Bravo Juggling presents: Stick Heroes / 2018. 01.
Joe is one of the most active and most intensively developing stick player at the moment. He involves contact staff, poi and club moves into his play which results in a great variety of flowerstick tricks.
Name: "Jumpin" Joe Steinicki
Age: 35
Nationality: United States
Place of living: Hamden, Connecticut
Job: Fire performer and bicycle stuntman
How many years have you been juggling with sticks: 23
Your juggling achievements (prize / performance / trick that you are proud of / etc.):
Performing at the Flow Show NYC 2015 was a big deal for me. My best performance with sticks was probably last year at Monkey See Monkey Do juggling convention at Vassar College, New York.
Other juggling equipments you play with:
Poi, staff, sword, juggling clubs, fans, fire eating and fire bicycle
Are you member of any team/group/club/association:
Yes, Cosmic Karma Fire Performance troupe and Shwinn Bicycle Stunt Show team
Please write some sentences of yourself in general:
I have been doing bikes and sticks forever and now I do them as part of my carear. But along with performing, I also teach devilstick at conventions and festivals.
Why did you learn to use this juggling tool and where did you first meet with it?
Patients and discipline, coordination and fun!
Which trick did you find the most difficult to learn?
Club juggling style manipulations with single devilstick. Also, always working at being able to juggle 3 decikstick with handsticks, but I need to get my juggling skills a little sharper. Hopefully soon! Its so hard!!
What are you practicing at the moments?
Advancing my juggling and contact skills with clubs and staff, and bringing them into my devilstick play.
Do you have tricks that you invented?
It's hard to say I invented any moves but I do some tricks with double devilstick I've never seen anyone else do. I mostly adapt skills from other juggling and flow art props and bring them to the devikstick. So original, yes, but invented... not really.
What are your favorite tricks?
Advanced contact sequences especially with neck and legs.
What are the most difficult tricks you can do?
See my previous answer hahaha
Do you play with firestick?
Yes very much so.
What do you do on a normal day, how many hours do you practice?
1 or 2 hours most days. Some days not at all and some days from morning until bedtime.
How and where do you practice?
Anywhere but mostly in my house and mostly just trying things until I perfect them but also using video to critique myself and document progress for future reference to make new sequences and harder tricks.
Why do you like devilsticks?
They are so versatile and fun! Also, I sort of grew up with them so they have always had a place in my heart.
What kind of devilsticks do you prefer to use?
Flowerstick
How is juggling life in the USA? Are devilsticks popular?
It is fun most times, really hard other times since there are hardly any stick people around compared to hoop and poi people. But there are some stick jugglers around and we meet up when we can. And there are always new players popping up!
Tell us a funny story related with devilsticks.
Meeting up with stick people I'd become good friends with online at festivals and spending all day playing, talking, laughing and creating new tricks together. So not one specific story but many similar ones of this nature.
How do you imagine yourself when you are old?
Probably with less hair, more wrinkles, and with sticks in my hand! Never stop playing!
Can you imagine not to juggle devilsticks any more?
No never!
Who do you recommend devilsticks for?
Anyone who enjoys skill toys or anyone with nothing to do. They are both a skill and way to spend healthy fun time both by yourself or with friends.
What do you advice to beginner/advanced devilstick players?
Watch the pros on YouTube or in person if you are lucky, even if you are a pro already, because we can all learn from each other. And obviously never stop playing!