ABC TV viewers were thrilled by high-wire-walking siblings Nik and Lijana Wallenda when they brought their act to New York City on June 23, but Woodcliff Lake, N.J., firm McLaren Engineering Group might have been the real star. It worked closely with Nik Wallenda on the tightrope and rigging, says Bill Gorlin, vice president of the engineer’s entertainment division. “Nik Wallenda brought his own team to develop the rigging approach, including determining configuration of the high-wire assembly, selecting cables and hardware and identifying where on the buildings to anchor cables,” he says. “McLaren produced engineering calculations and drawings of the proposed rigging [and] helped troubleshoot installation challenges resulting from the complicated urban environment.” The firm does work for theaters, theme parks and other entertainment projects. “So goes the life of the engineer behind the scenes!” Gorlin says.