The Challenge by Mario Lopez

The Challenge by Mario Lopez

A bright red ribbon. A Chinese coin threaded onto it that drops, locks in place, and stops. It cannot come off. The ribbon is threaded through the hole. Physics says it stays where it is. And then it melts straight through the ribbon.

Right in front of their eyes. Matter through matter. No warning, no cover, no explanation.

That is The Challenge, Mario Lopez's completely reimagined take on the Chinese Charming Challenge, and it is the most visual, most direct, and most impossible version of this classic effect ever created. Chris Ramsay called it the most magical moment he had felt in years. It was featured in his video blog from FISM 2022. Jiro and countless others named it the best coin trick of the year. And once you see it performed, you will understand immediately why every one of those reactions happened.

Mario Lopez is a FISM Award-winning creator from Spain who has built his reputation by taking classic effects apart and reassembling them into something so clean, so intelligent, and so visual that they feel genuinely new. The Challenge is the finest example of that approach. He is not doing the same effect better. He is doing something entirely different with the same premise, and the result is a routine that Luis Olmedo described as beautiful magic, solved in an intelligent, visual, and entertaining way.

The effect is built around a full multi-phase routine where the coin and ribbon interact across several impossible moments, each one escalating the impossibility and building the overall experience far beyond what a single penetration could achieve. As Luis Olmedo put it: it is not about whether or not the coin goes through the string. It is about the mix of sensations in each phase of the presentation.

A shorter, equally direct single-coin version is also included, perfect for table hopping and walk-around settings where you want maximum impact in minimum time.

The premium props are crafted to the highest standard you would expect from a respected name in close-up magic. A full sixty-minute tutorial teaches both complete routines and a range of additional ideas that open up the system beyond what the base routines cover, giving you room to take this effect in your own creative direction once you are comfortable with the method.

"It is the MOST magical moment I have felt in years." Chris Ramsay

"I am the president of the Mario Lopez Fan Club. I love his work!" Kevin James

"Mario's ideas always go beyond the trick itself. It is about the mix of sensations in each phase of the presentation. The Challenge is a beautiful piece of magic, solved in an intelligent, visual and entertaining way." Luis Olmedo

"The magic of Mario is very unique. He questions old trick principles and develops his own, making classic effects even more impossible." Card-Shark

What's included:

Premium coins, ribbon and gimmick

Two complete routines plus additional ideas

Full 60-minute video tutorial

Difficulty: Intermediate
Best for: Close-up, walk-around, table hopping, parlour