Mark Leveridge Magic

A Wrinkle On - The Ring Competition

BRIAN FIGURES

Now here is an unusual idea! Brian was once asked to show someone a ring and rope routine, and as he did not have his own ring available, he borrowed a linked set of three small linking rings. He found he could still do the Ring Competition with these and that it increased the effect with all the flash and noise of the rings banging together. Now he does the routine all the time like this. Here's how.

You start with a set of three linked rings which you false count to apparently show they are separate. Proceed with the first two stages of the Ring Competition. When arriving at stage 3, tell the audience that not only will you use three rings (false count the rings again) but in fact use four! At this point, slide the rings onto one of your arms and tie the ends of the rope together, explaining that the rope is the fourth ring.

You then state that you will now link all four rings together. Do the last move, untie the knot, take the rings together in one hand and tell the audience that not only did you put the rings into the knot but they are now linked together. Release one ring at a time to display the rings linked in a chain!

Here is an excellent handling change from Kim for the second ring move. Drape the rope over the ring in the regular way using your left index finger to hold the rope on top of the ring as per the original instructions. You now ask a spectator to help.

As you approach the spectator your right hand strokes the ropes and executes the pull through move. However, as soon as it is done. the left hand twists the ring to one side and then slips it back between the two strands of rope again. So although the ring is actually off the rope, it still looks as if it is hanging over the top of the ring.

The left index finger and thumb pinch the strand again the side of the ring and the illusion is perfect. The spectator is now handed the ends of the rope and pulls and the ring appears to visibly penetrate onto the rope. This is really good, as you will soon see if you try it. Kim likes to use audience members in the routine, and he even goes as far as getting a spectator to hold the rope for the last move and throwing the ring onto it while it is being held out! Very bold! If you work the Ring Competition close to your audience, getting them involved like this would certainly make the penetrations very strong.

Jack suggests this alternative presentation for THE RING COMPETITION which I am sure will find favour with many. His patter centres on the Olympic Games in which he tells the audience there is a little known competition for magicians only. He then proceeds to present the ring moves as per the instructions but is able to put in one or two 'sporting' jokes such as: "Can you skate?" "I don’t know. I can’t stand up long enough to find out!" or Doctor:"What do you dream about at night?" Patient:"Baseball". Doctor:"Don’t you dream about anything else?" Patient:"What, and miss my turn to bat?"

At the end of the routine, when he says that the British magician won the Olympic medal, he hangs the ring on rope over his neck so that it looks like a winner’s medal and says:"You didn’t know that they held such a competition for magicians, and you also didn’t know that it was ME who won the gold medal!"

Since the Olympic Games happen every four years this patter line is always appropriate. You either refer to the LAST Olympic Games or the RECENT Olympic Games, and since everyone has heard of the Games, it gives a logical reference point for the patter.