Jugs celebrate Groundhog Day

article by Bill Giduz published in IJA Newsletter

The Third Annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival attracted 45 jugglers from several states to Atlanta February 6-8.

Sponsored by the Atlanta Jugglers Association, the weekend's activities followed the same format which helped establish it as the premier juggling event of the year in the Southeast. Other than a competition Saturday afternoon, party that night and public shows Sunday, no events were scheduled, or needed.

Nine contestants entered the competition, vying for the designation of "Most Spectacular," "Most Stupendous," and "Most Incredible" juggler present. Members of the home team took two of three trophies. David B. Low from Atlanta, who used to perform publicly in Connecticut, showed quick moves with four clubs and five rings to win one trophy. Andy Ford and Jeff Kinnamon, mem­bers of the Atlanta Jugglers Association, won another for their two-man club routines. The third honor went to Larry Vaksman of Philadelphia, PA, for a variety of eccentric and difficult maneuvers.

Vaksman demonstrated a new skit in which he performs five different tricks simultaneously - juggling balls in one hand, spinning a basketball in the other, balancing a pole on his chin, main­taining balance on a rola-bola board and keeping hula-hoops spinning around his waist.

A "hungry artist's" art and brass sale in the same building attracted a large crowd of non-jugglers to the Festival on Sunday. Recognizing the opportunity, jugglers staged two impromptu public shows and collected about $100 from passing the hat to help cover festival expenses. Kevin Brooking from Atlanta performed some seldom-seen tricks, including balancing a ball on a mouthstick and bouncing it off his forehead into another mouthstick catch. Other public performers included the competition winners and Tom Roos from Knoxville, TN, and Atlanta residents Henry Slack, Jack Swersie and Kenny Raskin.

Toni Shifalo and Rodger French, co-founders of the Atlanta group and chief organizers of the Festival, provided musical accompaniment.