//Firewalking, whilst interesting, is a con.//

I wouldn't say it's necessarily a con - it just depends on how it's being sold. Firewalking is not made possible through mind-over-matter, divine intervention, or any other supernatural mumbo-jumbo. It works because of physics, and it's quite safe as long as you don't linger on the coals.

But if Mr Stihl and I were to supply a load of Iron Bark, Box, or another Australian dense hardwood species, that would test the faith and 'empowerment' of fire walking. Even if the inner urban Hipsters hovered above, their mens harem pants and sandals would be a-smokin'.

It would be, 'Woo, woo' and 'Nee nor nee norrrr'. L'il hazelnuts of fire!

As a reflection on the days past, some here may remember when BS artist leadership and personal empowerment consultants charged public organisations heaps to run workshops with stuff like that as the culmination of the event and 'proof' of course benefit. What about the flying fox ropes between gum trees and so on?

Years ago there was an 'empowerment' artist giving a demo at Darling Harbour, one of the interested spectators was an apprentice from Cockatoo Island Dockyard; he had armed himself with a handful of broken up steel swarf, he threw the swarf in the fire trail when no one was looking.
The agonized shrieks of the 'fire walker' when his feet hit the hot steel could have been heard on the Harbour Bridge even with a train rumbling over it.

Thanks all, we had a good night, massive amount to eat, these days I'm not usually a big drinker so only one beer and soft drink. The fire walking lads, four of them, over from Fiji, I think, part of an entertainment group who work in the resorts there.
Yes Issy, I know fire walking (more like running) is a con. It works by having a layer of "cold" ash as a insulator on top of the hot coals, dress it up with fire around so it looks quite spectacular. Not as spectacular as the girls and boys, with the about 20 piece drum band doing the hula, always my favourite. Even my partner "T" got up and done a couple of songs in Maori, she's a very good singer. A big fund raiser with things for sale, tee shirts, CD's gift stuff. And just for Leoj, two Island bikers brought their big bikes and leathers, and for $10 could have a dress up photo done, print it on the spot, and for extra $45 the tee shirt guy will put it on a shirt for you and post it out, "T" ordered one. Awesome idea for fund raising.