65-Year-Old Doug “The Balance King” McManaman’s Insights on Balancing Heavy Buddhas on his Chin

If Betty White’s incredible turn on SNL last month proved anything, it’s that you’re never too old to be a pinnacle of comedic excellence. But we here at URDB have known that all along. Doug McManaman, also known as “The Balance King” of Nova Scotia, is our 65-year-old champion of records. He has already set a whopping eight world records, and he’s planning to set at least two more this summer. He’s done everything from balancing golf ephemera on his chin while playing an electric fiddle to balancing 24 raw eggs on his chin while sitting on a six-foot ladder. Your move, Betty White.

Even better: the King only started his balancing act five years ago. After tours in the Navy and a long career in Canadian tourism, he realized he wanted to return to his favorite youth pastime: supporting precarious stacks of weighty objects on his chin. Now, he has a booming side business, performing at county fairs and birthday parties, and a local reputation so outsized that visitors to his tourist center regularly recognize him for his feats of strength. As the Balance King just set a new record this week, we caught up with him to learn more about his impressive list of records, six decades in the making.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, outside of those amazing balance skills.

Well, I was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, 1944, and I’ve lived here all my life. I was in the Navy in the 1960s and worked as a steel climber, putting steel on tall buildings. Maybe that’s where my sense of balance comes from. I’m also a 9-time target shooting champion. Oh, and I’m 65 years old. I really hope that the young people can see that somebody that age can do these kinds of things, and feel inspired to try something themselves.

We certainly feel inspired. How does one learn to balance things so well as to become a professional?

Everyone can balance! If you couldn’t, you’d fall over. But my doctor, who is a real nice lady, says that some people have extraordinary balance that is innate. It’s just something I could always do— when you look at me doing something that you think is hard, it’s very easy for me. I can just put a broomstick on my head, and shake my head all around and its not going to fall!

And the people in your life have supported your natural talents?

My wife comes to my shows, and she lets me practice right here in the house—but she doesn’t like me practicing with eggs. Truthfully she’s quite amazed by it. She now claims I can balance anything but my budget.

Zing! What are your live shows like?

I’ll do a one-hour show where I have with me a bagpiper, all dressed in Nova Scotia tartan. But I alter the show for the crowd. In bars, I balance beer bottles, wine bottles, shot glasses, and challenge the audience to bring something that I can’t handle. If the crowd has kids, I do something fun and easy. I did the Blueberry Festival here and balanced bottles of blueberry juice. I know a woman up here with over 500 costumes, and I rent different ones. Sometimes I dress like a Mexican, sometimes a clown.

Are you always thinking of new things to balance? I bet you still have a lot of records in you yet.

I can balance any flag of the world on my chin while they play the anthem. I’m going to send that one to you soon. I also am working on balancing a 35-pound Buddha statue on my chin.

That should be great for your karma.

Yeah. Honestly, I always figured if you can do something, you might as well do it. It just seems like I was born this way, and I’m happy people get a kick out of it.

We do! And now you’re moving from balancing to shooting records?

Yes, this is an exciting one. I’m going to shoot at balloons at 30 yards behind me. I’ll be looking the other way, with the rifle over my shoulder, I’ll be looking into a mirror through my sights. No one has ever done that before. Well, not since the days of Annie Oakley.

Editor’s Note: The balloon shooting record has now been set!

-interview by Rachel Syme