/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Culture

SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art

By Caroline Youdan
Copy link
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
(Image: Tom Ryaboi)

Tom Ryaboi has been dangling off rooftops since 2007. That’s when he started sneaking into downtown buildings (sometimes illegally) to photograph the city from unexpected, dizzying angles. In the last half-decade, Ryoboi’s unusual hobby has become a full-scale movement. Rooftoppers are normal twenty-somethings by day, intrepid urban explorers by night. “I think what’s important to look at here,” says Ryaboi, “is how people […] are challenging the perception of usable space. […] They’re treating their urban environment as they should, a place full of wonder and adventure.” Adventure is right: the photos on Ryaboi’s blog show the photographer and his friends clinging to scaffolding, striding along narrow railings and balanced on ledges—all hundreds of metres above Toronto streets. Here, 13 heart-stopping photos from the rooftopping pioneer.

SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art
SLIDESHOW: 13 heart-stopping photos from a man who dangles off Toronto skyscrapers in the name of art

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

What's on the menu at La Boulangerie Dundas, a French bakery and bistro from chef J. P. Challet
Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at La Boulangerie Dundas, a French bakery and bistro from chef J. P. Challet

Inside the Latest Issue

Inside the Latest Issue

The April issue of Toronto Life features the anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.