Third-Grader Often Has Hands Full

Mike Hoover has learned one of the basics of showmanship early - cute sells.

The hordes at Pig Out in the Park this summer sold him on it after he borrowed three bowling pins from a pro at the park and, for the fun of it, started juggling.

Someone tossed a quarter.

Hoover, his 8-year-old body swaying under the flying pins like a sailor on shore leave, got the Economics 101 lesson without a bobble.

Hardly stopping the show, he whipped off his baseball hat. Three dollars fell into it in less than an hour.

The next day he was back.

“Friday comes and he’s ready to go to work,” said Frank Hoover, his father, laughing.

The take: $22.

Soon after, the family took a trip to Seattle. Mike took his clubs and balls.

He begged his parents to let him try Bumbershoot, the city’s music and entertainment orgy. In an hour and a half of work at Bumbershoot, Mike earned $91.

“Pretty soon Uncle Sam is is going to want a piece of it,” said Frank, an attorney.

His parents, amused and proud of Mike’s success, let him spend his booty. With the money, Mike, a third-grader at Midway Elementary, played at the fair, winning a Tasmanian devil in a basketball-shooting contest.

For himself, he bought porcelain cocker spaniel figurines - miniatures of his white, short-legged mutt Bambam. For his 11-year-old sister Mikaela, a ring. She returned it because it was too big.

Mike has so much cute charisma stuffed into his 4-foot body, his cheeks are pudgy. He is also a talented athlete with great eye-hand coordination.

The professional jugglers at Bumbershoot were amazed that an 8-year-old could juggle four pins.

“Mike is an outstanding juggler,” said Dave Groth, Midway principal and Mike’s principle juggling partner.

Mike’s room has a stock of soccer and basketball trophies. As he reached up to point out his favorite - the 1994-95 YMCA basketball league championship - he stood on his tiptoes.

“I really love sports,” said Mike, shyly fidgeting.

Frank, who has learned to juggle from Mike, thinks his son’s coordination might come from karate training. Mike has a blue belt, three colors from black.

Mike plans a return trip for all three days at Bumbershoot next year, loaded with new tricks. He recently learned from Groth how to pass pins with a partner.

He can pop bean bags off shoulders and elbows without missing a beat. In another trick, he pulls a juggled apple out of the air for a quick bite while also juggling two balls.

The next juggling trick he hopes to learn - knives - draws a groan from his mother and a protest from Mikaela.

“Hopefully, when you’re older,” Mikaela admonishes.

But his secret trick for next year could be an imitation of the Bumbershoot act that had a guy on a 10-foot unicycle hopping rope.

“That was cool,” said Mike.

He’d make a killing.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo