As I mentioned on twitter, I spent today in Helsinki and needed to buy a new juggling ring. Why? Well, I’m on a cruise, and for some reason I only packed 6 rings instead of 7. I guess I just didn’t count properly while packing.
I mentioned the fact on twitter and facebook, and got an almost immediate response from Samuli, a juggler in Helsinki, telling me exactly where to go. Result!
I found the shop. They had a single white ring left in the shop, a slightly outsized Mister Babache.
Back on the stage, an hour before the show, I thought I’d try out the ring, to see how it mixed with the thick Beard rings I normally prefer. I thought “I wonder if it bounces the same as the others on this black rubbery floor?” so did that as the first test.
So I threw it up and forward with some backspin…. and it broke when it hit the floor. First throw, first drop, I didn’t even have a chance to catch it before it broke! Thankfully I always have white electrical tape in my case, so I could tape it up and still use it for the show.
It reminds me of the joke I told about Passe Passe beanbags, those which split at the seams so quickly and easily that they lasted less time than Ben Beever could juggle 7 of them. Or something.
Needless to say, I’m going to stick with the thick Beard rings. As a professional who travels a lot I need to rely on my props not break after ONE drop.