Flying flora

John Karls, globe-trotting bouquet-tosser:

Mr. Karls, 62, started going to operas and ballets and throwing bouquets to his favorite performers at the age of 9, when other boys were throwing to first. He has attended upward of 2,500 performances and tossed some 750 bouquets in a career spanning more than half a century…

Mr. Karls uses a two-handed toss not unlike that of a hammer thrower. In bouquet tossing, weight is not an issue: the flowers only weigh 2 pounds 12 ounces. The real issue is wind resistance: the cellophane wrap can cause significant drag and can make a bouquet do what Mr. Karls calls a “dying duck” over the orchestra pit. With pits measuring 20 feet or more across, a successful toss requires a clear back swing, a clean release and a surprising amount of oomph.