By KALI CAUDLE
Not only do they share the same blood type, they also share the same obsession with weird circus and sideshow stunts. The Great Orbax and Sweet Pepper Klopek are Canadian entertainers (and twin brothers) who are known as the Monsters of Schlock. They hold the title of The World’s Most Ridiculous Circus Sideshow Comedy Magic Extravaganza.
“We’re kind of the amalgamation of all this stupid, silly, fun stuff that you can do on stage,” Orbax said.
The duo have performed in theatres, carnivals, festivals and colleges worldwide.
On Jan. 20 they started their 2015 Campus Record Breakers Tour. At various campuses they have attempted or will attempt to break a Guinness World Record. They first went to Algonquin College, where Klopek broke the Guinness World Record for the most animal traps released on a human body in one minute. The record was previously held by Johnny Strange, with six traps in one minute, while Klopek successfully got 13 traps.
On Jan. 28 they performed at Fanshawe College, where Orbax attempted to break the record for grasping an opponent around the waist and slamming him into as many tables as possible. Orbax’s “victim” was his brother.
On Jan. 29 they performed at Conestoga College’s Doon campus.
Conestoga students got to see a wide range of sideshow stunts, from nails being hammered into a face to a bowling ball being hung from eyelids and a clown eating fire.
“Nobody likes pain. We like making people laugh, that’s the important thing,” Orbax said.
As the acts went on, the students’ anticipation and excitement grew. Finally it was time for the World Record attempt. Students gathered around a table, cellphones and video-recording devices in hand, as Klopek set up mousetraps along a table from one end to the other. The countdown began and mousetraps went flying.
Fifty-six traps later, Klopek set a new Guinness World Record for the most mousetraps snapped on a tongue in one minute. His previous record was 47 traps in one minute
Emilie Dietrich, a second-year office administration executive student, said she had never heard of anything like this before and thought it was a cool performance.
“My favourite part was the mousetraps. I found it really interesting,” she said.
Samantha Schwier, programming co-ordinator for Conestoga Students Inc., said the students who attended were really pleased with the performance and that students will be talking about it on campus for a while.
“It’s so cool to be a part of that history. We’re going to be in the world records. It happened at our school, in Kitchener at Conestoga and in front of our students.
“It’s just amazing,” she said.
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