Fit creeper

The engagement atop the Empire State Building may have grabbed headlines this week, but for those who follow the world of extreme climbing, the two people behind it are already familiar faces. Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau — known to their online audiences as the "Skywalkers" — have spent years building a reputation for scaling some of the tallest structures on Earth, often without ropes or safety gear. Originally from Russia and now based in New Jersey, the couple rose to global fame after a Netflix documentary followed their climb of Malaysia's Merdeka 118 Tower, a skyscraper that stands over 2,200 feet tall. That film introduced a wide audience to their unusual partnership, in which death-defying ascents double as a form of artistic expression and shared adventure. Their portfolio of stunts stretches across the globe. Social media posts document close calls and confrontations, including an incident in China where they got into trouble for kissing atop a spire, ...

In one of the most jaw-dropping stunts New York City has seen in years, a couple scaled the Empire State Building this week and reached the very top of its transmission tower — then made the moment even more memorable by getting engaged more than a thousand feet above the streets of Manhattan. The pair have been identified as Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, a Russian-born couple now living in New Jersey. They are widely known online as the "Skywalkers," a nickname earned through a long history of climbing some of the world's tallest structures without ropes or safety equipment. The two previously gained international attention after being featured in a Netflix documentary chronicling their ascent of Malaysia's Merdeka 118 Tower, one of the tallest buildings on the planet. According to authorities, the couple worked their way to the top of the Empire State Building's antenna, which broadcasts radio and television signals across the region. Officials...