When Tommy Saxenborn was eight-years-old he stumbled upon an activity that would become a life-long obsession.
“A beautiful autumn day, twenty-five years ago, I went in the garden to cut leaves and then one of the adults showed me that he could balance a garden tool on the tip of his finger and I was so impressed that I stayed in the garden all evening practising until I could do it,” Tommy said.
Tommy has gone on to balance a vast array of objects on his face – ranging from wine glasses and vegetables to larger items like a three-seat sofa and a tandem bicycle.
Tommy Saxenborn, known as ‘Balans Mannen’ on social media, balances a three-seater sofa on his chin
“I continued to practise and the older I got, the bigger the things I could balance on my chin,” said Tommy.
In one incredible video shows the Swede sitting with his legs crossed on his bed while his daughter happily sits on it, smiling and wearing a woolly hat and sunglasses.
Other images reveal Tommy, known as ‘Balans Mannen’ on social media, balancing objects like a large park bench, a ladder, and bar stools on his chin.
Granite chin: As he got older Tommy Saxenborn started to balance larger things on his face like park benches and bicycles
Though he has been balancing objects on his face for more than two decades it was only recently that his hobby came to the attention of other people.
On Instagram he has posted more than 2,600 times as ‘Balans Mannen’ and has more than 11,400 followers.
In some pictures he balances sharp objects – like a kitchen knife, which he balances with its point against his forehead, and a chainsaw that he balances blade-first on his chin.
Though he has been balancing objects on his face for more than two decades, Tommy says it was only recently that his hobby came to the attention of other people.
“I was noticed for the first time a couple of years ago when I was in the playground with my son and suddenly lifted up the stroller on my chin for other parents who were there.
“It turned out a journalist was there and three days later, I was on the first page of the newspaper and after the first article about me, I received inquiries from both newspaper, radio and television and I also started to show up at different events.”
Tommy’s daughter is totally relaxed about sitting on chairs that are being balanced on her father’s chin
His daughter features in several balancing videos posted on his Instagram account
Tommy balances a folding chair, two stools, and an ironing board on his chin
The Swede says that as long as he has the strength to pick an object up – then he has the ability to balance it on his chin
Tommy’s interest in balancing objects on his face started when he was eight-years-old
Tommy says that as long as he has the strength to pick an object up – then he has the ability to balance it on his chin.
“For me, there is no limit to what you can balance as long as you can lift it,” he said. “The biggest and heaviest I have balanced on my chin is probably a three-seat sofa”.
A chainsaw is just one of several dangerous objects the Swede has balanced on his face
As his Instagram alter ego ‘Balans Mannen’ Tommy has more than 11,400 followers
Tommy has posted more than 2,600 times on his ‘Balans Mannen’ Instagram account
Sometimes Tommy’s more risky stunts involve sharp kitchen knives