Nine Rings

records as of 15 May 1995

Current Bests

Sergei Ignatov   140 throws (_IJA Newsletter_, Feb. '80, p.2).

Anthony Gatto    43 catches in the '91 IJA Numbers competition.

Alberto Sforzi   (Italy) Juggles 9 while standing on a slack rope, balancing an
                 item (pedestal) on his forehead, and spinning a ring on his 
                 other foot ("4000 Years", Vol.II, p.102.)  See also 10 and 11.
Albert Petrovski did 9 with a ball bouncing on his head (see the photo on p.72
                 of "Juggling with Finesse".)  See also 10 and 11 below.
Italo Medini     performed 9 with a forehead balance while spinning a ring on
                 his foot in 1944 ("4000 Years" Vol. I, p. 183, photo p.182).  
Albert Lucas     24 throws in the '84 IJA Numbers competition, and has worked
                 a lot on rings since then (see below).  A photo in "4000 
                 Years" (Vol.II, p.135) shows a young Lucas on skates,
                 throwing 9 rings with a ring spinning on one leg and a ball
                 sitting in a cup on a mouthstick.
Jian Wen Qian    performs a flash pulldown many times per week with "The Qian
                 Brothers".
Francis Brunn    performed 9 rings in 1943 (also see 10 rings).  Pictured on
                 p. 190 of "4000 Years of Juggling", Vol. I.
David Lee        had some good attempts at 9 in the '84 IJA Numbers 
                 competition, and has worked on 10 since then (see below).
Yevgeni Pimonienko has performed 9 rings (_Kaskade_ 29, March '93, p.20).

David Gaona      performs with 9 (_Juggler's World_ 41.2, Sum. '89, p.25).

Yevgeni Bilyauer flashes nine in performance (_Juggler's World_ Oct. '81).
                 mentioned in _Juggler's World_ 40.4, Win. '88-'89, p.11.
Earl Shatford    (Australia) 30 throws (see the photo in _Ozjuggle_, Vol. 4-4,
                 Summer, '93.
Tindra Merbs     is shown throwing 9 in a photo on p. 55 of "Juggling with
                 Finesse", by Kit Summers.
Sean Blue        flashed 9 in the '92 IJA Juniors competition.

Gregory Popovich flash pulldown at European fest (_Juggler's World_ 37.4, 
                 Win. '86, p.9). 
Jason Garfield   flash pulldown in practice.

Odesia           flash pulldown in practice on video of '91 Tbilisi fest.

Dick Franco      showed a good pattern in the '84 IJA numbers competition.

Sean Gandini     "juggles nine rings" (_Juggler's World_ 44.2, Sum.'92,
                 p.8). 
Dana Tison       15 catches in the '87 IJA Numbers competition.

Jay Gilligan     flash pulldown in practice.

Mitica Virjoaga  is listed for 9 "hoops" (rings) in "4000 Years of Juggling",
                 Vol. II, p. 160.
Benni Fornasari  9 rings in practice (_Juggler's World_ 45.2, Sum. '93, p.16).

Bob Bramson      did 9 hoops (18 inch diameter?) in practice (_Kaskade_ 23,
                 9/91, p.25).
Mark Nizer       at least 9 catches in practice.

Bill Gnadt       "did 9" rings (_Juggler's World_ 40.1, Spr. '88, p.22, and 
                 42.1, Spr. '90, p.30).
Donnia Ray Smith 9 catches (letter to _Juggler's World_ 37.1, Spr.'85, p.14). 

Bruce Tiemann    (Boppo) 9 catches in practice.

Peter Blanchard  9 catches in practice.

There's a young (12?) Hungarian? boy who Ginny Rose told me about at the Las
                 Vegas festival (something Nagy?), but I lost the details.
                 Sorry Ginny!

Jugglers of the past who did 9

Chiesa Brothers  (Sergio and Vinicio) included a 9 ring solo juggle (_Juggler's
                 World_ 39.2, Sum. '87, p.6).
Eric van Aro     (born Gerd Scholz) juggled 9 in 1943 ("4000 Years of
                 Juggling", by Karl-Heinz Ziethen, Vol. II, p.41.  See 10 also.
Alexander Kiss   did 9, according to Sergei Ignatov (_Juggler's World_ 42.4,
                 Win. '90-'91, p.22).
Gyula "Szabo" Donnert "juggled with up to 9 hoops [rings]" ("4000 Years", 
                 Vol. II, p. 127.)
The uncle of Jian Ping Qian was a 9 ring juggler.

Reprinted with the permission of Serious Juggling and the JIS
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