His favorite carnival game to run is the balloon pop game where the player has to pop the balloon with a dart, but he also spends his time making sure the assembly of the rides is correct.
During his decade-and-a-half-long career, Bear has learned the in’s and out’s of the carnival circuit — and even witnessed a couple of drug busts by the FBI, DEA, and US Marshals after week-long stake-outs.
But, most significantly, he’s learned how to get carnival goers’ cash, through rigging the games.
“There are the little things that throw off your perception,” Bear explained. “Most people have preconceived notions that a basketball hoop is round or that a balloon’s all the way inflated. We take those expectations and run with it.”
Bear’s stories brought back fond recollections of the hot summer nights I spent at the carnival as a teenager. Its return to my small mountain town brightened the night sky with flashing lights, bringing with it a slew of questionable characters and the aroma of deep fried “you name it” for five days a year.
For nervous parents who feared the world outside their own city limits, these five days were panic-ridden. For a suburban kid like myself with dangerous amounts of curiosity, it was like stepping into heaven.
The first days before the carnival began operations were watched closely by citizens of the city. Rides like the “Gravitron” were hauled in, the “Ali Baba” was raised, and the “Kamikaze” was wiped down of any vomit smudges from previous towns. Once carnival workers began the process of preparing the games for play, all signs appeared to be a go.
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