Twirly

When I was 16, I was taken to Noosa heads with my boyfriend of the time to meet some of his circus friends and watch his brother firetwirl.

We got a little tipsy, pretty stoned and I thought I may as well give it a go. I singed my hair and burnt my side but I was totally hooked.

For the next few years, my backyard was alight with the gorgeous orange glow of the firestick, and the smell of kerosene as I sprayed mouthfuls onto the lit end of the stick. I used to be able to firebreathe with a single match, and started learning how to twirl with 2 sticks.

Unfortunately, I never got to finish learning 2 sticks...

My firestick was a natural one. Found on the banks of Wappa Dam; It was about 1.25m long, perfectly straight and very weighty... great for building up momentum and keeping it going when spinning. The wick consisted of a layer of wicking with torn sheets tightly wrapped and nailed around it.
The days of my tripping around the yard and friends parties wowing guests and parents alike ended when someone I would rather forget existed stepped on the end of my firestick in an effort to put out the glowing wick - instead of dunking it in kero like everyone else does - and broke it... shattered it would be a more accurate description.

There are 3 firesticks in the house now... 2 were found and my sister bought one. None of them have the weight and feel of my old firestick. I occasionally take one out and have a play but its just not the same.

Photographing firetwirlers... now thats fun :) You are almost always assured of a good shot, or at least an interesting one!