Forums > Events, Performances and Gatherings > European Juggling Convention 2008 in Karsruhe (Germany)

Posted: 4th Aug 2008
Yeah I heard these rumors too + will check them in persona tonight after solving the problem of an empty camera battery... and no charger ¤yawn¤



and for those who can't wait





EDITED_BY: FireTom (1217877536)

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 5th Aug 2008
Yeah well, I'm a harmless master... Here, Rob - this is what he was looking at:



and this





I uploaded a few shots of the Firepit later - will post it as soon as they are processed...

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 5th Aug 2008
Processed all but the one with Yuta...




and

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 5th Aug 2008
and here's a short teaser with Yuta

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 5th Aug 2008
Youre a STAR Tom - thanks
Havent watched the fire yet, but that hall looks PACKED
Enjoy and dont spend youre whole time on the laptop!!

Feel the Flame
Phirenix

Posted: 6th Aug 2008
Found a picture of the EJC on the Guardian website:

https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/aug/06/1?picture=336266885

Anybody know who it is?

Posted: 6th Aug 2008
LOL....are you serious Matt?...of course its....erm 'A performer at the European Juggling Convention' other than that - abit hard to say!
Hope youre all having mucho fun

Feel the Flame
Phirenix

Posted: 7th Aug 2008
It's not been me... I'm not performing, don't feel like it.

One thing I had to notice:

1) There are about 500 or more firespinners here and the organizers are attempting to break the World Record of most firespinners spinning fire at the same time (choreaographed) (200+ needed) but so far not even remotely as many were signing up...

1) There are about 500 or more firespinners here and yesterdays workshop on fire safety was visited by ... >5%

hmm, that's two ones

Okay, I gotta go... practicing and take more video to share. Can hardly wait for next week editing and posting it on YouTube

BTW it's about 5.000 people, errm Jugglers, errm Performers, errm (in)sane people here Not easy NOT to wear this foolish grin all the time...

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 7th Aug 2008
SWEET
Why would anyone go to a fire saftey workshop or sign up for a 500 person fire spin when theres SO much more going on
We found it difficult getting Pro Fire Performers together in Slovenia when we were running the fireshow there, bit better in Ireland for the EJC when we ran the fire show - but peeps jus wanna have fun - as the Cindy Lauper song goes
Have FUN ya'll

Feel the Flame
Phirenix

Posted: 7th Aug 2008
I know what you mean, currently looking at the screen of my laptop... errm that is set up on the open stage, with a breathtaking petite french girl, performing with ... yes 6 hoops...










Where is that workshop and what was it about?

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
Yeah, admittedly I missed the preparation meeting for the world record attempt at eggsactly that point... that makes me a fire-performer, doesn't it?



Same evening I missed Antti's performance And lost my ticket for the (sold out) Gala show



Maybe that's been due to a ... *coughs* not too good message from my ... *coughs* GF.......



Still I really need to make a compliment to Gé: Great organization, beautiful setting (Free Tibet Mandala from candles on the hill last night)... and ... amazing (fire) shows, taking the definition of "fire show" to the next level! Can't wait to get a comprehensive video...



Hang on... what am I talking about? These are poiple, most likely there is not going to be a comprehensive video about the firespace...



PS: a short compilation of the locations with Pola, taken and compiled by 'Lukey'
EDITED_BY: FireTom (1218180573)

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
I have no idea what your post means - but that likely means youre having a good time!!
Peas

Feel the Flame
Phirenix

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
Sorry, that was my step-twin-brother "Crypto", signing up under my name




Here's the footage

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
I think last count was about 5686 hippies . I think the candles in the small bags are awesome! Woke up today to rain seeping into my tent, bad times!

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
THIS IS AN URGENT AND OFFICIAL REQUEST:

Can I have some umlauts please?

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
This place is sooo big that I have neither met Pete, nor Will nor any other HoPper that might roam this place. Then again Just knowing you're out there is nice

UCOF: here you are Sir ö ü ä - good enough?

