Never before has an election promise in Squamish been so hot and life-threatening.
But new Councillor Peter Kent stayed true to his word by setting himself on fire in front of hundreds of spectators at the Loggers Sports Grounds on a rainy Friday (Feb. 13).
Kent geared up with protection for close to half an hour and then strolled through the grounds while ablaze with flames. He said he enjoyed the experience and was thrilled with the turnout.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I really felt nothing because the suit and gel mix is the most up-to-date stuff out there. When I went on the ground to end the walk, I was actually starting to warm up a bit underneath all the cold suits.”
His instructions when on fire were simple – don’t breathe, don’t open your eyes and walk straight ahead.
“When I was lit, I had my eyes closed and I have three hoods on so I could hear them telling me to walk but I didn’t even think I was lit yet,” he said. “A shift in winds could burn your eyes, and if you inhale the flames, it could close your throat off and suffocate, so [walking] is what I had to do.”
Adam Damian Grant, the man who set Kent on fire and one of the instructors at Kent’s stunt school, said the event went well.
“I thought it was great,” he said. “The one challenge was the rain but to see that many people and media in that weather put a smile on my face. There was so much positive energy at the event.”
Grant said Kent’s crew was well prepared for this type of stunt.
“It looks dangerous from one perspective, but when you’ve been doing stunts most of your life and have a highly trained crew, it’s pretty much just another day at the office,” he said. “The average person shouldn’t be doing this and we’re always researching the latest technologies – we’re not just grabbing Joe and Bob with a fire extinguisher.”
Kent was pleased with the turnout.
“I was blown away by it,” he said. “I went in at about 5:35 p.m. to get dressed and there were about 15 people in the bleachers. I thought, well at least the media is here and people will see it. When I came out there were about 300 or more and I was gratified that many people came out in this weather.… It shows how awesome our community is.”
Food donations were accepted at the event, and Kent said a car trunk full of items was delivered to the Squamish Food Bank on Monday. He also thanked Murray Sovereign from Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Susan Chapelle and Rebecca Aldous for their donations.
“Nobody should ever try this at home,” he said. “I’d like to thank the community for coming out and their participation. At the end of the day it came down to the fact that I made a promise and if I can help raise voter awareness – and I’m not saying I did it single-handedly – it’s great for the community.”
Kent didn’t promise any stunts for future elections but said you never know what might happen in 2018.
“I have four years to think about it,” he said with a laugh.
