Page 6 September 1982
Juniors
Division
A
first-time-ever conventioneer, Andrew Allen of Tuscon, AZ, won the
Juniors competition. Pressured, but poised, before the audience of his
life, Allen performed not one, but two, high-scoring, ad lib routines.
The
second was a tie-breaker with John Webster of Seattle, WA, who matched
Allen's score on their initial presentations. Christa Rypins of
Boulder, CO, was happy with her third place finish, and glad enough
not to have to duke it out with Allen and Webster.
"I
thought I'd be ill when I found out it was a tie," Allen said.
His second performance was as good as the first, however, and received
a standing ovation. Allen had demonstrated tricks with
three balls, five balls, three clubs, and showed some totally new
devil stick tricks. He juggled seven balls in front of an audience for
the first time in his life, told jokes and kept his act lively.
Allen,
15 years old, explained that he is living on his own and street
performing in Tuscon. He taught himself to juggle three years ago, and
is largely self-taught since then. Poor but hopeful, Allen
contemplates a niche in night clubs juggling and telling risque jokes.
He wants to play a dark character, modeled on Jim Morrison and others.
At the convention, he said, "I've never been around so many
helpful jugglers. "
Webster
presented a replay of his first routine in the tiebreaker. To the beat
of' 'The Boy From New York City, " he swaggered on stage carrying
a briefcase which held five clubs for his subsequent manipulation.
Webster mimed his way through the routine, but involved the audience
by maintaining eye contact, grinning and acting like he was having a
wonderful time.
Later,
he said, "I beat my goal. I did the best of my style. We were
doing something different and no one did it better. "
Webster
and his equally young partner, Roberto, joined forces two years ago
and decided to become the world's best juggling team. They now juggle
regularly on the streets of Seattle, making big money, they report.
Rypins
won third place with a solid exhibition of Boulder-style juggling. She
practices in the same gym as the members of Airjazz, team competition
winners, and all have adapted a similar, highly successful and
appealing style.
It
was the first time Rypins has entered the competitions at an IJA
convention. She was very happy with third place, and attributed it to
the Boulder style. "I see a lot of people here doing a lot of
tricks I can't do, but they're ugly," she said. "I may do
less with my clubs, but it's cleaner and prettier. "
She
has just begun making her living as a comedy juggler at Renaissance
festivals, and plans to work hard at juggling on ice.
Other juniors competition acts were: Eric
Maierson, juggling five balls and three clubs; Humphrey Marr doing the
day's best one ball routine and more; Charles Brown, Jr., master of
cigar boxes and astronomy; Ken Rabe juggling to the tune of "I
need a job I'm out of work;" Ronnie Lemen and his devil stick
pirouette; Bill Bouldin with a statue trick including two rings
spinning in opposite directions on one arm, two balls in the other
hand, balancing a basketball on one foot and holding a spinning plate
on a mouthstick. Bouldin also juggled hand grenades and bowling balls.
Marc Schiltz scored high for comedy with a Pac Man juggle; Brian Cline showed several tricks with spinning plates and sticks; Scott Purser, winner of both unicycle races, juggled five balls and three clubs; Jay Fechtman, a genuine funny man, fell onto stage and kept the pace going through an egg, apple and hatchet juggle; David Deeble, a 12 year old student at Randy Pryor's Long Beach, CA, juggling school, demonstrated five balls, solid club kickups and genuine stage presence. |
TOTAL TECHNIQUE PRESENTATION 78.5 Andrew Allen 37 41.5 77 John Webster 37 40 65.5 Christa Rypins 31.5 34 62 Charles Brown, Jr 30.5 31.5 54 David Deeble 27 27 53.5 Eric Maierson 31.5 22 51.5 Humphrey Mar 20.5 31 50.5 Bill Bouldin 24 26.5 47.5 Jay Fechtman * 12 35.5 41.5 Scott Purser 24 17.5
Fourteen competitors. Others mentioned in story. * Judges Special Award - "Most Promising Comedy Juggler"
(Right - The four boxes of Charles Brown, Jr., were newly seen. For a look at the winner, see 'devil sticks', p.23.)
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