5686 Hippies then there must be more then 10.000 ppl here, as more than half of them must take showers every day (can tell by the smell)

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
tom! come find me.. ive been looking, but have no idea what you look like!

also.. just checked out your gallery, so now i know..

also.. is richee actually here.. i have no idea what he looks like either

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*

Posted: 8th Aug 2008




I really wish I were there.











More please Tom.

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
I'm with you UCOF, I wish I was there too! A bunch of my San Francisco friends are there, and there's so many I would've liked to meet or see again. There's always next year (though I'm afraid flying to Europe from the U.S. will be even more expensive then...)

taken out of context i must seem so strange
~ ani di franco

Posted: 8th Aug 2008
Maybe we should start a thread for those that arent at the EJC
We could describe the great things were doing not at the EJC, or just make stuff up!!
Would that be against rules Mods?

Feel the Flame
Phirenix

Posted: 9th Aug 2008
I teach you the YouTube durbs?




I really have been devastated, when I heard that the EJA forgot to make preparations for a EJC DVD 2008... there will be NO DVD of the EJC 2008

And unfortunately I am certain that the EJC 2008 is a pivoting point int this decade... Next year in Spain and the year after in Finland will not see as many visitors... the locations are too remote...

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 9th Aug 2008
Is Spain that much more remote than Germany?

Looks great... thanks for the update, and enjoy the good weather

Getting to the other side

Posted: 9th Aug 2008
Flights to spain are quite cheap...



I'll be there

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.

Posted: 9th Aug 2008
Yes, Clare it's a lot more remote... is BOOM bi-annual? Then it wold really be a poorly informed choice to hold this year in Karlsruhe and next year in Spain...



And here, you may be witness to the new FireSpinning World Record, choreographed by Doro (Goldorox)








Now it's 3am - 3 hrs of compressing and uploading this good night... errm 'morning'



EJC is over - proceed with news...



(oh yeah - just got a mail from CdS who wants to send a scout to the InJuCo in Goa next season... )



[edit]Okay guys - now it's 9:30am, the look of the deserted Europahalle is not the image I enjoy the most and if everything goes according to plan, I'll be on the road to Munich in 120 minutes. It's been a blast to see you (performing), you gave me a lot of inspiration and took my definition of "fireperformance" to the next level.



Hope to see you in Goa this season



This week I'll edit the 6(+)GB of videos I took and post it on YouTube - though I fear to die in the meantime, now that I've seen so many fireperformers performing at the same time in the same space - a dream of mine in the last decade...



to Antti, Pete, Will, Ma'Tina, ThaiTom, to Yuta and Dai and all the others I had the honor to watch, again thanks to Doro, Gé and their crew for putting all this together - you rock!
EDITED_BY: FireTom (1218355383)

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 10th Aug 2008
Well I just had another ecstatic email from My Mate on the Spot Christian Parr and the whole thing sounds droolingly bloody fantastic. How we gonna keep em down on the farm, eh!

I'm sure he won;t mind if I post it here:

Hello again peeps.

The internet is about to be pulled down here so I'm doing one last email check before that happens. Thought I might send a little news... OK so its actually a big email cos I got carried away with describing the show. Apologies for the jargon, if you don't understand just read on, its not all jargon =:o)

So today is the last day. The EJC officially closes at 3pm, and the clean up begins. I have just signed on as a volunteer and so get to camp here for free for a few more nights, before flying back to Oz from Frankfurt on Wednesday. I'm back Friday morning. Its been SO good, I think I might be in a bit of a daze when I get back, from jetlag and absorbing the amazing trip I have been on.

