THE BALLOON MAN

High-flying, death-defying daredevils draw crowd at fair

Tina Winn, who performs as Galaxy Girl, hangs upside-down Tuesday as Johnny Rocket spins her around while riding a motorcycle on a suspended track 40 feet in the air at the Sandusky County Fair. Galaxy Girl and the motorcycle stunt men perform shows at 2, 4 and 7 p.m. daily at the fair. / Jonathon Bird/News-Messenger

Written by

Mark Tower, Staff writer

Aug. 24, 2011

FREMONT, OHIO -- Revving motorcycle engines were interspersed with gasps and thunderous applause during the Galaxy Girl daredevil show Tuesday at the Sandusky County Fair.

At the center of the spectacle was Tina Winn, also known as Galaxy Girl. Winn, whose family has worked with high-wire and trapeze acts for seven generations, said the work is difficult on the body and mind, but it's better than going every day to a desk job she would hate.

"We make it look fun, but it really is tough on you," she said. "I do it because I love it. Every day is a new challenge."

Members in the crowd shield their eyes from the sun while watching as Galaxy Girl does a handstand on top of a 127-foot swaying tower at the Sandusky County Fair. / Jonathon Bird/News-Messenger

"It's a little windy up there, mind you," fellow stunt man Johnny Rocket told a crowd gathered around the show near the Hayes Avenue entrance. He compared the height of the space needle to a 12-story building.

"Remember, I have absolutely no nets, no safety devices of any kind ... and no brains," Winn said, joking with the crowd while doing a record-setting handstand from a steering wheel-sized ring at the top of the needle.

Another stunt included dueling motorcycles racing around inside the "Globe of Death" and the "Cyber Cycle," where Winn, perched on a trapeze, spins at high speeds propelled by a motorcycle on a track 40 feet above the ground.

Onlookers young and old gasped as Winn first hung from the trapeze by only her legs, then performed the helicopter spin by supporting her body with only a loop around her neck.

McKenna Willis said she and her friends really enjoyed the show, but she would never consider doing the dangerous stunts the daredevils undertook.

"I thought she was going to fall," Willis said. "I like to stay on the ground."

Jeff Weickert described the performance simply as "awesome." His daughter, Melissa Weickert, said she needed to close her eyes while Winn was on top of the aerial space needle.

Winn, who spends time after each show talking with fans, said meeting people at fairs and other events is part of the fun.

"I get to meet lots of great people," she said.

Winn, a Sarasota, Fla., native, said she comes from a family of circus performers and was born into performing death-defying trapeze and high-wire stunts for a crowd. When she married into a family with an eight-generation history as motorcycle daredevils, her fate was sealed.

During the show, announcers touted Galaxy Girl as being responsible for numerous world records and being featured at county fairs across the country, Walt Disney World and Disneyland and other theme parks, She has opened for musical acts, including KISS.

Galaxy Girl and her partners host three shows daily at the Sandusky County Fair at 2, 4 and 7 p.m. Admission to the show is included in the $7 general admission tickets available at any entrance to the fairgrounds.