Rick Smith Jr.: Difference between revisions

| name = Rick Smith Jr.

| image = Rick Smith Jr. (49489278987) (cropped).jpg

| death_placeother_names =

| known_foreducation = [[CardCleveland State throwingUniversity]]

'''RichardRick Smith Jr.''' (born 5 March 1981) is a professional [[illusionist]] and [[card throwthrowing|card thrower]]er from [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. SmithHaving isderived besthis knownthrowing forskills from his numeroustime nationallyas televisedan performances[[NCAA asDivision wellI]] aspitcher hisat [[Cleveland State Vikings baseball|Cleveland State University]], Smith currently holds three world records: forfarthest throwingthrow of a playing card the greatest distance,<ref name="record1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/farthest-throw-of-a-playing-card|title=Farthest throw of a playing card|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-19April 29, 2023}}</ref> greatesthighest heightthrow of a playing card,<ref name="record2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-throw-of-a-playing-card|title=Highest throw of a playing card|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-19April 29, 2023}}</ref> and most accuratelyplaying cards consecutively thrown into a horizontal target.<ref name="record3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-accurate-playing-card-throwing|title=Most playing cards from a deckconsecutively thrown into a horizontal target|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-19April 29, 2023}}</ref> Deriving his throwing skills from his time as an [[NCAA Division I]] pitcher at [[Cleveland State Vikings baseball|Cleveland State University]], heSmith has also released a number of instructional films regardingon thecard practicesthrowing ofand magic and card throwing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/interview-with-card-thrower-magician-rick-smith-jr|title=Interview with Card Thrower & Magician Rick Smith Jr|date=2020-07-21|website=PlayingCardDecks|access-date=2020-07-23}}</ref>

Rick Smith Jr. was born and raised in [[Lyndhurst, Ohio]], a suburb on the eastern side of the city of Cleveland. He attended the St. Clare School until eighth grade, then transferredmoved to [[Charles F. Brush High School]], wherefrom which he graduated.

Smith began practicing magic at a young age, teaching himself tricks and buying props from the local magic store. He would perform for the residents of his neighborhood in his basement, eventually moving on to shows at local parties where he would charge a small fee for a stage performance.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

After high school, Smith enrolled at [[Cleveland State University]], where he studied Marketingmarketing and Businessbusiness Management.management Duringand hispitched timeon asthe aschool's student[[Cleveland heState playedVikings baseball for the CSU Vikings, pitching for their NCAA|baseball team]].

RickWhile Smithin Jr.’scollege, careerSmith unofficiallydiscovered beganan duringunnatural the second half of his time at CSU when he realized that his abilitytalent in [[card throwing]] could help him break world records and move quickly into the spotlight. Afterafter throwing a card at a friend in jest and accidentally slicingcutting his friend's arm, it became clear that Smith possessed an unusual talent for the sport. In the days and weeksFollowing thatthis followedincident, heSmith alerted the local press that he would be attemptingattempted to break the record[[Guinness World Record]] for distancethe offarthest athrown playing card, throwaccomplishing inthe CSU’sfeat Wolstein Center. Onon March 21 of, 2002, at the age[[Cleveland ofState 21,Convocation SmithCenter|Wolstein obtained the world record for the farthest distance a playing card had ever been thrownCenter]].

Rick Smith Jr. currently holds three [[Guinness World Records]] for his work in card throwing:

*Farthest The worldthrow recordof for the farthesta playing card throw– at65.96 meters (216 feet, 4 inches), achieved on March (3/21, 2002<ref name="record1"/02)>

Throughout his career, Smith has released a series of instructional movies aimed at audiences hoping to learn the basics of magic or card throwing. His releases include: Xtreme Beginnerz Card Handling Skills, which explains the basics of card throwing, pen spinning, and dice stacking; The Art of Card Throwing with Rick Smith Jr., which explains techniques for card throwing in greater detail; and Velocity (in collaboration with Murphy’sMurphy's Magic), which also launches into the specific practices and skills necessary to be a masterful card thrower.