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Thursday Keynote Speaker: David Blaine, Magician

David Blaine
Magician and Endurance Artist
Thursday, Nov. 21

Not everyone may connect the dots between illusion and excellence, but, then again, not everyone is world-famous magician and illusionist David Blaine. Blaine has made a name for himself with magic tricks (starting at 13 when he began performing at parties), but he has also dedicated himself to real and risky endeavors. His drive to push the limits of physical and psychological possibility through various stunts has created worldwide fame.

When it comes to feats like being buried alive, or surviving in a glass box for 44 days on nothing but water, or even trying to figure out how long he could go without breathing, Blaine believes “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Like with any risky venture, there are bumps along the way, and even failures that may seem insurmountable. But Blaine’s will to break world records and belief in his ability to succeed serve as inspiration to anyone who has goals and aspirations.

In his keynote on Thursday, Nov. 21, co-sponsored by BSCAI, Blaine will share stories of passion, determination and how to challenge the realm of what others may think to be impossible. And be prepared for some magic — he may also have a trick or two up his sleeve.

Blaine burst onto the scene in 1997 with an ABC special, “David Blaine: Street Magic,” during which his low-key manner of performing simple tricks amazed spectators who were used to being blown away by over-the-top magic shows. The show focused on spectator reactions, making the audience watch the audience -- a true breakthrough for magic shows.

In 1999, Blaine tried to top his hero Harry Houdini by burying himself alive in a NYC sidewalk for seven days. He was buried in an underground plastic box, beneath a 3-ton water-filled tank, with no food and just tablespoons of water per day. The following year, his stunt, “Frozen In Time,” in which he was encased in a huge ice block for 63 hours, was featured on a TV special. Dazed and in shock, he was rushed to the hospital. He later said it took him a month to be able to walk again, and promised never to perform such a stunt again.

Other notable stunts include:

• In “Vertigo” Blaine stood on a pillar 100 feet over a New York park for 35 hours;
• With “Above the Below” Blaine was suspended over a London park in a small plexiglas box for 44 days with no food or nutrients and only 4.5 liters of water per day;
• For “Drowned Alive” Blaine was submerged in a water-filled sphere for seven days and nights, using tubes for air and nutrition, ending the stunt by attempting and ultimately failing to break a world record of holding his breath underwater;
• “Electrified: One Million Volts Always On” featured a 72-hour endurance stunt in which Blaine stood on a pillar on Pier 54 in New York wearing a conduction suit running 1 million volts of continuous electricity (he was shocked accidentally but completed the stunt).

In addition to his big-time tricks (see sidebar), Blaine is an author. In 2002, he released his book, “Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic.”

Read about the other keynote speakers: John Foley and Tony Hsieh

posted on 8/28/2013