Lany Vaksman, "The Amazing Larry V, " from Philadelphia, PA proved his juggling versatility recently by winning a marathon juggling contest sponsored by the Bergen Mall in Paramus, NJ.

Vaksman, an IJA member who has placed as high as second in convention  competition, kept three weighted tennis balls going for 2 hours, 54 minutes and 46 seconds to win the $100 top prize offered by the mall management. The second place prize of $50 was captured by John Lynch, an IJA member from Whitestone , NY , who kept pace with Vaksman for 2 hours, 7 minutes and 59 seconds before

dropping.

A total of 28 people entered one or more of the five timed marathon sessions. That event was part of the mall's two-day juggling festival, which also featured beginners' workshops and six performances by Loco Motion Vaudeville.

"I was going for three hours," Vaksman said later. "But after John (Lynch) dropped, the pressure was off and I guess I lost some concentration. "

Vaksman entered two sessions previous to the one in which he set the winning time, but only managed times of 11 and 28 minutes in those two. What made the difference in his final try? "I just bore down harder," he replied.

It was not Vaksman' s first attempt at non-stop juggling, but did represent his longest non-drop effort. "I juggled 12 hours once in 1967 to try to generate a little publicity for myself, but dropped constantly, " he said.

Vaksman is recognized by IJA convention-goers for his talented eccentricity. His trademark trick in competitions usually includes some combination of a six-foot pogo stick, numerous hula hoops, balance pole, a spinning basketball, rola-bola and three objects juggled in one hand. His ability to keep 12 objects in motion briefly certainly in part explains his remarkable time for keeping three going.

To ease the arm strain during the contest, Vaksman occasionally threw a ball high in the air and extended his elbows in the time before the next catch.   After everyone had dropped and gone home, Vaksman didn't complain of sore arms as much as others had.

John Darragh, 16, from Moonachie , NJ , was like most competitors in that he had never juggled for time before. "I had no idea how long I could go, " he said. He ended up with sore, cramped arms and a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 10 seconds.

Another formidable competitor, Wolfe Bowart from Camden , ME , recommended that people attempting such feats let their hands do the work rather than their minds. Bowart achieved a time of 1 hour, 38 minutes and 10 seconds almost unconsciously, he said. "You can't think about it, you've just got to feel it," he commented. "It's like writing your name with your eyes closed."

Bowart, who juggles with The Famous Bonzeralli Clowns from Arizona , said he has put in some serious practice at juggling with his eyes closed, and done three balls for more than five minutes.

Vaksman's winning time becomes even more impressive when translated into actual tosses without a drop. His average over several timed minutes of 146 individual throws per minute comes to over 25,000 total throws before the first drop in his winning effort.

In light of the general lack of excitement and challenge of a three-ball marathon when compared to convention competitive events, many people might question its value. The second place finisher, John Lynch, found an answer in his two-hour plus lime.

"That's the longest I've been without a cigarette since I started smoking!" he said.  

Put it on your plates!

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