FEATURE
PUTTING THE
IN ‘VAPE TRICKS’
There was more to this performance than met the eye
BY GORDON STRIBLING
I th ink I ’v e dev e l o p e d s o m e th i n g o f a re p u tati on
fo r unearthing unusual stories since I started working at
Vapouround in August 2017. The three-part streaming film
‘Vape Warz,’ the history of the squonk in our last issue
and one or two ideas that didn’t make it past the pitching
stage come to mind.
Believe it or not, I rarely have to go out of my way to find
these stories as vaping attracts all sort of people from all
walks of life, making it fertile ground for interesting stories.
The world of vape trickery is a thriving scene of its own, spread
through social media, in vape shops and at expos thanks
to the high in vegetable glycerin (high-VG) e-liquidss that
make those crazy clouds possible. It was only a matter of
time before vape tricks hit the big time.
It doesn’t get much bigger than Simon Cowell’s ‘Got Talent’
franchise famed for its star-making influence, dubiously
emotional backstories and sheer competition-obliterating
staying power.
Among the auditions at this year’s Pilipinas Got Talent
– the Philippines’ equivalent of Britain’s Got Talent – was
Joven Olvido an actor and comedian sidelining in vape
trickery.
Having opened with a crowd-pleasing acting and comedy
routine peppered with more than a little shameless flirting
with judge Vice Ganda, it was time for some vape tricks.
He began by laying a canvas of vapour in the air before
bursting through it like a butterfly emerging from a
chrysalis, a cheeky gun-finger aimed squarely at Ganda.
Then, another thick cloud of vapour appeared, which he
jerkily twisted and turned his way through as if sculpting it
with his entire body.
Somehow, from that thick mist of vapour, a flawless bright-
white ring appeared. It was at this point that things started
to look a little fishy but, hey, give him the benefit of the
doubt. I’ve seen many a cloud-chaser do that before.
A s the crow d began to pi ece together w hat t hey
were seeing, Joven conjured up the centrepiece of the
performance – a beautiful heart-shaped ring that hovered
in front of hand.
Or at least that’s what he’d have us believe.
Joven then stepped it up a further gear, this time revealing
a row of perfectly-formed rings of vapour. How did he do it?
Look a tiny bit closer and you may see how. The incredible
display was nothing but a façade – classic misdirection,
humour and what appeared be a series of brilliant-white
pipe cleaners fashioned into various shapes.
Suitably amused and confused, the judges had no choice
but to give him a unanimous ‘yes’ and soon the 28-year-
old tricycle driver was trending all over social media.
Even with the language barrier, it’s safe to say that the
crowd enjoyed the comical performance. Vape tricks may
not have technically made the big time but perhaps Joven
Olvido has paved the way for a genuinely talented vaper
to wow crowds on an international stage in years to come.
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