Winnipeg magician wins Merlin

SHENZHEN, China—A prestigious award from the world’s largest magic organization has materialized for famed Winnipeg escape artist Dean Gunnarson.
Gunnarson has become the first performer of his kind to be given a Merlin—the highest honour bestowed by the New York-based International Society of Magicians.

The Merlin was presented for best escape artist of 2012 and was handed out at an event this week in Shenzhen, China, where Gunnarson was to perform an escape from a roller-coaster track.
He had to free himself from chains and handcuffs in less than a minute and leap 10 metres to safety to avoid being hit by the ride, which can go 135 km/h.
Gunnarson suffered a broken bone in his foot when he was clipped by a roller-coaster while trying the same stunt before.
Other notable Merlin winners include David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Siegfried and Roy, Penn and Teller, and Criss Angel.