Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square Announces “Lucky the Painproof Man” as Winner of Unbelievable Talents Contest

New York, NY (April 13, 2011) – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square named “Lucky the Painproof Man” as the winner of its Unbelievable Talents Contest during the finalist competition at the Ripley’s Times Square Odditorium.  To prove his extreme resistance to pain, “Lucky” kicked off his routine by eating a glass light bulb, wowed the audience when he lay on a bed of nails, followed by a daring barefoot climb up a staircase of sharpened swords.

 Four finalists, chosen by the public, traveled to New York City to compete in front of an esteemed panel of judges for the chance to win the grand prize of a summer (July-August) job as a Sideshow Performer at Ripley’s Times Square or the choice of $1,000 cash prize.

The winner: Lucky the Painproof Man

 “It was a tight competition, but after seeing the array of Lucky’s talents, we knew we had our winner,” said Michael Hirsch, General Manager of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square.  Hirsch was among the panel of judges which included Edward Meyer, VP Exhibits and Archives of Ripley Entertainment Inc.; Albert Cadabra of Ripley’s Sideshow Wonders; and Buck Wolf, Senior Correspondent of AOL Weird News. 

 Top finalists competing in Ripley’s Times Square Unbelievable Talent Contest included Jim Stilianos, whose talents ranged from walking on sharp pieces of glass to juggling fire; Zack Anthrax, who amazed the crowd by breaking two wooden arrows with his throat, and the Braggart Family trio – Hans Braggart, Jay Braggart and Uncle Lushklutz, who performed a three way knife juggling act while balancing on top of rola bolas.

 Throughout the month of March, contestants submitted videos displaying their unbelievable talents to the Ripley’s New York Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RipleysNY where public voting determined the competitions top finalists.

Since Robert Ripley began scouting the globe for extreme oddities, Ripley’s has discovered some incredibly, unbelievably talented people.  People who can hammer six-inch spikes into their noses, lift 100 pounds with their earlobes, fold themselves into a small box, and hang weights from their lower eyelids using fish hooks and chains. To see some of Ripley’s highly talented Sideshow performers visit, www.ripleysnewyork.com/sideshow. 

 For more information about the Unbelievable Talent Contest or Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, please visit www.ripleysnewyork.com.

About Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square

Located in the heart of Times Square, Ripley’s Believe It or Not’s collection of more than 500 astonishing artifacts and exclusive oddities are displayed in more than 20 distinct, interactive galleries. From a baseball uniform worn by Babe Ruth to a six-legged cow and the world’s largest collection of shrunken heads, Ripley’s welcomes guests to experience the unusual and absurd inside the Odditorium.  Outside, Ripley’s sideshow performers surprise and delight guests with daring feats such as sword swallowing and fire eating.  The gift shop features wacky treasures and treats including dogfish sharks in a jar and chocolate covered insects. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square is open from 9:00am – 1:00am. For further information visit www.ripleysnewyork.com

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About Ripley Entertainment

Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 12 million annually at its 80 attractions in 11 countries.  In addition to its 32 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions, 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. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Odditorium are registered trademarks of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

 Contact:

Gina Sisco
Redpoint Marketing PR, Inc.
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