Athol teen says juggling helps him relax

Summertime in Athol may not be action-packed, but with a season pass to Silverwood two years ago, Troy Anast found entertainment. He was drawn to the ice skating show and enchanted by their jugglers. He became such a frequent visitor to the magic shop, he was asked to stay away.

“Basically, I was in there all the time and the customers complained,” he said.

Anast didn’t let that deter him. He befriended a professional juggler at the theme park, watched his moves and practiced at home.

“I came back and showed him I got it down,” he said.

His friendship with the entertainment crew led to a job working the spotlight for the ice show. This past summer, Anast took a job in the same magic shop that threw him out.

The Timberlake High School junior moved to North Idaho from California at age 4. He lived in Coeur d’ Alene until settling in Athol three years ago along with his parents, Mike and Patti Anast, and 12-year-old brother Justin. He hears teens complain that there’s nothing to do but he has no problem keeping himself occupied. Favorite pastimes include swimming from his family’s boat on Lake Pend Oreille and snowboarding at Schweitzer. His favorite time-wasters are talking on the phone, playing video games and listening to music.

His CD listening time usually has a purpose. Anast envisions how songs will fit into his juggling routine. He has no set practice schedule, but juggling is an everyday event. He may take five minutes to toss a few balls or three hours to concentrate on a particular skill.

He finds juggling relaxing and said it helps him with problem-solving and self-discipline.

“You need to make an object go a particular place,” he said. “It makes you use your brain differently.”

As for the future, Anast contemplated becoming a microbiologist but decided it wouldn’t be that fun. He considers himself an “average” student who has to work hard for his grades. Business or psychology might be more up his alley, he said. He already runs High Attitude Juggling, his own entertainment business, which offers juggling and magic shows. He’s worked crowds with a deck of cards and a few coins and performed for birthdays, business parties and wedding receptions.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “People find it interesting, and it’s something to talk about. It’s helped me with being more outgoing. I’m very comfortable up on a stage.”

Anast performed in plays and singing events in grade school and plays the violin. He finds it’s different being the focus of attention, and there are some rewards. He won first place in a school talent show last year for juggling clubs while bouncing on a pogo stick to the tune of “I Can’t Dance.”

Anast is starting driver’s education classes, and although most of his classmates are dreaming of new cars, what the juggler, magician and entrepreneur would really like is a set of knives. He doesn’t intend to chop, dice or slice, but instead he’ll spin them through the air.

He insists that juggling knives is not that hard or dangerous, but adding them to his act will open up a lot of doors.

“As long as there’s an element of danger, people are going to like it,” he said. “Something sharp or on fire is going to be more exciting.”

He’ll use this winter to work on his act and hopes to audition next spring at Silverwood, where lighted torches and knives are in favor.

“They don’t ask how many balls you can juggle,” he said. “They ask how you can make an audience happy. It’s always exciting to get a chance to perform.”