Traveling daredevil aims high
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Human cannonball Dave "The Bullet" Smith is a
second-generation daredevil. His father is 30-year
stunt veteran Dave "Cannonball" Smith.
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Thrill-seekers jump out of airplanes hoping that a piece of fabric will bring them safely back to earth. Others row through roaring whitewater or claw their way up massive rocks.
Dave "The Bullet" Smith makes a living by dumping a bunch of gunpowder beneath his feet and shooting himself out of a cannon.
A human cannonball, Smith plans to thrill audiences at the Columbia County Fall Fair beginning tomorrow.
The gravitational forces exerted on Smith range from 8 to 11 Gs, and he puts his life on the line with every shot.
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"If I were to miss I wouldn't live," he said. "It's about a 70-foot fall traveling at around 60 mph. If you make one mistake it's all over. I take each shot individually and try not to think about how many I've done."
Smith has logged more than 4,000 cannon shots and has been featured on the Discovery Channel, The Tonight Show and The Today Show, and recently doubled for Ewan McGregor when he shot himself over a circus tent for the upcoming Tim Burton film Big Fish.
On MTV's Senseless Acts of Video Smith launched himself over the Grand Canyon.
The 26-year-old began shooting himself out of cannons shortly after graduating high school. He inherited the business from his father, Dave "Cannonball" Smith.
The Human Cannonball will be performing at the Columbia County Fair.
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The elder Smith built six cannons in his 30-year daredevil career, and it is the third cannon he built that his son intends to use.
"It's my personal favorite," Smith said. "It's broken the world's record three times for the longest shot."
Smith briefly held the spot in the Guinness Book of Records with a 181-foot shot until his father broke it with a 201-foot shot.
Not content with just shooting himself from a cannon, Smith is adding another dangerous element to his routine.
"It's pushing the envelope, but I'm going to be shooting over a 60-foot tall Cyclops ride when I come out there," he said about his upcoming performance in Columbia County.
The fair will be Oct. 30 through Nov. 8. Smith will perform two shows daily and three on the weekend during the fair's run between Thursday and Nov. 8.