You might remember his strange name from Palms of Steel or the New York Coin Magic Symposiums, seen him online at Reel Magic Magazine, or read his column in the pages of Genii. No matter how you know Kainoa Harbottle's material, you also know he brings with him an engaging personality, an off-beat sense of humor, and some of the cleanest coin magic you will ever see.
Originally hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, Kainoa grew up "in the trenches," performing close-up magic in the hotels of Waikiki and the outer islands. He eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he was a Junior Member at the Magic Castle, and then headed further east, teaching for over a decade in the University of Delaware's English and Theater Departments while finishing a dissertation on (surprise, surprise) magic in the nineteenth century. A scholar of magic's history and an innovator of one of its most challenging genres, Kainoa's thinking is considered revolutionary by many of his contemporaries, and he enjoys surprising other magicians by making the most difficult material look effortless. This is what you'll be learning:
Too Many Coins: In "Too Many Coins," you will see coin magic performed and taught in ways you've never seen before. First, Kainoa performs a literally no-holds-barred routine of doom. Coins go across, change places, even as he tries to make things easier on the audience by getting rid of more and more of the coins. Finally, the coins suddenly all return... or don't because the ending is up to you. This routine is the center point of Kainoa's lecture because as he explains each sequence, he discusses a particular technique. Then, each of those techniques lead to a discussion of additional effects: from an extremely clean copper/silver transposition, to an easy-to-do Miser's Dream, to an impossible version of Two in the Hand, One in the Pocket. But the most important lesson is how to suture your effects together to create a routine that allows you to accomplish what you need to for your audiences.
- 3 & 3 Sequence
- Key Move: The Push-through Steal
- Different Push-through Steal techniques
- 1, 2, or All Coins
- Application Effect: (Push-through) Copper/Silver
- Hyper Clean Copper/Silver Effect
- Key Moves: Fingertip Utility Pass and Push-through Steal
- Minus One Winged Silver - Key Move: One-handed shell un-nest
- Punctuated Equilibrium - Key Moves: Action Heel Steal and Click Pass
- Application Effect: EZ Miser Performance/Explanation - Key Moves: Click Pass and One/Two-Behind Principle
- Application Effect: Deja Flew - About interaction-make the coins appear in the spectator's hands twice.
- All Come Back Ending OR Gadabout You Ending
- Application Effect: Gadabout You (Two in the Hand, One in the Pocket) as alternate ending
Rolling Stone: Here, Kainoa discusses doing coin magic in the trenches, sharing a tablehopping routine he has performed for years. Coins surprisingly appear on the spectator's table not just once but twice, transforming the audience's space into one of magic. Additionally, Kainoa teaches three different techniques to getting into Edge Grip, each of which are designed to help you vanish not just one but multiple coins.
- Key Moves: Steeplechase Discrepancy and Edge Grip
- Coins appearing on the table
- Three different techniques to get into Edge Grip
Ghosts and Vamps: Welcome to the realm of Goth Magic... or just vampire-themed card tricks. This reworking of Guy Hollingworth's "Voodoo Card" leaves you with a full deck of cards and your audience with a fun souvenir. More importantly, the structure of this routine gives you the opportunity to be as creative as possible.
Further Than Three Different Ways: This reworking of Michael Skinner's "Three Different Ways" takes a strong, fairly impromptu trick and turns it into a showpiece. Three cards are selected in three different ways, and after Kainoa reads one spectator's mind in a way that only he would, the rest of the selections are found in a variety of ways, and the rest of the deck turns into Jokers.
The Miser's Goblet Performance and Explanation: This is one of Kainoa's signature effects: as he tells the story of the first magician he ever saw, a seemingly endless amount of coins roll down his fingers into a brass goblet. When the last coin seems to have vanished, it returns while bringing even more coins to his fingertips. Learn the ideas and structure behind this effect, and, if you're brave enough, give it a try.
- Key Moves: Steeplechase Discrepancy and Palming Lots of Coins
