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Details

Highflyer

Eggink, Peter

(Based on 1 review)
A card is freely selected and signed across its face by the spectator. The signed card is repeatedly placed inside the middle of the deck and arrives magically back on TOP every single time!

The magician explains that you actually can't "see" the card appear at the top of the deck.For that reason the magician signs his name on the BACK of the spectator's signed selection, and once again the card is placed back in the middle of the pack and shuffled thoroughly.

With just a shake of the deck and under impossible conditions, the spectator's SIGNED selection VISUALLY and MAGICALLY reappears on TOP of the deck!

Now for the final kicker: the magician explains that the signed card is SO ambitious that sometimes it even wants to go FURTHER than the TOP. The signed card is placed face-up on top of the deck and the deck is placed onto the spectator's hand.

SLOWLY the signed card starts to levitate off the deck- suddenly and unexpectedly the card fires upwards all the way to the fingertips of the magician! Finally the signed card is given away as souvenir. Remember: during this phase the magician NEVER touches the deck!

The full training DVD will guide you step by step on how to perform the routine, sleights and techniques. Custom handmade gimmick on Bicycle stock included.

Running Time Approximately: 24min

Reviews

James Sanden

Official Reviewer

Apr 28, 2011

“High Flyer” is a DVD and “special something” that allows for a very visual 2 phase ending to an ambitious card routine. In the first phase the selection visually appears on the top of the deck and in the second, the selection, placed face up on top of the deck in the spectator’s hand, pops up against the performer’s fingers, where it floats, suspended, above the deck. The visual effect of the card popping off the deck is very deceptive, but difficult to capture in words, so I recommend watching the video to see how it looks.

For many the biggest question is how does this compare to “The Hawk,” which is another method for having a selected card visually appear on the top of the deck. While I can’t compare ease of handling, I can compare effects, and the first thing to know about “High Flyer” is that the selection doesn’t appear on the top of the deck face up like it does with “The Hawk.” Instead, the magician signs the back of the card and it’s the magician’s signature that visibly appears. However, the card that appears may be immediately turned face up and cleanly handed to the spectator to confirm their signature is on the face, so I think this difference is minimal. Second, with “The Hawk” the card appearing on the top of the deck can occur with the deck out of the magician’s hands, which is not possible with “High Flyer.” Again, I think this difference is minimal, as the appearance is out in the open, and is very visually effective.

Still, the appearance of a face up card signed by the spectator is stronger than a face down one with the magician’s signature, but with “High Flyer” the performer also gets the additional effect of the card jumping off the top of the deck into his or her hand. While there are other methods I have seen for this effect as well, the way the card pops up and then floats above the deck is deceptive, intriguing and disarming. Mr. Eggink’s use of his fingers above the cards adds a lovely bit of misdirection that subtly, but effectively, changes the appearance of the floatation.

My favorite feature of this routine is how well suited both phases are to the ambitious card plot, while adding variety and a visual element to the effect. Typically in an ambitious card routine the card jumps to the top of the deck face down, so it makes sense to initial the back so you can see it arrive. Also, it’s strangely logical that an “ambitious” card would overshoot the top of the deck, which allows for surprise, while still retaining the logic of the plot. The construction of the “secret something” is also quite efficient, allowing for two different effects, while also incorporating elements that make the effect and handling more clean and magical.

The handling is fairly straightforward and should be relatively easy to pick up for the average card worker. While there is a secret something that needs to be added to the deck, it would be fairly easy to ring it in and out, and frankly, it wouldn’t be that difficult to keep it in the deck during the course of many other card tricks. My only complaint is that Mr. Eggink doesn’t show how to get “in position” in real time, the way it should appear to the audience, which while a seemingly small point is a critical part of learning how to perform this effect.

The instruction is quick, to the point, and is fairly complete (with the exception of the aforementioned demonstration of how the “get ready” should look to the audience.) Mr. Eggink even includes a nice little move that you can add to your existing ambitious card routine. The DVD comes with a “special something” that allows you to do the effect and which most performers would be hard pressed to assemble on their own. At $30 it’s less expensive than “The Hawk” and allows for an additional effect, so if you watch the video clip and like how it appears, you won’t be disappointed by “High Flyer.”
(Top ▲)