The Star , 19 May 2009

Participants mesmerise audience with tricks and showmanship

TWO magical weekends at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya drew to a close recently with the presentation of prizes to the five winners of the Magic Competition.

The competition was part of the Tropicana City Mall Magic Carnival 2009, which also featured international guest magicians, workshops and dealers.

The Magic Competition took centre stage with two heats and the finals, and shoppers were kept in suspense right to the end as the contestants showcased tricks and showmanship in their bid to outshine their rivals.

In the end, Kimmy Liew emerged the champion and received RM3,000, a trophy and a certificate from Tropicana City Management marketing and leasing senior manager Mabel Tan.

Tan also presented first runner-up Jay Guo his prize of RM2,000, certificate and trophy.

The second runner-up was Mark Yong, who received RM1,000, a trophy and a certificate.

The Most Promising Magician award went to Ichiro & Pinky, who accepted their certificate, trophy and RM200 from chief judge Sonny Hew.

Meanwhile, Guo scored a double when he was also named the winner of the Most Entertaining Magician award, which came with a prize of RM200, certificate and trophy that he received from Robin, the judge from Taiwan.

International guest magicians from Hong Kong, Iran, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Thailand mesmerised their audience with their feats of magic, including handheld items that vanished without a trace.

Young shoppers who spent RM50 at the Mall eagerly registered for the Magic Workshop, at which they learnt to perform tricks of their own, while many others also bought magic props and tricks to take home.