Samson rope played a significant role during Super Bowl XLIX – singer Katy Perry was suspended using 3/16” Tech-12 during her halftime performance.

This opportunity was the product of a great relationship between the Samson sales team and their distributor, VER Sales. VER’s Las Vegas operation, Desert Specialty Rigging, is a supplier to Flying by Foy, the industry leader and developer of winch equipment and software used to suspend and fly performers in the entertainment industry. The Samson sales team often evaluates end-user requirements for specific applications and then trains crew members in proper handling and splicing techniques.

Flying by Foy was approached by Touchdown Entertainment to manage the project of flying singer Katy Perry during her halftime performance. With more than 60 years of experience in theatrical flying, they were the perfect choice to handle a performance of such magnitude.

With exacting standards of safety and precision required by both the NFL and Flying by Foy, Samson was contacted to advise on the appropriate product, splicing, and handling techniques. “The magnitude of the [Super Bowl] itself requires security, engineering, etc.; it’s a few levels beyond what everyone is used to working in the entertainment world,” said Joe McGeough, VP of Operations at Flying by Foy. “The entire show has to be setup in less than eight minutes. The coordination the staff has to execute is amazing. It’s choreographed so that everyone can get in, get out, and get the game back on. The game is the most important thing and everyone has to go in with that in mind.”

We reached out to Samson because we wanted to make sure we were using the best product available,” McGeough explained. After a successful Super Bowl halftime show, all parties were pleased with the results. Samson is proud to partner with successful distributors like Desert Specialty Rigging and their end users, Flying by Foy.