THE BALLOON MAN

Shrine Circus promises BIG BLAST
 Human cannonCircus promises BIG BLASTball part of new-look show at JQH Arena

 

Human cannonball David Smith Jr. is from Bolivar.
/ submitted photo
from:  news-leadercom
Written by Ed Peaco FOR THE NEWS-LEADER
April 3, 2013
The move of the Shrine Circus to JQH Arena presents many enhancements and conveniences for spectators. Literally above all of them will be world-class human cannonball David Smith Jr.
Smith, a native of Bolivar, has been performing with the circus at large arenas across the nation, but he said Springfield circus audiences have never seen his act and many others due to the constraints of the Shrine Mosque, its longtime venue.
JQH satisfies current logistical and regulatory requirements of putting on a top-shelf circus, founder George Carden said. “I’m very proud that, in my hometown for 61 years, I finally get to bring the show into the Springfield market that the people deserve,” he said.
Those who attend the circus, which runs from Friday through Sunday, will find several upgrades in amenities over the Shrine Mosque, Carden said. Among them are plenty of parking near the venue, comfortable restrooms and efficient concessions. To that list, arena director Keith Boaz suggested that the seating will be more comfortable.
The circus schedule calls for a shorter run with fewer performances due to the capacity of JQH — 9,000 compared to the Shrine Mosque’s 2,200.
Of course, the most exciting upgrade will be the circus itself. It will be a true three-ring extravaganza featuring a number of stunts leading to the spectacular finish of Smith hurtling across the vast venue.
“I’m a second-generation human cannonball,” Smith Jr. said (his father is David Smith Sr.). “My dad is the best cannonball who ever lived. When I was just a kid, he got the world record for the longest human cannonball shot, and it’s been in our family ever since.”
Smith Jr. grew up in the circus and followed in his father’s contrails. The younger Smith said that he asked, when his dad retired, for permission to break his father’s records, and Smith Sr. said he’d be proud to keep the marks in the family. In 2011, Smith Jr. fulfilled his aspirations, setting a new distance record of more than 193 feet in Milan, Italy, and shooting to a new highest height of more than 77 feet at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.