Extreme Magician and Escape Artist Has
Always Taken Risks
What does a man whos thrown out of airplanes manacled, shackled
and caged without a parachute do for relaxation? Robert Gallup,
the creator of
Gallup
Extreme Magic and
Deadly
Escapes plays extremely hard. The extraordinary magician/escapist
also extreme skis steep and deep, para-glides off cliffs, free
climbs some of the worlds largest peaks, kayaks Class V rapids
and scuba dives in shark-infested caves off the coast of Australia.
The drama and intensity Gallup creates from his often death-defying
performances is reflected in his attitude towards practically
everything. Gallups extreme magic and escapes are a natural
extension of his personality and obsession for adventure. "Sure,
some of it is dangerous, but the rush of excitement and adrenaline
is an addiction", said the daredevil illusionist. "Looking
back on some of the crazy things Ive done, its no wonder my
performances have evolved to become as physically challenging
as they are."
Though born and raised in the ocean community of Santa Barbara,
California, Gallup spends much of his free time in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains of Lake Tahoe. His passion for the Zen-like
tranquility of fly-fishing is a sharp contrast to his adrenaline
addiction of extreme skiing. Having skied most of his life and
spending quite a few of his college days ski racing, he answered
the siren call of pristine black bowls, jagged cliffs, rock-rimmed
cornices and avalanche-prone, wind-swept faces in order to challenge
himself yet again. As Gallup said with a smile, "When youre
out on the edge, doing something 'extreme', time seems to stand
still. You're so focused on the moment that your internal clock
slows, and micro-seconds become minutes. Everything becomes
so purely focused,your thoughts are crystal clear, all your
senses sharpened. Its truly 'living for that moment'."
Having traveled the world to perform for audiences in twenty-two
countries, Gallup often places himself at great risk both on
and off stage. He has fee-climbed the Matterhorn in Zermatt,
Switzerland, site of many harrowing scenes from the action-adventure
movie Cliffhanger, scuba dived into the blackness of unexplored
caves along the Great Barrier Reef where sharks lurk at every
turn; and barreled downhill at over 50 miles-per-hour on a mountain
bike along the Sierra Nevada range. And as an avid para-glider
and skydiver, Gallup often jumps off mountain peaks and out
of perfectly good planes, all in the name of "fun".
As Gallup prepares for his upcoming television special,
Robert
Gallups Deadly Escapes, he is more focused than ever
before. He trains with military discipline and the intensity
of a triathlete. Balancing his preparation of mind, body and
spirit, Gallups daily regimen includes intense trials and preparation
of his various death-defying escapes, and 2-3 hour workouts
of weightlifting, cardio, stretching and meditation, as well
as training and instructing the Korean martial art of Hapkido.
When asked why he constantly feels the need to push the envelope
of safety and sensibility, Gallup philosophically quotes Nietzche,
"Because that which does not destroy you makes you stronger",
and then smiles, "Hell, if the consequence of failure isn't
death, then its just not fun!"
As Gallup reminisced about one of his first extreme escapes
where he was handcuffed, chained head-to-toe and thrown out
of plane, he fondly recalled his first "skydive" at
age 10. "I took one of my parents bed sheets, cut up some
clothesline, and made a 'parachute'. Needless to say, when I
jumped off our second story roof I didnt land too softly, but
just as I jumped, the sensation of flying rather, falling was
overwhelming. I think that was the day I knew that pushing myself
to the edge would become a way of life."
