A Tempe magician took first place in an international magic competition in Tacoma, Washington.
Geno Ploeger participated in the close-up magic division during a convention held by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
The brotherhood is considered the largest organization of magicians and includes members from 88 countries.
His performance centered on a unique take on a commonly used trick.
“It was all themed around golf and started with some classic magic effects, something called the Cups and Balls, which is one of the oldest magic effects ever created. And it kind of stemmed from there. I used a lot of different magic principles to combine magic and golf to create something quite special. So it was pretty cool," he said.
Ploeger says he put several hours into his routine.
“So winning that competition was the greatest feeling in the world. There's no words I can use to describe it because you put so much work into something and once it all pays off, it's an unreal feeling.," he said.
Ploeger previously placed first in the youth close-up magic division in 2019.
He describes his style of magic as contemporary and more relatable. His goal is to do magic full-time and make a successful career out of it.
