Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival 1998

About 115 registered jugglers attended the 20th Annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival, some from as far as New York , Ohio , and Wisconsin . The floor was well-filled with great passing and individual juggling. Paul Fosser re-installed his rigging hook (taken down during the re-painting of the gym) and worked slack rope on the stage. Everyone rocked hard to sounds ranging from Cuban tangos through Motown to techno as the crowd fed the sound system, ably set up by Rodger French.

Nine jugglers competed Saturday afternoon for the Coveted Phil. The winners were Charlie Peachock (Most Incredible), Peter Panic (Most Fantastic), and the team of Eli Wright and Jeff Estes competing as Tessellation (Most Stupendous). Peachock is from Ohio , Panic from Massachusetts , and the Tessellation team hails from Athens , Georgia . Other notable acts in the competitions included Michael Grebe, with a consistent act he called The Juggling Janitor, and David Dimuzio, a young juggler with a Vegas-styled act featuring a five-ball juggle and a 6-foot unicycle mount.

1998 Winners

The Seed & Feed Marching Abominable Band showed that Spring will come with a rousing set which included pyrotechnics, the famed dying on stage act, and our own Bruce Plott as band leader.

The midnight cabaret featured the Deluxe Vaudeville Orchestra, Steve and Ronnog Seaberg doing a combined poetry and gymnastics act, Tim Settimi on skates and cane, and a pair of belly dancers balancing candles on their heads. The finale was a combined percussion and juggling act by Dan Thurmon and Phil Solomon. Other acts included Mark Peachock manipulating a diabolo, Deluxe Vaudeville's Janet Metzger singing Dame From Seville, and a pair of AJA members with a 50th anniversary "top 10" list.

The Public Show on Sunday included an opening yoyo act by Just Joey, Rodger French with a polished 3-ball routine, Charlie and Mark Peachock passing 3 and 4 clubs, Dan Berg and David Dimusio passing miniature baseball bats, and Andreas Dieberger with ball rolling and diabolo manipulations. The Mouse Award went to Rodger French, for roadie and sound work and stalwart service as Master of Ceremonies.

1998