Post by Ouch on Dec 9, 2009 16:00:29 GMT -5
On my school intranet, there was an article about this quadriplegic pyrotechnics expert, and while it has some of that mushiness we tend to not like, I thought some of you might be interested :
Meet ‘Pyroplegic’ Fireworks Expert Jake Walther
Tuesday, December 8, 2009; Last Updated: 5:22 PM EST (17:22 GMT)
Production & Touring grad Jake Walther hasn't let his disability stop him from becoming an expert in pyrotechnics
Show Pro grad Jake Walther is part of a highly specialized group of entertainment workers trained in proximate pyrotechnics (indoor or close-proximity pyrotechnics), which he learned while working for the Barnum & Bailey Circus as a lighting technician.
This year, he earned his federal type 19 license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which gives him the authority to store and use explosives (fireworks) for theatrical display.
What’s different about Jake is that he’s a quadriplegic. But don’t think that slows him down from pursuing his interest in pyrotechnics. The self-named “Pyroplegic” will tell you that his chair is just “a place for me to sit while I do my thing.”
It’s not that there haven’t been any dark days for Walther. The Show Production and Touring graduate was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on June 2, 2005. He was on tour as a lighting technician with the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus workers traveled by train, and Walther’s motorcycle could be transported on the train and offer him freedom to explore the town on arrival.
At the time of his accident, Walther and the circus were in Memphis, Tenn. Walther had the day off, and he drove to see the traveling exhibit, "the Art of the Motorcycle," also in town that month. Later in traffic, Walther turned his head briefly to see if he could change lanes, and at that moment the driver in front of him hit his brakes. Walther hit the car, was thrown over the car and was hit by another car.
“It was really quick,” said Walther. He had tried to reach for his brakes, but there wasn’t enough time even to do that.
Fast forward about six weeks, and Walther had been transferred to the Kessler Institute in New Jersey. It was the same hospital that had treated actor Christopher Reeve and Keith Cavill, the quadriplegic featured in the documentary, Murderball, an award winning film about wheelchair-bound athletes who battle each other in full-contact “quad rugby.”
In fact, Walther was treated by Reeve's same doctor, Dr. Kirshblum, and the first spinal injured person to visit Walther in the hospital for a morale boost was Murderball star Cavill. Since Murderball was still in theaters at the time, Cavill smuggled him a bootleg copy of the movie.
“This movie framed my whole outlook after my injury,” explained Walther. “As they say in the movie, these guys have done more in a chair than they’ve ever done on two legs.”
Of course there were days that he endured intense pain, that he was blue, Walther says. “I dare anybody not to be blue,” he points out. “But it’s what you do with that. You’ve gotta keep moving. If you just stop, then what’s the point of surviving that?”
Since recovering from his injuries, Walther has been moving toward his goal of becoming a licensed pyrotechnician and the local expert in his town, since every town has its own regulations. Local experts act as liaisons between local fire marshals and traveling shows.
In addition to receiving his federal explosives license, Walther completed the Pyrotechnics Guild International certification course. With the aid of an onscreen keyboard, a joystick, a HeadMouse (a mouse that is operated by head movements), and software programs like Paint or Fireworks Finale, Walther is able to design fireworks displays on his computer for his friend and business partner, Curren Benett, to carry out.
With Fireworks Finale, Walther can choreograph each firework to music, and then have his laptop and speakers connected to the firing systems. Everything runs off the laptop and is remotely controlled.
“It’s much safer because everything is electrically matched,” said Walther. “You don’t have guys out it the field with road flares lighting these things [which] can explode in the tube or explode on the ground.”
Safety is something that Walther, as a pyrotechnics expert, takes very seriously.
“It’s quite a bit more dangerous than other forms of stage production or other aspects of lighting production,” explained Walther. “If you’re a pyrotech, the least damage that you’re going to cause is a burn – it only goes up from there.”
Walther is also quick to share his love of the craft. To Walther, designing a fireworks display is like an artist painting on a black canvas.
“It’s such an art form that you can’t really put into media. There’s nothing like feeling the boom, seeing the gold willow [that] kind of just rain down slowly… until they almost touch the ground.”
Walther said he loves the temporal nature of the art. “It looks so beautiful for such a short period of time, and then it goes away,” said Walther.
As for Walther, he’s just getting started, and he continues to inspire people with his positive attitude. He's been featured five times in his local newspaper, the Fredericksburg, Va. Freelance-Star (both before and after his accident) and once recently in ’76 Pyro Magazine.
“I’ve always been a very positive person,” Jake said in the interview for ’76 Pyro Magazine. “I’m not a ‘woe is me’ kind of guy.”
