THE BALLOON MAN

Performer reaches for stars as human cannonball in Cole Bros. circus

Thomsen flies 90 feet across the stage going 65 miles per hour

Cole Bros. Circus

Dale Thomsen performs the human cannonball act for the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars tour, which is coming April 25-27 to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg.

from:  gazette.net

By Jenn Davis-- Staff Writer

April 23, 2014

Shortly before high school graduation, Dale Thomsen’s parents gave him a send-off in his senior yearbook by submitting a photo of him holding a toy star and writing “reach for the stars.” Nearly ten years later, he’s doing just that.

Thomsen, 28, is starring in the Cole Bros. “Circus of the Stars” show, performing the human cannonball act, among others. In keeping with the theme, the top of the tent’s interior has been designed to look like the night sky.

“When I’m looking through the barrel, toward the light at the end of the tunnel, the only thing I can see are these stars,” Thomsen said. “My job is literally to reach for them as soon as I shoot out.”

Calling himself an “adrenaline junkie,” Thomsen said he embraced the opportunity to become a human cannonball when the position became open in anticipation of the tour, which kicked off in DeLand, Fla., in mid March. His act involves being shot out of a cannon and sent flying 90 feet across the stage to a landing net. His flight reaches a top speed of 65 miles per hour and a height of 37 feet — a “line drive” shot.

Thomsen, who is in the midst of his first year with Cole Bros. Circus, also performs the flying trapeze stunt and an aerial