DAVID DAVINCI Q&A WITH

THRILLUSIONIST®, PARROT TRAINER AND WORLD CHAMPION MAGICIAN

by JILLIAN CHANDLER

David (DaVinci) Womach was born in Spokane in 1983. From the age of 5, he had a fascination—you could say obsession—with magic. By the time he reached fifth grade, he was performing regularly for anyone who would watch. Today, the self-ascribed “husband, father, Thrillusionist®, parrot trainer, world champion magician, 1stPhorm athlete, skydiver, scuba diver, freediver and wingsuit pilot (and soon-to-be fixed-wing pilot) continues to captivate audiences across the globe when not enjoying life right here in Sandpoint. Earlier this year, he successfully skydived (in a wingsuit) with the fastest animal on earth—a falcon!

Q.You call yourself a Thrillusionist®.” How would you describe a Thrillusionist®?

A. Not a magician, not just an illusionist, but a thrill-seeking, mindbending master of prestidigitation who creates an alternate world of fascination with gravity-defying hair and leather pants (required).

Q.What inspired you on this journey of illusions and thrilling adventures? And at what age?

A. Our lives are shaped by inspiration derived from the masters that come before us. There was an annual TV Show called “World’s Greatest Magic” that first aired in 1994, which featured a magician named Greg Frewin. He performed a dove act unlike anything the world had ever seen (and was the reigning World Champion in the art of magic). I’d grown up with birds in the house and couldn’t imagine what it would take to train them to do all of those amazing things! I was so intrigued and inspired, I recorded and re-watched that show so many times. (I had set a requirement for myself to watch it twice every morning before school.) I eventually wore the VHS tape out.

That act inspired me to create my own dove act, which I took to LA to compete in 1998 at the age of 15 in the International Brotherhood of Magicians’ World Championship. I lost miserably. But I set to work creating a new act based on what I’d learned at the competition. By 17 I was performing 17 shows a week at Silverwood and honed my act so much that I ended up taking home the gold that year, becoming the youngest World Champion, in the Pacific Rim Professional Stage Championship.

I was booked the following year to come back as the headliner, so I decided to up my game by adding my parent’s macaw to the end of the act; just one problem, their parrot was mean as hell. So, I set out to train him and found out that with just a little training, parrots can become nice. That was the birth of BirdTricks. We are now the leading company for companion parrot training worldwide.

And to top it all off, I regularly fill in for Greg Frewin at his theater in Niagara Falls, Canada, whenever he needs time off. I love how it all went full circle!

Q.You have performed all over the world. Is there any one place/ show that has been a highlight for you? And why?

A. It’s nearly impossible to pick just one favorite place to perform. I’ve been so blessed to get to travel all over the world, just to make some birds appear and disappear (or train them for other people). One of the most memorable moments was dodging bomb threats while performing in Dhaka Bangladesh, or doing two shows (instead of one) in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan because the president came to one, and the first lady came to the second. The threat assessment was so high that they didn’t dare put both in the same room at once. I was just glad that my luggage arrived hours before the show, after being lost for three days.

Q.Do you currently have any new illusions or adventures in the works?

A. I do actually! My mom recently asked me the same thing. When I said “yes,” she asked what it was called … “Jaws of Death.” My poor mom. We do an annual show in Indiana to raise money for the Shriner’s Hospital. It’s usually a dozen or so sold-out shows, for around 10,000 people per show. We help them raise a ton of money, but each year we have to go back with some new material. So, this year, I’ll be hoisted to the top of the Ford Arena, suspended upside down in a straight jacket, from a burning rope, with these massive deadly jaws that will close and smash me if I don’t escape in time.

Q.When not thrilling and exciting audiences, how do you enjoy spending your time?

A. When I’m not performing or jumping out of aircraft, I’m usually spending time with my family training birds. It’s great that the whole family is involved with BirdTricks. We travel a lot to help train other people how to do anything from getting their parrot to stop biting, to safely flying it outside and having it come back. There are always unexpected challenges which, honestly, fuel me.

Q.You came to Sandpoint in 2004. What drew you here? And what are you most grateful for when it comes to the place you’ve called “home” for nearly two decades?

A. I moved to Sandpoint in 2004 when I got married to a beautiful local … Jamie Leigh Morris. … In all the places we’ve traveled over the six continents we’ve been to, my favorite view is driving across the Long Bridge, in any weather. It’s truly the most beautiful place in the world. The people are friendly, we’re rich in freedoms, and I’m only five minutes away from my in-laws (who we play cards with every Sunday, even if they know I cheat from time to time).

Q.When people hear the name David DaVinci, what would you like to be remembered for?

A. I’m not sure what people will remember me for. I do a lot of things in a lot of different fields, which I guess sums up that I just want to squeeze everything I can out of this one life we live on earth. There’s no shortage of dreams to chase or falcons to fly with. I guess the sky really isn’t the limit after all.

Save the date and get your tickets! David Davinci will be performing at the Panida Theater (Panida.org/events) on October 7. Prepare to be amazed.

To read the full, extended Q&A with David, go to GoSandpointMagazine. com. Visit FlyingWithFalcons.com to see the video. To find out more about BirdTricks, go to BirdTricks.com. And David invites you to follow him @ Thrillusionist on IG and @BirdTricksOfficial on IG.