Club Obi Wan

. . . was FANTASTIC!

Rancho Indalo, in case you didn't already know, is the home of Anthony and Mary DeLongis. Anthony, of course, trained Harrison Ford for his whip work in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. First of all, I would like to thank the members of COW, especially Dan Borton and John Leonetti (and anyone else I'm not aware of) who worked on and posted Anthony's interview (and subsequently his web address) up on the main site.

This being my third trip, I'm happy to say that I've started to build a friendship with Anthony and his lovely wife, Mary, and I'm extremely proud of the progress I've made because of this man and his excellent instruction. As much as Harrison Ford has been an inspiration to me, Anthony has been the one person who has become a true mentor, coach, teacher, and friend. He has shown me intricacies with the whip I never knew existed, and he has helped me build a great set of skills. If anyone is interested in receiving instruction from one of the true masters of the art, a trip to LA is a must.

Here are a couple of photos, and some links to a couple of videos I shot while there Monday.

Anthony, my friend, thank you . . . I look forward to my next trip.

Daren Henry Wilkerson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF9fdUzgrRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_EKhAdIOMc





And these two shots are from my first visit, about two years ago . . .





Enjoy, everyone!

DHW

Wow Jack!
You are certainly priviledged to able to learn from one of the greats in such an awesome setting. Your videos are really good and have helped me to hone my technique. One thing, I see that on Indalo ranch most of the whip cracking is done on sandy/gravelly terrain. Does this have a negative effect on the whips themselves? It seems that it they would suffer abrasion and certainly get plenty dirty. I would be a little remiss myself to use a good Strain in these conditions
Cheers!
IndianaBravo

IndianaBravo wrote:Wow Jack!
You are certainly priviledged to able to learn from one of the greats in such an awesome setting. Your videos are really good and have helped me to hone my technique. One thing, I see that on Indalo ranch most of the whip cracking is done on sandy/gravelly terrain. Does this have a negative effect on the whips themselves? It seems that it they would suffer abrasion and certainly get plenty dirty. I would be a little remiss myself to use a good Strain in these conditions
Cheers!
IndianaBravo

Thanks, IndianaBravo!

As to the terrain at Anthony's ranch . . . Yes, it is sandy, and we are out in the dirt. It's actually a rather fine dusty dirt. Anthony certainly cares about his whips, but at the same time, he sees them as tools. He has even allowed me to crack some of his own prized whips out in the dirt. At the end of the day, we just take damp cloths, and wipe the dirt away, then give them a light coating of leather dressing. Do I prefer cracking on a nice dry lawn? Of course, but as Anthony is a performer and real cowboy, he has resigned himself to the fact these tools need to be used in many situations. Obviously, he avoids asphalt and concrete whenever possible, but if that's what the job calls for, he does what he has to do to get paid. Obviously, this is why he has more than a few whips. But if you take your Strain out in the dirt, it'll clean up fine at the end of the day. Not that you SHOULD give your whips anymore abuse than they regularly get, but a little dirt isn't a problem.

Happy Cracking!
Jack Henry

It's always enjoyable to see a fellow student of Anthony crack a whip. My good sir, you are doing quite well. I wish I had the time I need to dedicate myself to the craft. I always feel bad when I'm out cracking with Anthony, as it always seems I have to relearn so much.

You're looking great.

Mike

Oh man,

I would absolutely love to go out there and receive training from Mr. Delongis.
Heck, I don't even live that far away from Los Angeles.

I need to look into this.......

I would really like to visit Anthony and get some training. Looks like lots of fun. Those are cool videos and nice pictures! You have great skills

Daren



Great pics, allways.



Gaucho.

Daren,

Thanks for sharing your photos & video. It looks like you had a great time. Not only is Rancho Indalo a beautiful place to visit, (Plus an adventure to get too) but Anthony and Mary are both very gracious hosts and great fun to visit with. Your whip cracking is coming along very nicely under his guidance and that’s neat he’s wearing the hat he picked up from Penman.

When you are cracking whips on their property you do have to be mindful of some the larger rocks in and around the yard & corral, but the dirt is usually soft enough that it doesn’t do much physical damage aside from maybe scuffing the finish a little. Besides as David Morgan says, “You gotta keep it in the air! The quickest way to ruin a whip is by letting it hit the ground”. I’ve cracked some of my whips at their place though, while they usually come out covered with a fine dust, giving them that streets of Cairo look they’ve been ok after a good cleaning.

Dan

Hey Jack, Dan!
Thanks for the info regarding my whip abrasion concerns. "Keeping it in the air" is indeed solid advice. Lately I have been using pre moistened disposeable leather wipes that contain lanolin and beeswax to wipe down my whips after a session. I find that these wipes are especially good for cleaning falls. Typically I use about two of them on a really dirty fall and it leaves them gleaming!
Thwak!
IndianaBravo

Daren whenever I see these photos of you and Anthony working with your whips I'm not only jealous of your SKILLS with a whip (or two!) but I'm also jealous of the company you're both keeping!

All the Best to you, Jack!
If I get my way, maybe one day you'll be instructing me on how to do a few maneuvers with a whip!