A body modification fanatic, dubbed a “real life demon”, has revealed his passion for hanging in midair by hooks pierced through his skin – and says it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Victor Hugo Peralta regularly hits the headlines due to his controversial look, where he has the Devil’s “666” carved into his scalp, alongside £400 metal horns implanted into his skull.
At aged 13, he recalls getting his first inking with the word: “F**k” across the fingers on his left hand and since then, he’s continued with the obsession – claiming 95% of his body is inked.
Victor, 53, has also earned the Guinness World Record title for “most body modifications” (married couple) along with his wife, Gabriela, 52, which they’ve held for 10 years.
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Now, he’s revealing another passion of theirs which has seen them travel to over 20 different countries to perform; suspending from a hook that’s pierced into their skin.
“We were inspired to see that for centuries, many sought to reach a state where pain could take a back seat and become a state of satisfaction,” Victor, a showman, told What’s The Jam.
“What for others is painful became pleasurable for us and we enjoyed it fully demonstrating that we can overcome the pain that many people fear.”
Victor and Gabriela, from Argentina, started their act in March 2010 after watching a suspension show and feeling a “passionate” inspiration.
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With ropes, needles and hooks, they began to fly through the air and reach a level of adrenaline that left them with an exhilarating hunger for more.
Since then, they’ve travelled to Uruguay, China, the US, Spain, France and Mexico, with their act.
But it’s not come without its sacrifices, with injuries and scars quite common.
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He said: “On some occasions, my skin has been torn from lifting three people at the same time and others, due to equipment failure.
“Gabriela had quite a big accident where she broke the joint part of her left arm and had to do physiotherapy due to suffering 14 fractures.
“She had to stop doing shows for a year and I suffered intense pain for quite a long time, but I didn’t want to stop.
“We have many scars and they’re a part of our lifestyle now – we love them.
“But on a scale from one to 10, it’s a two for pain and an eight for happiness.”
The pair, who have done over 150 shows, usually have to pierce their skin with up to 10 hooks at a time.
And while it’s an entertaining watch, it can sometimes get too much for the public.
Victor added: “The public is usually impressed and admires our work, but for other people, not so much.
“I’ve seen people faint because of the shock from seeing us bleed… but the overall response is very good.
“The show is quite hectic, bordering on violence, but still is funny and interactive with the audience.
“When they see our happy faces, they understand that not everyone feels the same about this act and that other people’s tastes shouldn’t be demonised.
“I’ve also used this passion to protest against discrimination in front of my country’s congress, too.
“My favourite part of the act is pulling, where ropes are hooked onto my body and by pulling them, I left up Gabriela who is suspended through hooks on her back.
“It’s important to be responsible – and keep in mind that it can fail.”
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