SHRINE CIRCUS

Flying high: Human cannonball and circus draw capacity crowds

 

Human cannonball David Smith Jr. is performing with the Zor Shrine Circus at the La Crosse Center. Smith, who follows in his fathers footsteps, started performing when he was 19.
By KATHY HALLORAN
from: lacrossetribune.com
February 28, 2013
Wednesday was just a regular day on the job for David Smith Jr. He woke up, had breakfast, got dressed and checked out his cannon in preparation for the circus show later that night.
Nicknamed “The Bullet,” Smith, 35, is the president of Bullet Entertainment, a human cannonball act that performed with the George Carden Circus for the Zor Shrine Circus that was held this week at the La Crosse Center.
The second generation of cannonballers, Smith follows in the footsteps of his father, David Smith Sr. His parents both started as trapeze artists, and Smith Jr. was truly born into a show biz lifestyle.
“I was born on tour,” he said. “They announced my birth during the flying trapeze show.”
Smith, who lives in Englewood, Fla., was 17 years old when he was first shot from the cannon.
“I came home from school and Dad had the cannon in the yard and a net close to it,” he said. “Dad said I’d been asking for years and now was the time. I was shot from it twice, Dad packed it up and hit the road.”
And two years later, at age 19, Smith did the same.
read more:
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/flying-high-human-cannonball-and-circus-draw-capacity-crowds/article_d0e105e4-8162-11e2-8f93-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true