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When a bullwhip cracker snuffs a candle, everyone watching feels a little flip in their chests, a moment of shared triumph, of respect and admiration for the skill of the whip wielder.

This makes it the perfect trick for someone who wants to show off.

Happily, it is easier than it might seem, but it will require practice. Here are a few hints to make the trip to victory a shorter one:

When you are practicing, prepare the floor -- candle wax in the carpet is no fun. Put down towels or a tarp. Choose a stable candle stand, not one which will wobble into a fall if you brush it. Remember that this is an indoor trick -- a breeze will put a candle out just as quickly as a bullwhip will. Prepare the candle -- I've found that a slightly longer wick presents a better target and a more dramatic flame without making the stunt more difficult.

Use the right cracker -- a thicker and fluffier one will crack just as loudly but will blow a puff of air across the flame better.

Choose the right stroke -- a circus crack cracks two-thirds to three-quarters of the distance of the whip, while an overhand will crack at the full extension of the whip's length. These are two different distances -- practice will show you where to find your sweet spots for each of these cracks. With the circus crack, crack alongside the candle, so you do not knock it down as you follow through. With the overhand, aim your crack slightly above and behind the candle (the " cheat" here is that if you don't get it with the first shot, you will likely snuff the flame as the cracker follows through on its way back to you).

And yes, you can snuff tiki torches just as consistently as a candle,
but the advantage here is that you can use these outside. It's amazing but true.

If you are having an assistant hold the candle, have them angle it very slightly away from herself (or himself). This allows the whip to follow through unimpeded and if any wax spatters, it is less likely to get onto their costume. The audience will likely not notice this, but it puts the odds in your favor to not do damage.

If you don;t get it on the first try, go again. I will do it up to three times -- it if goes on longer, it becomes ludicrous. A comedic bit to help you get back into the right head space is to pause after the first miss, then walk over and move the assistant six inches to her left, then walk back to your spot. For some reason, you will probably get it this time.

At worst, if it's just not your night, have the assistant dramatically blow the candle out and hold it up like a trophy. Your job? Take a big overblown bow like you really did it -- the audience will laugh at you, especially if you are laughing, too. It's a human moment, and behind it lies this basic truth: If you are a bullwhip artist, it almost does not matter if you crash and burn (and no one gets hurt), as long as you are entertaining -- Folks want to be entertained more than they want to stare in awe at your mastery. So have fun with it!

If you are pretty accurate, you can snuff a series of tea lights lined up along an assistant's arm, thigh or belly (without touching skin) -- And it helps to use "Magician's Wax" to secure the tea lights to her body (get a small tub of it at a magic shop). Don't forget that a shorter whip (6-feet or less) increases your accuracy -- it's an off truism that viewers usually think your whip is longer than it really is. Have fun, harm none, remember to clean up when you're done --

About the Author

ROBERT DANTE
is an internationally recognized bullwhip expert who has performed and presented workshops and demonstrations coast to coast in the U.S. and Canada.

Dante has cracked the whip on numerous TV shows, including Evening Magazine, Blind Date, Playboy TV's Night Calls, KTLA's Morning News, The Eclectic Mind, Envy TV, HBO's Real Sex, Blitz, Sin City, and others. Dante also has spoken about whip cracking on many radio programs, from Texas to Australia.

Dante first set the Guinness World Record for "Most bullwip cracks - minute" at the Dream Circus in Hollywood in September, 2003. He raised the bar at the Spirit of the West Festival in Sioux Falls, SD, one year later. Dante has appeared at circuses, at cabarets, and on stages, and he has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Rex Features Syndicate, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Toronto Star, and many other publications.

If you would like to know more about Robert or you would like to book him for a show check out his web page.
www.bullwhip.net