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The globe and the demon hunter

By R. R. Branstrom 4 min read

ESCANABA -- One of the new attractions at the Upper Peninsula State Fair this year is the Dominguez Royal Legacy Circus, whose show culminates with motorcycles riding in the "globe of death" -- a spherical metal cage -- after performances by an acrobat, balancing acts and a comedian.

Jorge Dominguez, originally from Colombia, said he is a third-generation circus performer. His business, Dominguez Attractions, involves himself and his son, Logan Dominguez, traveling with different accompanying acts for about nine months of the year. They reside in Texas during winter.

"Basically, this is a three-ring circus. ...We try to make a show for kids and adults," Jorge said.

Traveling with the Dominguezes in 2026 are "Chimichurry" the clown and "Rumi" the gymnast. The latter was dressed as the character whose name she borrowed from the 2025 animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters.”

"It's the first year we are together," Jorge explained when asked about Rumi. "We -- my son and me -- own this company, and we try to change the performance like every year. For next year, maybe we (will hire) another act to try to bring to the fair, so it's not the same show. Different experience every time."

With a former partner, Jorge said, he used to operate an act with dogs. During that time, the young Logan began doing juggling and balancing acts. At the ripe age of nine, Logan began riding in the globe.

"My dad (taught) me the globe, and now I teach my son," Jorge said.

Logan is now 15. The youngest rider on record to have ridden in the globe of death was four years old.

The globe of death, which has been a famous circus attraction for well over a century, relies on centrifugal force to keep bikes riding along the inner surface of the ball of angled steel ribs.

When the globe portion of the Dominguez circus begins -- at least at the fair in Escanaba this week -- Logan enters first on a fuel-injected 110cc Honda dirtbike. On Tuesday afternoon, he did a few laps and then exited, removed his helmet, and waved to audience applause.

Jorge performed second on a slightly bigger bike, also a Honda, with a 150cc engine.

In a finale that wracked the nerves of audience members in Escanaba on Monday, both Jorge and Logan rode simultaneously while Rumi -- whose given name is Raquel Gonzalez -- stood in the center of the bottom of the sphere, even reaching out to touch Jorge’s hand at one point.

The globe of death has been around at least since the early 1900s; Arthur Rosenthal of Grand Rapids, Michigan filed a patent for the "bicyclist's globe" in 1904.

"Its objects are, first, to provide a latticed globe with which the bicyclist may attain sufficient momentum and have sufficient structure so that he may ride beyond the vertical center until he assumes nearly an inverted position upon his wheels; second, to render said globe sufficiently rigid to withstand the centrifugal force of the bicyclists and their wheels when acquiring momentum for the dash to the inverted position in the globe, and, third, to so construct the globe that it may be readily assembled or taken apart for shipment," wrote Rosenthal to the U.S. Patent Office at the time.

Despite its rather ominous nickname, the number of fatalities known to have occurred in globe of death accidents remain in the single digits, and the stunt remains popular worldwide.

While the motorcycle stunts seemed to be the element that drew many fairgoers to the Dominguez ring yesterday, the show had starts out much tamer, with twirling and balancing by Logan, hula hooping by Rumi, and light comic relief from Chimichurry. The feats are designed to gradually gain more and more interest as the circus went on. The entire show is about 25 minutes long.

Additional performances by the Dominguez Royal Legacy Circus at the 98th Upper Peninsula State Fair are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday; 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday; 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday; and 1:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

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