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Walkin’ the Dog

Strong, Funny, Sexy and Thrilling
Jugglers toss bowling pins and one-liners down on Main Street

By Dalia Van Den Bookgaard
OC Voice Staff Writer

The first recorded evidence of juggling is found in tomb paintings of ancient Egypt. You’d think, after 4,000 years, people would get tired of watching jugglers do their thing. Not so, as evidenced by the crowds that gather to ooh and ah at two different juggling acts currently appearing at the weekly Tuesday evening street fair in Hunting-ton Beach. Taking the concept of “Walk Like An Egyptian” to the next level, these performe rs can apparentl y juggle like one, too. 

Bob Whitco mb, known to worldwide audiences as Juggler Bob, bills himself as “The World’s Strongest Juggler” and has the goods to prove it. Heavy goods, like bowling balls. In fact, he set a world record in 2002 by juggling three 16-pound bowling balls until he completed 62 successful catches. 

Lest you think that's not good enough, he can also balance a hefty cooler atop a closed umbrella that seems to protrude from his forehead and then toss an apple, a sandwich, and a water bottle into the cooler for a “Well-Balanced Picnic.” 

Still not impressed? His favorite trick is to balance an entire stove from a pole on his forehead and then toss sausage and eggs into a flaming frying pan for a “Well-Balanced Breakfast.” 

Is it a wonder that this guy has appeared on TV, in movies, and at the White House? Additionally, Juggler Bob has performed in three European tours and has won top honors at the International Jugglers Association competition. His performances are filled with enough humor to earn him the new title of “World’s Funniest Juggler,” as well. 

Jokes also abound in the act of Project Dynamite, comprised of Duncan Cover and Alex Plosion. This duo of young, hip, self-described “sexy men” incorporates quite a bit of acrobatics into its show. 

Both men agree that their favorite trick is the daring grand finale, in which four audience members tightly hold ropes that bind a stack of chairs atop one another, while Cover climbs to stand on top of the highest chair and then juggle-tosses machetes back and forth with Plosion, who is stationed on terra firma to oversee the audience participants and take the edge off everyone’s nerves with constant quips. The repartee between the two performers is a show in itself, and this outrageous act will leave you breathless with both awe and laughter.

All three jugglers knew from a fairly early age that they wanted to be performers. Plosion attended a high school for the performing arts in Massachusetts, earned his Bachelor’s in Visual Media at Emerson College, and has been performing as well as teaching circus skills ever since. While appearing at a comedy juggling show at Pennsylvania’s Hershey Park, he met Cover, and the two instantly clicked. 

Originally from New York, Cover began juggling at age seven and later studied circus sideshow arts and classic vaudeville routines. The two combined their talents and perform as Project Dynamite across the United States as well as in Canada, England, and New Zealand. 

As a young Midwestern boy, Juggler Bob (as he prefers to be called) starting performing magic tricks for friends and neighbors, getting hooked on performing in front of an audience. While continuing to hone those skills, he took a course in juggling and never looked back. His prowess in juggling everything from coconuts to lit torches has sustained his career for over 30 years. 

Performing everywhere from comedy clubs to cruise ships to international festivals, Juggler Bob has shared the stage with such stars as the Mamas and the Papas and John Cougar Mellencamp. He has particularly enjoyed his three tours through Europe, where the juggling boom has surpassed the scene here in the U.S. Still, he counts his two White House performances at the Annual Easter Egg Roll as among his most memorable gigs. Juggler Bob claims he’s the only person to ever toss eggs at the White House and be invited back.  

Cover’s research into the history of vaudeville broadened his understanding of the rise and fall and rise of the art of juggling. 

It was the Golden Age of Vaudeville that gave jugglers a chance to perform in theaters instead of just on the streets or in circuses. A variety of new and complex tricks were possible on stage, and rubber balls allowed bounce juggling to become a popular act. In the same way that “Video Killed the Radio Star,” television arrived and killed the vaudeville stars. 

In the late-60s era of flourishing arts, juggling made a comeback, and some college students figured out that they could make more bread juggling in the streets than flipping burgers at the diner. In the early 1980s, the juggling craze started sweeping across Europe, as well, where it remains popular among buskers and at festivals and conventions that draw as many as 4,500 jugglers. Juggler Bob suggests that you "try putting a couple of dollars into each one of their hats."  

For more information and to verify performance dates, contact Juggler Bob at (614) 581-3700 or at Bob@JugglerBob.com, and contact Project Dynamite at (413) 237-8346 or at info@projectdynamite.com. Both acts perform at Surf City Nights Downtown Street Fair, held every Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m. along Main Street between Pacific Coast Hwy. and Orange Ave.

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