Page 10                                                                    Fall 1985

 

Hill & Tison win on one bet

Young pair stands tall in Teams under ten ring shower

 

The class of the Teams Championship were clear winners Benji Hill of Thomasville, N.C., and Dana Tison of Baltimore, Md. The hard­working youngsters moved all over the stage with flashy and technically demanding club and ring passing. They scored with both high and low numbers of objects. Highlights included five ring takeaways and a ten ring pass, as well as innovative passing of just three clubs back and forth.

 

Hill and Tison worked together for hours daily for almost seven weeks to blend their individual technical talent into a Teams winner. It was a one-time shot, Hill said, explaining that the pair was splitting up after the convention. Tison, 14, who is working on nine rings, finished second in last year's Juniors Championship. He plans now to continue his high school education in Baltimore.  Hill, a 19-year-old high school graduate, joins the John Strong Clowncapades tour of the the West Coast this fall.

 

Long-time comrades Benj Marantz and Tom Murphy met each other six feet in the air as part of their second-placed routine. Murphy juggled three clubs on a free­standing ladder until Marantz wheeled by on a giraffe unicycle to take them away. For a finale, Marantz stood on Murphy's shoulders as both juggled three clubs.

 

The Raspyni Brothers, Dan Holzman and Barry Friedman, included a cast of IJA convention floor all-stars in their "Live Aid" third place juggling skit. Their supporters on stage were Arsene, Charlie Brown, Jeff Daymont, Jon Held, Larry Merlo, Todd Strong and Larry Kluger and Waldo on everything from dueling diabolos to devil sticks. The idea "started over a Mexican dinner," the previous week, Holzman explained.

 

Other Team Championship acts and highlights were:  Cabangahan Jugglers (Amy Adams, Irlopol Macabinguil, Emelie Cafino, Gina Taylo, Joyce Bonachita) - Added a true international flair to the championships with beautiful costumes and rattan clubs from their homeland, the Phillipines. Act included various formations of club passing with five people.

 

-Gilbey's Gin (Scott Dineen, Joe-Ted Zadareky, Rob Hoover, Springfield, Va.) - Minimalist routine with three players. Two did one ring while third did three scarves.

 

-Jongleur Jugglers (Yvonne Wetherell, Michael Stillwell, John Creveling, Gainesville, Fla.) - Limericks with three people and three clubs, various configurations of passing clubs, including takeaways, feeds, weaves and eight club passing between two people.

 

-Manic Expressions (Wally Long, Rebel Bailey, Tommy Gabriel, Boone, N.C.) - Club passing between three people, interesting permutations of runarounds and takeaways. Ten club passing between three people.

 

-Suspenders (Gary Podolsky, Michael Kramer,Skokie, Ill.) - Gangster routine turns into scarf juggling. Takeaways from above using a ladder, hat steals. Passing scarves sideways and back-to-back.

 

-Us, Inc. (Robbie Weinstein, John Schearich, Albuquerque, N.M. ) - Synchronized three ball routine, club takeaways, runarounds, six and seven club passing.

ison and Hill

10 rings for winners (l-r) Tison and Hill (Art Werger photo)

Benj, Murph

Tall, tricky steal by Benj from Murph

       (Art Werger photo)                     

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