Most Boulderites who stroll along Pearl Street are familiar with the city’s colorful cast of street performers. There’s Peter Irish, the juggler and weapons wrangler who makes spinning a burning chair on his forehead look easy. There’s Masterblaster G , the tap-dancing trumpeter dressed like he’s on his way to prom. The iconic ZIP Code Man , who can guess your hometown with slightly unsettling accuracy based on five little digits.

But no day walking in downtown Boulder ever felt complete without a sighting of Ibashi-I, the contortionist who could fold his 6-foot frame into a plexiglass cube with proportions not all that different from a tote bag.

Even among Boulder’s most storied mall performers, Ibashi-i stood out, mostly because he was often not standing at all. He’d be folded in half,

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