He adds congenially, “I want to rule the world eventually.”
[There's a small picture of the guy I can post if anyone is interested...]
Meet ‘Pyroplegic’ Fireworks Expert Jake Walther
Tuesday, December 8, 2009; Last Updated: 5:22 PM EST (17:22 GMT)
Production & Touring grad Jake Walther hasn't let his disability stop him from becoming an expert in pyrotechnics
Show Pro grad Jake Walther is part of a highly specialized group of entertainment workers trained in proximate pyrotechnics (indoor or close-proximity pyrotechnics), which he learned while working for the Barnum & Bailey Circus as a lighting technician.
This year, he earned his federal type 19 license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which gives him the authority to store and use explosives (fireworks) for theatrical display.
What’s different about Jake is that he’s a quadriplegic. But don’t think that slows him down from pursuing his interest in pyrotechnics. The self-named “Pyroplegic” will tell you that his chair is just “a place for me to sit while I do my thing.”
It’s not that there haven’t been any dark days for Walther. The Show Production and Touring graduate was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on June 2, 2005. He was on tour as a lighting technician with the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus workers traveled by train, and Walther’s motorcycle could be transported on the train and offer him freedom to explore the town on arrival.
At the time of his accident, Walther and the circus were in Memphis, Tenn. Walther had the day off, and he drove to see the traveling exhibit, "the Art of the Motorcycle," also in town that month. Later in traffic, Walther turned his head briefly to see if he could change lanes, and at that moment the driver in front of him hit his brakes. Walther hit the car, was thrown over the car and was hit by another car.
“It was really quick,” said Walther. He had tried to reach for his brakes, but there wasn’t enough time even to do that.
Fast forward about six weeks, and Walther had been transferred to the Kessler Institute in New Jersey. It was the same hospital that had treated actor Christopher Reeve and Keith Cavill, the quadriplegic featured in the documentary, Murderball, an award winning film about wheelchair-bound athletes who battle each other in full-contact “quad rugby.”
In fact, Walther was treated by Reeve's same doctor, Dr. Kirshblum, and the first spinal injured person to visit Walther in the hospital for a morale boost was Murderball star Cavill. Since Murderball was still in theaters at the time, Cavill smuggled him a bootleg copy of the movie.
“This movie framed my whole outlook after my injury,” explained Walther. “As they say in the movie, these guys have done more in a chair than they’ve ever done on two legs.”
Of course there were days that he endured intense pain, that he was blue, Walther says. “I dare anybody not to be blue,” he points out. “But it’s what you do with that. You’ve gotta keep moving. If you just stop, then what’s the point of surviving that?”
Since recovering from his injuries, Walther has been moving toward his goal of becoming a licensed pyrotechnician and the local expert in his town, since every town has its own regulations. Local experts act as liaisons between local fire marshals and traveling shows.
In addition to receiving his federal explosives license, Walther completed the Pyrotechnics Guild International certification course. With the aid of an onscreen keyboard, a joystick, a HeadMouse (a mouse that is operated by head movements), and software programs like Paint or Fireworks Finale, Walther is able to design fireworks displays on his computer for his friend and business partner, Curren Benett, to carry out.
With Fireworks Finale, Walther can choreograph each firework to music, and then have his laptop and speakers connected to the firing systems. Everything runs off the laptop and is remotely controlled.
“It’s much safer because everything is electrically matched,” said Walther. “You don’t have guys out it the field with road flares lighting these things [which] can explode in the tube or explode on the ground.”
Safety is something that Walther, as a pyrotechnics expert, takes very seriously.
“It’s quite a bit more dangerous than other forms of stage production or other aspects of lighting production,” explained Walther. “If you’re a pyrotech, the least damage that you’re going to cause is a burn – it only goes up from there.”
Walther is also quick to share his love of the craft. To Walther, designing a fireworks display is like an artist painting on a black canvas.
“It’s such an art form that you can’t really put into media. There’s nothing like feeling the boom, seeing the gold willow [that] kind of just rain down slowly… until they almost touch the ground.”
Walther said he loves the temporal nature of the art. “It looks so beautiful for such a short period of time, and then it goes away,” said Walther.
As for Walther, he’s just getting started, and he continues to inspire people with his positive attitude. He's been featured five times in his local newspaper, the Fredericksburg, Va. Freelance-Star (both before and after his accident) and once recently in ’76 Pyro Magazine.
“I’ve always been a very positive person,” Jake said in the interview for ’76 Pyro Magazine. “I’m not a ‘woe is me’ kind of guy.”
He adds congenially, “I want to rule the world eventually.”
[There's a small picture of the guy I can post if anyone is interested...]