Story by Leighton Cosseboom
Photos by Courtney Hendricks
Alex Harrington is hanging upside-down in the air as we surround him in silence, our jaws wide open, as the skin of his knees stretches like rubber under the weight of his body. There is no blood from the deep sea fishhooks that penetrate his flesh at this moment, but he assures us there will be when he is done. Harrington’s skin continues to stretch and the blood flows to his docile face. He smiles as a result of our shocked facial expressions. I awaken from my paralysis and he tells me I can push him around like a pendulum if I want to. Laughing, we all take a turn pushing him like a child on a swing. Only it’s a man hanging from his own flesh.
- Video by Luke Harris and Thomas Furey
Suspension elevates a person above the ground through large hooks in the flesh. The number of deep sea fishing hooks used for procedure suspension ranges from one to 12 depending on the person’s body as well as the type of suspension. The suspendee is then hoisted into the air by a pulley, rope, or wench.
“I’ve been suspended quite a few times for performance,” says High Priestess Tattoo and Piercing employee Alex Harrington. “It feels like being at zero gravity, like you’re able to fly. It’s definitely a thrill and a rush.”
High Priestess tattoo artist and piercer John Logger has been participating in suspension for five years. “My most common suspension style is the superman style. It’s four hooks straight in my back and I am suspended horizontally,” he says, as he turns to ask his coworker a question under the High Priestess tent at the Oregon Ink Tattoo Convention. “The very first time I did it I was extremely scared and I couldn’t physically make myself do it. People had to help me get my feet off the ground,” Logger says, “but I am really glad that an old friend of mine, who I really trusted, encouraged me do it.”
Suspension is not as uncommon as most people might think. The act of suspending oneself in the air via giant deep sea fishhooks through the flesh is a trend which many more individuals and groups are beginning to adopt.
Originally, the Native American Mandan tribe used ritual suspension to signify the male rite of passage into adulthood. The Mandans were the first people to suspend humans by their skin and are responsible for many of the suspension methods people presently use. Today, suspension has begun to spread into other groups and subcultures all around the world. Harrington’s first suspension was at a tattoo convention in Everett, Washington. “I was in front of about four hundred people and there was an auction going on where I was displaying different types of jewelry,” Harrington says, “it was pretty awesome.”
Nearly everyone has different reasons for participating in suspension. Some see it as creative physical expression, while others partake in suspension as a form of meditation or spiritual fulfillment, similar to the Mandan tribe. “It is a great stress outlet for me. It is something I can do to release myself from any personal issues I have going on [in] my life,” says Logger. Some people, like Harrington, engage in the activity for art and physical performance. Others participate in suspension to hurl themselves into deep, weightless meditation. There are even people who see the procedure as a recreational activity for performing acrobatics and applying innovative new ideas to suspension. Some reasons are less spiritual; some people just suspend themselves simply for the adrenaline rush.
Devin Mense, from the suspension group known as Hangman Suspensions, which is based in Portland as well as Honolulu, says, “I think that most people who suspend with us for their first time do it to test themselves.” According to the Hangman Suspensions’ web page, they’re a group of individuals who suspend for their individually different reasons.
“I think for a lot of people it offers an almost tangible release followed by a sense of accomplishment and harmony that can last for a long time,” Mense explains.
“I prefer to have no less than two hooks in each knee.”
This year, from July 31st through August 1st, the group will be hosting a suspension retreat at Twisted Cedar Estate in Sandy, Oregon. The gathering will be somewhat of a festival where meals and lodging will be provided and all sorts of suspensions will take place. The group welcomes all who are interested in trying suspension for the first time, as well as any curious individuals who simply want to attend for entertainment.
One very popular type of suspension is the chest suspension, commonly used by the Mandan tribe along the Missouri River. For this type of suspension, two hooks are placed in the chest of the suspendee and act as the only support devices for the suspension. The chest suspension allows for a wide range of motion and it’s not uncommon for suspendees to swing themselves around the room and even spring off of walls in an acrobatic style.
The coma is a type of suspension in which the person lies on his or her back and is supported by two rows of hooks running from the chest to the legs. The suicide suspension places two hooks in the upper back, almost as though controlling a marionette.
“I think that it’s the most popular style of suspension because for a lot of people, it is the least intimidating,” Mense says. “You also have more freedom of movement and are more in control of your motion with this type of suspension, allowing you to swing more, spin more, do yoga poses, etc.”
A very tricky but popular type of suspension is known as the lotus, where the participant is suspended in a cross-legged position with his or her hands together as if in prayer. This position is most often used with meditation practices.
The knee suspension, as performed by Harrington, is known for being the most dangerous. Precise calculations must be taken prior to the procedure, especially if the suspendee is attempting it with only one hook in each knee.
“When I go up on my knees, I prefer to have no less than two hooks in each knee,” Harrington says. “Of all the major accidents I’ve seen in suspensions, I’ve definitely noticed the knees are right up there.”
Some may consider Harrington to be a human marvel, while others may see him as a fellow performer and stunt man. Harrington explains he just likes to see people’s reactions to him hanging by hooks.
“I’m addicted to the shock value. I mean, the crowd response is always my favorite thing because I always feed off of their energy,” Harrington says enthusiastically. I remember this, laugh, and give him another push on his skin swing.
