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The Slow Mo Guys Filmed a Handheld Spinning Wheel of Fire

Usually any video based on the concept of a handheld, homemade,spinning wheel of “really hot sparks” would come equipped with a warning about graphic images of lost limbs and blood, but fortunately for us The Slow Mo Guys are pretty good at not actually hurting themselves (for the most part). That means we can enjoy this super slow motion footage of a Catherine Wheel free of worry.

If you aren’t familiar with a Catherine Wheel in name, you’ve still probably seen one before. It’s “a firework that revolves on a pin, making a wheel of fire or sparks.” Basically it’s a pinwheel of fire. Only here, the guys made a handheld one using very fine steel wool and some wire.

Making sure to water down the grass beforehand, Gavin and Dan waited for nightfall to accentuate the fantastic light show, which still did not look particularly safe regardless of their (meager) precautions. However, it did look pretty damn amazing, especially in slow-mo.

Catherine-Wheel-Profile
Did anyone else think of Groot while watching this? Was that music actually from Guardians of the Galaxy?

Even in normal time this looked amazing, with the sparks looking like a galaxy of stars coming to life. They almost seemed to be dancing, and as they met the ground they created a path of light that helped the “majestic” aesthetic of the entire endeavor.

While we strongly encourage you not to try and recreate this wheel of fire in your own backyard, we’re still glad these two are doing it for us… and keeping the injuries to something minor. Like, just a few hundred sparks in the face.

How would you describe this slow motion footage? Hurry up and tell us in the comments below.

Images: The Slow Mo Guys/YouTube

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