Art ablaze: Firespinners light up the night

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DENVER - The hobby is called firespinning. It is part athletics, part art. It takes quick thinking, coordination and strength. And did we mention it's on fire?

If your Sunday evening drives take you across the Speer Boulevard bridge over Confluence Park, you might have seen the swirling lights below. What looks from a distance like overgrown fireflies are actually people performing something called firespinning.

Firespinning has its roots in New Zealand's native Maori culture. Burning wicks attached to chains and staffs are spun and twirled, blazing patterns in the air.

Each Sunday, people gather informally at Confluence Park to spin fire, play drums, or just watch and listen.

"We're not down here to attract a crowd," said Daniel Lefter. "People just happen upon us."

Lefter spins burning objects called poi. He graduated to fire after spinning glowsticks.

"It's just like anything else - football, basketball, baseball - you gotta want to do it. You gotta want to be good at it.," said Lefter.

Fellow firespinner Chase Lichtenberg admitted that suffering burns "just comes with the territory."

Spotters stand by with wet towels in case of an emergency. Lichtenberg pointed out an obvious benefit of their riverfront venue.

"If it gets really bad," he said. "There's a river to jump in."

Some artists spin, others juggle blazing objects. A man who asked to be identified as "Dragon" was breathing fire to the delight of the crowd. He said the fire just has a special appeal.

"You can connect to it," Dragon said. "You can feel the heat from its presence and then it goes away and the dance is over."