Vanish Magic Magazine Dangerfest SPECIAL EDITION | Page 10
well. We love seeing inventive throws, such as a bearded gent named Travis Dishon
(Florida) who recently threw two tomahawks, one with each hand. That might be
fodder for one of those new fangled “axe-throwing” bars you might infer—and you’d
be very wrong.
“Axe throwing is not knife throwing” the head of Dangerfest says.
Mr. Dishon is not a beer-drinking tomahawk thrower. (In fact, as prognosticated by
at least one person who knows him, Mr. Dishon was predicted to win and did win
the world championship of the No Spin category of the International Knife Throwers
Hall of Fame competition held in Austin, Texas in 2018.) Travis Dishon threw both
tomahawks, stuck both of them in targets simultaneously, but threw the tomahawks
from behind his back and then rotated the tomahawks over his shoulder to fly in front
of his body. The body-stretching Dr. Reed Richards of The Fantastic Four has nothing
on Travis Dishon. Oh, by the way, Dr. Richards of The Fantastic Four—he’s not real. He’s
a cartoon turned movie with special FX. Travis Dishon is a real person with a sandwich
and dance named after him. When Mr. Dishon was unable to attend Dangerfest
2018, the producers made a life-size color standing figure of him and then walked
it to the range from a few hundred yards. Everyone greeted what they thought was
the bearded thrower. When the cutout was seen to be what it was, hilarity ensued.
When that life-size cut out was brought to Dangerfest 2019 with the real Mr. Dishon
gleefully photographed with his effigy, Population Control wittily offered, “Oh my God
there will be a rip in the matrix.”
“Travis Dishon threw
both tomahawks, stuck
both of them in targets
simultaneously, but threw
the tomahawks from
behind his back and then
rotated the tomahawks
over his shoulder to fly in
front of his body.”
Similarly, Judah Myers decided to clear the parking lot, the knife throwing range, walk
across a main road bordering the festival and throw a tomahawk 104-feet and stick it
with brilliance, mind and power.
Power. Let’s look at that a little bit. It’ll help you understand Dangerfest a bit better.
From the outside looking in, the name alone may make you think of leather-wearing,
tattooed, bad ass, gun-toting, outlaws. Reminds me of the type Harry Anderson
referred to at the opening of his shows, “(a man) I am proud to call my friend.” And yes,
those that completely miss the point show up with an attitude they are gonna “win”,
“kick ass” and in some cases, mix it up with other attendees to show what a piece of
slime that crawled out of the ignorant void looks like. Weekend warriors with ego
and a chip on their soldier are better served picking a fight with their local bouncers.
Dangerfest caters to the genuine artist-athlete enthusiast and the skillful amateur
and professional. One man with a broken leg insisted on wheeling himself in his small
scooter-like cart that favored his injured leg, to retrieve his own knives even when
others offered to let him stay put and help him. Commitment plus.
The following is excerpted from a Facebook chat between two knife throwers on
October 22, 2019:
SM: That is some fantastic throwing. As a new thrower I look up to you and a lot of other
throwers. 10 out of 11 is super impressive. You may get frustrated but keep in mind even
on a not so good day someone thinks that is amazing and it inspires them to work harder
to achieve.
KM: SM I love your comment. Thank you.
SM: KM, you’re welcome. I’m just trying to give back to a sport that has helped me. A kind
word goes a long way. It’s something that’s common in this community, but very rare in
the world.
The expression presented freely defines the knife throwing community as evidenced
in the macro sense of Dangerfest.
10 SPECIAL | 2020
Travis Dishon with Travis Dishon