Las Vegas Weekly

June 16, 2009 · 9:27 AM

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte’s space journey and world record attempt

By Robin Leach

Guy Laliberte.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Cirque du Soleil’s fearless founder Guy Laliberte is about to risk life and limb to fulfill a longtime dream of going into space. Guy, who has been with his creative teams and cast members for the past few days here in Las Vegas, leaves from here to fly to Moscow, where he will join the commercial Russian space venture. Guy will undergo astronaut training and then be blasted into outer space on a mission scheduled for September.

It’s believed that the 49-year-old mogul, who is worth $1.4 billion, shelled out more than $20 million for the space journey and fulfillment of his dream to be an astronaut! He would be the third Canadian to go to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft. The former fire-breathing, stilt-walking circus performer masterminded the journey with Space Adventures, a U.S. company that has a contract with the cash-strapped Russian Federal Space Agency to send multi-millionaire into space.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Walking on stilts via Cirque du Soleil.

In the hours before he leaves for Russia and space, Guy might attend this lunchtime’s attempt on the sidewalk outside the Bellagio to claim a new Guinness World Record. It’s the 25th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil, and to mark it, a large group of Cirque performers and friends is assembling to simultaneously walk on stilts up the resort casino driveway.

Carmen Ruest, one of Cirque’s original members from 25 years ago, will lead the stilt walking. Nevada Public Radio’s Flo Rogers and my gossip guru pal Norm Clarke will be the official witnesses for the record-breaking attempt.

You get an idea of Guy Laliberte’s attitude toward life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this YouTube video poker showdown between him and poker veteran Doyle Brunson filmed at the South Point. That’s Guy in the glasses and backward baseball cap playing for the biggest pot in high-stakes poker!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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