Since my last mail, the big BIG highlight has been the Gala Show. The BIG one, of which there were three full-capacity shows over two days. I would estimate 1500 seats in quite an amazing town hall, which makes for a great atmosphere. First up were the three main organisers informing us that the total attendance is 5,320 people. Bigger than any other EJC by 800.
The first act was two chile guys (the same two passers I mentioned in a previous email)... They passed up to 10 clubs on stage, no drops. Wes Peden mixed his propsa (clubs and rings) and then went nuts with 5 clubs, body rolls, pirouettes, the works - flawless routine. There was a trampoline act, 3 men bouncing under and over each other while passing clubs! Apart from breaking 2 clubs in half, their act was perfect. Thomas Dietz tried to bring a story to his juggling which was a bit wierd but his skill was as always amazing. The big trick for him was a very complex trick with 7 balls. (d b 9 7 5 3 1) which he got on his 2nd attempt. Nutter. There were two russian jugglers: a ball juggler (he landed a 9 ball flash), and a ring juggler (15yr-old) and both were very russian in their style, accurate with their tricks, almost like a robot - very typical for russia.
Oh and also a canadian duo also wowed us with a very high-technical Acrobalance piece. I can;t describe it here, but it was world class, an angsty love story with clown for good measure.

Then we come to the BEST of the show. And yes you are right, already the show is looking VERY good indeed, but there is more. William Le Ling (best diabologist in the world) closed the show with the same act as the BJC, with a couple of drops but we forgive him because he was trying some stupidly hard stuff!
The girl/guy French Duo - Tres Passe - did two acts. One act took place entirely on top of a grand piano, with a pianist providing live music from underneath the performers (wow!). In this act they did excalibur passing and 2-diabolo passing (finale trick was passing both excalibur and 2-diabolos back and forth from each other). The second act was using a new type of diabolo. Difficult to describe, but basically with an attachment they turn the diabolo into a gyroscope, and use the gyroscopic properties to create a whole new world of tricks!
And for me the highlight of the ENTIRE EJC was not being able to control myself when I heard the compere mention the word 'shoe', and throughout their award-winning world-renowned act. I was hoping to see the German duo 'Get The Shoe' but heard that they weren't coming (look them up on youtube, and you will see their teaser) but they did come to perform! So in the show as the act was annouced, Sacha and I pretty much lost it. They hit every trick, completely flawless act earning a standing ovation, and I couldn't concentrate for the next act. I can't describe the feeling, it was simply the best show I have ever seen by far.

There is much more news but I need to go do other things. I hope you are all well, and for those of you in Melbourne, I will see you in a week or two.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....

Posted: 11th Aug 2008
That was such an awesome time!! Back in England now, it's colder!

Hey Firetom, sorry I didnt see you, probably passed each other repeatedly! We were repeatedly whipping out the front of the Europhalle, Chutney farted a lot and Bov made a balloon Bazooka.

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian

Posted: 11th Aug 2008
I hate you Will...

Post EJC report to follow

Posted: 11th Aug 2008
*is a little out of it... so apologies for the state of this email...*

Ok... So just landed back to the UK little over an hour ago and already in work.

That was a fantastic EJC...not as personal as Greece or Ireland but fun none-the-less...

Not going to write a HLCGB just yet but some of my highlights -

1) The Great Duck race... (we raced rubber ducks down the flumes at the Europabad)
2) The media museum....lots of fun buttons to push and interactive things to play with.
3) The Gala Show! Oh man, that just knocked my socks right off!
4) Meeting new and old friends.

Sorry if i didn't meet you all... I didn't really go near the fire area at all... but was around.

I am quite impressed at my new Juggling Convention record - a whole 2 hours of juggling and no workshops at a 9 day convention! That's my best yet! I didn't even realise I was doing so little juggling... yet still managed to learn about 5 new things? Craaazy!

write a full HLCGB later
x

Never pick up a duck in a dungeon...

Posted: 11th Aug 2008
Glad you guys had a wicked time and hope to see you all soon

(Happy birthday again Pink!!) xxx

Hoppers are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Posted: 11th Aug 2008
was a great few days kids.. dissapointed i didnt see you firetom.. but these things happen..

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*