Here's an old photo of me as a young man performing on the Redondo Beach Pier at the beginning of my career. This is sometime around 1974. I had recently met fellow magician Gene Harries who performed at the now defunct Old Towne Mall in Torrance. Although he wasn't busking in the mall he showed me that it was possible to do a show anywhere. So, I worked up an act and headed out to the pier. Learning to be a street performer is hard work. As other buskers have said, "You need to get them to stop, stay, and pay!" I quickly learned that the cups and balls was one of those tricks that could do those three things.
Fast forward a few decades and I'm still performing the cups and balls. I love that trick! Here's a recent photo of me performing in Balboa Park. Those are the same cups and balls and the same table in the first picture. It's the same magician, too. Only now I've been around the world with my magic show. I've performed at fairs and festivals through out the west, SeaWorld (10 years), the World Famous San Diego Zoo (15 years) and countless private and corporate events from coast to coast.