Watch sword swallowers perform death-defying feats at Ripley’s Odditoriums on February 25
Orlando, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2017) – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums will again be home to a majority of the world’s sword swallowers as they demonstrate their death-defying skills to mark World Sword Swallower’s Day on Saturday, February 25.
This will be the tenth year that Ripley’s has hosted the event, which celebrates the 4,000 year old art and honors the few people in the world who risk their lives every time they swallow a sword. The event also recognizes the contributions that sword swallowers have made to medicine and science. There are only a few dozen people in the world able (and willing) to swallow swords.
“Sword swallowers have been prodded and examined by doctors and scientists in the name of science for the past 150 years, often without being recognized for their contributions,” said Dan Meyer, President, Sword Swallower’s Association International. “We want to change that. That’s one of the reasons we celebrate World Sword Swallower’s Day.”
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! will host sword swallowers at more than a dozen of its Odditoriums, providing FREE shows for the public. Locations include Times Square, San Francisco, Baltimore, Grand Prairie, Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach, Branson, Atlantic City, Williamsburg, Orlando, St. Augustine, Panama City Beach, Key West, Wisconsin Dells and Amsterdam.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has long chronicled the incredible feat of sword swallowing. Sword swallowers were prominently featured at the very first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933.
Click here for images from previous World Sword Swallower’s Day events.
Media Contacts
Frank Wolff
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! PR
407-339-0879
Frank@wellonscommunications.com
Dan Meyer, President
Sword Swallowers Association International
615-969-2568
Halfdan@aol.com
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 95-plus attractions in 12 countries each year. In addition to its 32 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.
About the Sword Swallowers Association International
Founded in 2001 to preserve the art of sword swallowing, SSAI (www.swordswallow.org) is comprised of sword swallowers from around the world and maintains a website with general information on sword swallowing for the general public at www.swordswallow.com
About Sword Swallowing
The art of sword swallowing began more than 4,000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the deadly art around the world today.
