Meeting David Blaine

Last weekend in Las Vegas, I had the honor and privilege of meeting one of the greats of magic: David Blaine. A true pioneer of the performing arts, David built his legacy as a magician on death-defying stunts and acts of extreme endurance, including a week-long submersion in a water-filled sphere, 44-days spent in a box hanging over London with no food, and a world-record 17-minute, 4-second breath hold.

After watching my friend Trevor perform (he’s a member of the EDM group Cheat Codes) at the AYU Dayclub, we headed over to Resorts World with VIP passes to meet David before his stage performance. He put on a small, close-up show for us, then took photos with everyone.

Chatting with David was a great experience. He was one of the few famous magicians that I hadn’t had the chance to meet yet, and his larger-than-life, mysterious stoicism was even more interesting in person.

David Blaine holding his breathe. He made it to 9 minutes and 1 second.

What’s so unique about David is that virtually all of his major performances have radically advanced the norms of the industry. Most magicians wouldn’t dare to compete with his stunt material, but David pulls it all off while looking almost uninterested. From sewing his mouth shut live on the Tonight Show to regurgitating live frogs, David approaches the extreme so casually, with such confidence, that his style is undeniably his.

I have a lot of respect for David. He has consistently set the bar high throughout his career, and leaders like him inspire me to get better at my craft.