futurejournalismproject:

The Sky Cowboys

“You need to have a very unique trait inside, to go running out on the iron,” says Kevin Sabbagh, 24, a fifth-generation ironworker known as Woogie. “You have to be able to block out how high up in the air you are. … My partner and I, we look down every once in a while. We look, we chuckle and say, ‘Wow,’ and we go back to work.”

This Sunday’s New York Times Magazine features the ironworkers building One World Trade Center. On the Web they also have this great audio slide show with photography from Damon Winter.

I’m an ironworker. I just finished my apprenticeship earlier this year.

Whenever things get crazy on the job, or you’re walking out on a limb, one of the old timers always asks, “So you want to be an ironworker, huh?” I never respond, because they already know the answer.

(Source: futurejournalismproject, via emmyaward)