With a career spanning over 60 years, Roy “Bickel” is a living legend in the world of live entertainment. From his early days as a professional water skier in 1960s Florida to flying through the air as a human cannonball in the circus, Roy’s path has been anything but ordinary.

In 1969, he transitioned from circus tents to concert tours, launching a groundbreaking rigging career that would span Broadway, arena concerts, Olympics, and global productions. He helped standardize the color-coded wire rope system still used today, trained generations of riggers, and worked with icons like Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Kiss, Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé.Jethro Tull, Aerosmith, Frank Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, 10,000 Maniacs, Backstreet Boys, New Kids, Reba and many more.

Roy’s expertise has taken him from rigging Mary Poppins to fly across arenas, to managing safety on Olympic flames, to innovating load-bearing techniques still in use across the industry. His reputation for grit, ingenuity, and mentorship is unmatched—and his stories are as jaw-dropping as his career.

An ESTA Lifetime Award recipient and 2025 Parnelli Honoree, Roy continues to work, teach, and inspire—proving that curiosity, courage, and character can take you from a hotel pool ski show to the biggest stages on Earth.