Bridge climbers unrepentant

Wisconsinites surprised at how easy evading Golden Gate security was

The two thrill seekers from Wisconsin who climbed to the top of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge on their spring break say they don’t regret the death-defying stunt and were surprised at how easy it was to evade security on the iconic span.

High school senior Peter Teatime and his daredevil partner, Tommy Rector, said they’re willing to talk about their stunt to Golden Gate Bridge authorities, who are threatening to bring charges against the two.

“We’re not trying to hide from them in any way,” Rector, a Milwaukee-area gym worker in his 20s, said. “There’s no reason to treat us like criminals. We’re not criminals, just a couple of kids from Wisconsin who like to climb things.”

A YouTube video posted May 7 by Teatime, 18, shows him and Rector climbing to the bridge’s north tower, where they performed somersaults and hung from the edges of the span.

“Breathtaking is probably the best way I can describe it. You can see the entire city, the lights, the building being built with the big crane on it,” Rector said.

The Chronicle has chosen not to publish video or screenshots from the incident.

The stunt caused concern with Golden Gate Bridge officials and prompted them to open an internal safety review and to explore pressing criminal charges against the two men, who could face jail time and a $10,000 fine.

“We’re concerned that they could have fallen into traffic, harming not only themselves but also motorists,” Capt. Lisa Locati of the Golden Gate Bridge Patrol said at a news conference Tuesday.

And one question on everyone’s mind: How did they get past security?

Their antics were somewhat planned, both men said.

“Honestly, we were a little bit surprised at how easy it was. We did it on a hunch, sort of — didn’t plan it,” Rector said.

Disrupting traffic, though, was not part of the plan.

Teatime said he and Rector timed their escapade for when traffic was at its lightest, saying they breached bridge security at 3 a.m. in early April and started climbing.

“We don’t want to hurt anybody else’s property or put anyone else at risk,” Teatime said by phone. “Obviously, we knew there were risks. We took all the risks into consideration.”

The two men said they hope they don’t inspire copycats, describing themselves as experienced climbers who have scaled cell towers, skyscrapers and buildings under construction.

They said they spend a lot of time training for such exploits, working specifically on building their grip strength. Rector and Teatime said they have done parkour and free running — sports that involves acrobatic moves through obstacles — since they were about 8 years old.

“They’re not entirely wrong when they say we are daredevils. We don’t want to promote this kind of behavior,” Rector said.

They said whether or not their stunt was worth it will depend on how severe the punishment is. They said it was not their intent to show up, or embarrass, bridge security.

“Those guys who work on the bridge save lives weekly. We support them,” Rector said.

Teatime said bridge officials might learn something from talking to him and Rector.

“We would like to talk to authorities about security, about preventing people from climbing the bridge in the future,” Teatime said.