The Cyr Wheel (Roue Cyr)

I was looking at the Big Picture’s Dance Around the World photos, and was struck by the photo of Antoine Carabinier in the big wheel. I’ve seen German Wheel acts before, but never this, with all its finger-crushing potential. Googling quickly revealed that the apparatus is called the Cyr Wheel, named for inventor Daniel Cyr. Searching YouTube for “Cyr Wheel” turns up a mix of professional performances (here’s Antoine Carabinier in action, starting around 0:50, and here’s a performance by Balazs Foldvary, both impressive) and plenty of amateurs (the guy on the tennis court is a fast learner). Amateurs! Where do you even get a big metal wheel? There are quite a few leads in this thread, along with a surprisingly low reported quote of $200 to have one made and shipped (2006, from Vancouver). This post on WikiAnswers lists some manufacturers. Looks like fun! I’d get one if I had just a few more illusions about my coordination.