Juggler's World: Vol. 38, No. 3

Juniors Championship

Weinstein Saves Best for Last

Robbie Weinstein, Juniors Championship winner

Robbie Weinstein took his best shot in his last chance to compete as an IJA junior, and won the event with the polish that comes from six years of practice. Weinstein finished second in the event in 1985, and at age 17 this was his last year of Juniors eligibility.

The Albuquerque, N.M., high school student opened with a ball routine that culminated with a five ball drop bounce switch to a force bounce. He did color changes in a five ring cascade, then flashed six rings. He did three club tricks, a four club shower and finished with a five club cascade.

Youth took second and third places. Oran Canfield, 12, from Berkeley, Calif., unicycled onto stage as a paper boy, juggling three rolled-up editions. The beat of a rap song signalled a switch in the routine that led him to some break dancing and three and four club work. Smiling and apparently at ease all the time, he juggled up to five balls, five rings and the diabolo.

The youngest competitor of all, 9-year-old Mark Bakalor, won the hearts of the audience and judges with his steady grin, knickers and spangled red bows on his shoes. Third place Bakalor executed a well-rehearsed, but technically simple routine with balls, rings and clubs to two Roaring '20s banjo tunes. In an innovative twist, the youngster also sang an adaptation of the song "Kids" from "The Music Man" that poked fun at hot young technical jugglers.

Mark Bakalor, cutest kid and third place Juniors finisher

Other competitors and highlights of their acts were:

• Tony Palomino - A colorfully costumed unicycling clown working with up to five balls, three plungers and three clubs.

• Greg Bennick - Heavy metal act with three clubs, five balls with neck catch and innovative devil stick work.

• Jonathan Austin - Devil stick, up to five bags, five ring pulldown, up to five clubs.

• Kendall Gammon - Three bowling balls with a head roll, five rings, seven ball flash with a neck catch, up to five clubs.

Juniors Championship Results

                       Total  Tech   Perf  age  home town
1.  Robbie Weinstein   71.25  15.90  26.85  17  Albuquerque, NM
2.  Oran Canfield      61.58  13.85  23.10  12  Berkeley, CA
3.  Mark Bakalor       53.67   7.40  24.80   9  Sunnyvale, CA
4.  Tony Palomino      51.78  10.07  21.00  10  Portland, OR
5.  Greg Bennick       39.88  12.73  11.20
6.  Jonathan Austin    34.02  11.26   9.15
7.  Kendall Gammon     32.30  11.88   7.50  17  Burlington, KS

Technical judges: Todd Smith, Rich DiGiovanna, Paul Bachman, Michael Kass, Alan Howard. Performance judges: Alexis Lee, Scott Meltzer, Ben Decker, Karen Grant, Mardene Rubio.