SIDNEY — You never know what you will see at the fair: old friends, strange carnies, new deep-fried treats, hypnosis acts or even a Ninja (warrior-style) obstacle course.
You will find all of these at the Shelby County fair, going on through Saturday.
Three times each day at the fair, one can witness Mike Bishop put on his real live “Wild Mild Comedy Hypnosis Show.”
Bishop displays how the power of suggestion, concentration, deep relaxation and imagination work together to cause people to experience and do things out of the ordinary upon certain audio cues.
On Wednesday, about 100 people gathered for the 5 o’clock show to watch 13 young volunteers do just that. While under hypnosis, various members of the group unexpectedly experienced difficulty retying shoe laces, feeling random pinches, bursts of laughter, that their shoes were suddenly very hot, and believing their first names suddenly were different names.
Bishop ended the show by suggesting the volunteers still in his area would notice that any person with whom they shook hands would have an extremely large nose. Otherwise, all other hypnosis effects would dissipate, and life would returm to normal.
After the show, Paige Doseck, 14, daughter of Bob and Jenni Doseck, of Botkins, didn’t believe she was a volunteer.
“He didn’t pick me,” Paige said adamantly, while experiencing the somnambulist hypnosis Bishop spoke about at the beginning of the show. Somnambulist hypnosis is when an person experiences such a deep state of hypnosis, he doesn’t remember parts, or any, of the show, Bishop said.
“I thought maybe she would be faking it, but (now) I don’t think so,” Jenni said, smiling and staring into Paige’s eyes. “She looks like when she just wakes up.”
Jenni then giggled after her brother and mother at different times shook her hand. Her mom asked what was so funny, to which Paige said their noses were big.
Bishop, who resides in Ohio, has been working as a hypnotist since he was 16. He said he thought it was “cool” and had decided to become a hypnotist when, at 16, he witnessed friends do things he knew they never would have done. He has performed in Las Vegas and at several state fairs. He travels all over the country and provides entertainment at fairs, Christmas and corporate parties, after-proms, 4-H and high school events. He also is a motivational speaker at these events.
“She had a knack for going under (hypnosis),” Bishop said about Paige, later. “You get a sense about whether a person will go under or not. You get a feel. … If (volunteers) come up on stage and don’t give you eye contact and they’re looking at the audience and glaring all around, their chances of going under later are becoming slimmer and slimmer. A lot of it has to do with body language and all that.”
For more information about Mike Bishop’s entertainment/shows, visit www.hypnomike.com.
Ninja Obstacle Fitness Challenge
The obstacle course at the Shelby County Fair echoes challenges seen in the popular TV show, “American Ninja Warrior.” Several area businesses donated materials or money and built the various obstacles, including the famous wall, rope-climbing monkey bars and hurdles, among other climbs.
“Once one guy does it, here come 10 more,” said Tim Evertt, vice president of the fair board, about the attraction’s popularity.
This is the first year the obstacle course has been featured at the Shelby County Fair, Evertt said. The cost is $5 for a practice run. Those under 18 must have a parent’s signature to go through the course.
The top five competitors within each of the three classes who pay to qualify each day are advanced to the final competition scheduled for Saturday. Within the age groups eligible to qualify for Saturday’s competition, the fee is $20 for a qualifying run for people 9-14, and $30 for age groups 15-18 and 19 and up. Saturday’s first place winner in the 9-14 age group will win $300, and $500 goes to each of the winners of the 15-18 and 19 and up age groups. In each age group, the prizes are $250 for second place, $125 for third, $75 for fourth and $50 for fifth place at Saturday’s competition.
Evertt said participants’ ages varied from 4 to 56 as of Wednesday night, and only two people had made it to the top of the wall. The quickest time so far, he said, was 54 seconds.
Four-year-old Trevor Ludwig, son of Ethan and Kassie Ludwig, of Sidney, said he watches “American Ninja Warrior” on TV with his grandpa.
“I’m a Ninja. I can do that,” Trevor said with a big smile, when asked what he thought of the obstacle course.
Chase Foster, 21, of Sidney, said, “It was fun. It was definitely different. I’m going to go home and get different shoes, and I’ll be back (to try again).”
As the evening progressed, the crowd grew, filling the bleachers and the outskirts of the fenced-off obstacle course. The intensity became profound and there was a line of at least 10 young men waiting to sign up.
“My friends were talking about it. We watch the show all the time,” said Jacob Pleiman, 14, son of Jeremy and Lynn Pleiman, of Botkins. “I think I got a shot and I’m gonna do my best.”
The last time to qualify for the Shelby County Fair’s Ninja Obstacle Fitness Challenge is today from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday’s final event time is 2 p.m.
