Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Teensy-weensy meathooks
But that does not mean that the rest of America isn't pretty darn freaky when it wants to be. Take this guy, for instance, who hangs above the floor via little hooks from a Rube Goldberg device designed to, well, hang him above the floor:
Apparently there's a whole slew of these guys who do this for the rush:
Tony Troiano grimaced as he was lifted off the floor by giant fishhooks pierced through the skin on his shoulders.
Within minutes, he started to spin, swing his feet and declare the painful experience "the greatest thing" ever.
"I was on Cloud Nine," the Wethersfield, Connecticut teenager said as he joined fellow body suspension practitioners at an annual convention over the weekend. "It was euphoric. It was spiritual. I'd do it again today if I wasn't so sore."
From tentative first-timers to the well practiced, more than a hundred aficionados celebrated their passion for body suspension at the three-day gathering, held in an old textile mill in Providence, Rhode Island.
To hang cost $100; just to watch cost $15 at what many say is the best such gathering for the hundreds, if not thousands, of people they estimate practice suspension across America.
"Ever stand up too fast and feel like you're about to pass out?" said Dave Post, of Albany, New York explaining why he liked hanging from hooks. "It's like you're stuck at that point."
Teenagers do a lot of strange and rebellious things. While there are definitely worse things that your teen might have been doing last weekend, most of them would be less complicated for Mr. and Mrs. Troiano to explain to their friends at the country club or the union hall or the corner tavern. So the Troianos have my best wishes in that endeavor.
When this sort of freaky stuff is happening in New England, you realize that the country could probably use a couple more Bourbon Streets. To soak up the demand, I mean.
CWCID: A reader.
UPDATE: Charlottesvillain: "How come this photo doesn't get a Pulitzer?" Good question.
4 Comments:
By 
Another Person, at
Wed Apr 06, 06:32:00 PM:
Jack,
I'm from the Big Sleazy. Let me know if you need directions anywhere.
Bourgeois (from New Republicans)
By Pile On®, at
Wed Apr 06, 11:11:00 PM:
$100 eh?
If he wants euphoria, I would kick his a** for half that.
By TigerHawk, at
Thu Apr 07, 08:12:00 AM:
Pile, if you don't respect the value of your own service, nobody else will. Never compete on price. I think this guy would pay well over $100 for you to kick his @ss, and you, Pile, should have the self-respect to demand that well-deserved premium.
By Pile On®, at
Fri Apr 08, 10:51:00 PM:
Jack, you can maintain margin or go for market share.
In this case I opt for market share, but that is just me.
