Balloon man wows crowds at the fair

Skip Banks can fit his entire body inside a balloon.
 
And if you're walking around the Yuma County Fair this weekend, you might be able to catch him performing his act.
 
How is he able to pull off the balloon trick?
 
Banks said he's not giving up his secret, but he doesn't use your average balloon for his performance: they're made especially for him.
 
To perfect the balloon trick, Banks said it takes a lot of "experimentation and determination."
 
It all started when he was a little kid in a checkout line at a grocery store.
 
Banks got a balloon and a paratrooper toy, blew up the balloon and put the paratrooper's head inside of it.
 
"I thought that would be hilarious if that would actually take place," Banks said.
 
The rest is history as he performs his balloon trick all over the country.
 
When he's not traveling with fairs, Banks said he performs on shows such as David Letterman, Pen and Teller, and he does half-time shows for the NBA, where he's been profiled on ESPN'S Sports Center.
 
But it's not just the balloon trick that wows the crowd. Banks puts on about a 20 minute "musical comedy show," which can be seen at various locations around the fair through Sunday.
   
"It's going to a buffet of comedy, and the balloon is the dessert," Banks said.
 
At the show, he does impersonations and characters from movies and pop culture.
 
"I do a lot of spoofs," Banks said. "Nobody in the world does this type of performance."
 
Yuman Linda Bowser was one of about 100 people who stopped  to watch Skip perform at the fair Thursday afternoon near the food court.
 
It was her fourth time watching the show.
 
"He's so good," Bowser said.
 
Her favorite part: "every bit of it," Bowser said. "He's just talented."
 
And it's good, clean fun for the whole family."
 
For more information about Skip Banks the performer, visit www.skipbanks.com or www.yumafair.com.

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Today's Fair Schedule, Friday - April 3

8:00 a.m.     Judge Rabbit Showmanship - (Rabbit Bldg.)

10:00 a.m.     Judge Horse Showmanship at Halter - (Grandstands)

10:30 a.m.     Dog Obedience Demonstrations - (Ring 1)

12:00 p.m.     EXHIBIT BLDGS. & CARNIVAL OPEN

12:30 p.m.     Mother Goose - Agri Magic Show - (Guido’s Stage)

1:00 p.m.     Belching Contest - Lanky - (Guido’s Stage)

1:30 p.m.        The Procrastinators - Urban Percussion - (Guido’s Stage)

2:00 p.m.     Mother Goose - Agri Magic Show - (Guido’s Stage)
County Livestock Judging - (Ring 1/Except Horticulture)
Discovering Science Show - (Theatre Bldg)
60’s Summer of Love - Rock and Roll – (Main Stage)

2:30 p.m.        Tortilla Toss Contest – Lanky - (Guido’s Stage)

3:00 p.m.    Procrastinators - Urban Percussion - (Guido’s Stage)
TYZEN - Hypnotist - (Main Stage)

3:30 p.m.     Matt the Maverick – Magician - (Guido’s Stage)

4:00 p.m.     Discovering Science Show - (Theatre Bldg.)
Sea Lion Encounters - (Main Stage)
Make & Take It For Fun - (4-H Bldg.)

4:30 p.m.        Buena Ventura – Hispanic Music – (Main Stage)
Jeremy The Juggler – (Guido’s Stage)

5:00 p.m.     Bubble Gum Contest - Lanky - (Guido’s Stage)

5:30 p.m.     Matt the Maverick – Magician - (Guido’s Stage)

6:00 p.m.     60’s Summer Of Love – Rock & Roll – (Main Stage)
Discovering Science Show - (Theatre Bldg.)

6:30 p.m.     Jeremy the Juggler - (Guido’s Stage)

7:00 p.m.     Round Robin – (Rings 1 & 2)
TYZEN – Hypnotist - (Main Stage)

7:30 p.m.     Matt the Maverick – Magician - (Guido’s Stage)

8:00 p.m.     The Procrastinators - Urban Percussion - (Guido’s Stage)
Discovering Science Show - (Theatre Bldg)
Sea Lion Encounters - (Main Stage)

8:30 p.m.         Jeremy The Juggler - (Guido’s Stage)

9:00 p.m.     Matt the Maverick – Magician - (Guido’s Stage)
60’s Summer of Love-Rock and Roll - (Main Stage)

10:00 p.m.     TYZEN - Hypnotist - (Main Stage)