegas moves on from the Super Bowl excitement, Des Champs' daring move is still a hot topic. His live feed from the Sphere brought together digital savvy with a bold daredevil act, proving that even in a city known for its shows, some performances can still turn heads and surprise us.
After years working as a national newspaper and magazines journalist in the UK, and a former assistant sports editor, Richard has worked almost exclusively in the iGaming industry since 2017. Helping assemble and lead a content team providing articles to one highly-regarding gambling business, and writing countless pieces for others, we're delighted to have him on board. Outside of the gambling world, Rich is a keen sports fan, has picked golf back up again after 20 years and managed not to throw his pitching wedge into the water after duffing another chip (yet!).
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