Max must have some great stories. He is covered head to toe in scars but always laughing and bright eyed. I'm sure that those open wounds and scars must hurt, but they can't hurt as much as smiling broadly 15 hours a day.

Max works in the chill out bungalows. Whilst I was there, I saw him building every day: moving concrete, sculpting, painting, woodworking. Normally bare chested with sweat dripping off him and chasing flys from the open wounds on his side. Come the afternoon he'd step behind the bar from which he'd orchestrate the evening til the wee hours of the morning.

Every evening the majority of Tonsai would migrate to chill out for a fire show. Here Tot, Non and Max would throw, spin, will and breathe fire for half an hour with the kind of explosive energy i'd never seen before. It was here that Max would earn his wounds. I was there long enough to see that the boys were constantly learning and trying new tricks. I lent my glow poi to Max and due to their light weight, he had to slow right down. It was only then I saw how complex and technical his poi work was.

This was an early photo, prior to the Hands and Faces idea, so unfortunately, no image of Max holding the photo, to see those damaged arms.

A big choc dee (cheers and good luck
) to the hardest working man in Tonsai.