A splash of fun
Diving show leaves kids jumping at the chance to come back for more
Diving show leaves kids jumping to come back for more

By Greg Elwell

Published: September 21, 2007

Not to ruin the surprise, but there aren't real penguins diving at the Oklahoma State Fair Centennial Expo.

Despite the initial disappointment from a few crowd members, most of the audience for the Penguin High Dive Show didn't seem to mind that what was advertised as penguins really were trained divers and acrobats dressed like penguins.

The bleachers at Centennial Plaza fill up quickly — the same with the grass besides the bleachers and the area around the diving pool.

Joel Norton, or Penguin Joel as the trainer calls him, said kids always are eager to get up close to see the dives.

The fact that they're splashing cold water on a hot day doesn't hurt, either.

The show runs at 1, 6 and 8 p.m. every day, and the routine doesn't vary much, Norton said. That doesn't keep some from coming back to see the spectacle more than once.

Eight-year-old Hunter Wiens of Cashion said he would like to see the show again. He stayed dry throughout the event at the behest of his father.

None of the kids in the audience seemed concerned for the safety of the divers. Many were unwilling to wait for the finale to see a penguin take on the 80-foot dive that wraps up the show, yelling for them to go higher and higher and always urging them to jump.

It was Kent DeMond who took the giant plunge at Tuesday's early show to the applause and shouting of the crowd.

The quiet Ryann Ball, 3, liked DeMond's finish just fine but was most taken with the opening act featuring a trampoline.

With experience ranging from members who were on the Princeton diving team to touring shows of Cirque du Soliel, it's no wonder the crowds are so taken with action at the dive show. Norton said he just returned from a stint in a circus in Canada and that there's steady work around the world for his fellow divers who excel in acrobatics, special plunges and playing to the crowd.

The Penguin High Dive Show is run by Brown Entertainment, which supplied a similar pirate-themed diving show to the state fair last year, owner Bill Brown said.

Those lucky enough to catch the 8 p.m. show will be treated to something extra — a flaming penguin, Norton said. Once a day, one of the penguins is set aflame before jumping into the water, he said.

The comedy is bit pun-ny, and the penguins aren't really penguins, but by the end of the show, nobody seemed to mind very much.

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