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Club Events 2004 : 2004-08-29 : COC - River Float, and Global Fest 2004 Fireworks Competition

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River Float and BBQ: Cushing/17th Ave SE to Sikome Lake (Fish Creek) The Chicklet Boat (Pumper, Bumper, Humper and Stroker, aka Cheryl, Cecilia, Rhonda and Jennifer) ruled the river today. The trouble started early with Joel's boat initiating water fights, but anyone who came near us today learned their lesson about picking a water fight with the Chicklets. No one splashed like us. And believe me, the only reason why we were soaked by the end of it (and most everyone else was completely dry) was just because we were sweating so hard from all the paddling and splashing (and the destruction we wreaked on everyone else was contained and hidden using sun and battery-driven hair dryers). And that is the truth (as we see it) about today's river float. The river itself was very nice today, and very different from the first float we did on August 2nd. The Aug 2nd float was an interesting float through the city, where today's was more of a nature float... lots more trees and lots less sky scrapers and neighborhoods. We had a lot more people out today, which was a bit of a logistical... um... 'challenge', but lots of folks stepped up to help out in various ways, and we had a great time. At the end of it all, we met up with the sub-COC group organized by Barbara M and had a barbecue. The tragedy of the day came when I dropped my ostrich burger into the campfire (they don't call me 'Grace' for nothin'), but Philip lept in and saved the day, salvaging the burger and helping me finish cooking it on his much safer camping stove. We finished off the afternoon with some birthday cake for Joel, and then Cheryl, Joel, Cathy and I raced off to go watch the Canadian competitor's display in the International Fireworks Competition. -- Rhonda
Global Fest 2004 Fireworks Competition: Team Canada If you're a fan of fireworks, the International Fireworks Competition at Elliston Park is the place for you to be when it is held there in conjunction with the One World festival in August. The competition runs over the course of about ten days with approximately five competitors from different countries. The object is to put on an impressive fireworks display that is themed and choreographed with music selections. Tonight we watched the Canadian competitor (last year's winner) as they did their "Shark Attack" display. The fireworks were AMAZING, but to be honest, we couldn't figure out what a lot of the show had to do with a shark attack (they used "Purple Rain" and "Wonderful World" as two of their songs). If they don't win this year, it will be because their display didn't really adhere to the shark attack theme very well, but it was really a wonderful display anyway. The coolest items (IMHO) were the sort of mushroom-shaped fireworks that flew up, then floated down and kind of opened up a bit like a parachute, and then a second rocket took off from the center. I have never seen a firework go up, then down, then back up again (and they probably didn't, but that was the illusion, anyway). Tres cool. Another thing that was just too cool was the 'happy face' fireworks that they used during the "Wonderful World" song. At the line where he sings "the colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by" there were three fireworks that went up and when they exploded, the little 'stars' went in the exact shape of a happy face. Now how in earth did they DO that!!?? Last year when I went, I arrived a bit late and didn't know what the 'theme' was of the American Competitor's display that I saw, but I think I enjoyed that display better. I still remember how well he choreographed his fireworks to BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". We had taken the shuttle bus from Marlborough Mall, which was much slicker than the old Pavilion shuttles they had last year for getting to the grounds. After the show, though, we briefly entered Shuttle Hell where we spent about ten frustrating and futile minutes jostling in the street competing with the 50-buhzillion other people who were trying to get on the buses. We called an end to Shuttle Hell and instead followed up the fireworks display with an "Urban Hike" from Elliston Park to Marlborough Mall, which, because a lot of the street numbers in Calgary seem to be MIA, wasn't as long of a distance as we feared it would be. Next year, we may try meeting somewhere in Forest Lawn and walking to Elliston Park, or jumping on the #1 bus and taking it down rather than using the shuttles. -- Rhonda

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River Float and BBQ: Cushing/17th Ave SE to Sikome Lake (Fish Creek)

The Chicklet Boat (Pumper, Bumper, Humper and Stroker, aka Cheryl, Cecilia, Rhonda and Jennifer) ruled the river today. The trouble started early with Joel's boat initiating water fights, but anyone who came near us today learned their lesson about picking a water fight with the Chicklets. No one splashed like us. And believe me, the only reason why we were soaked by the end of it (and most everyone else was completely dry) was just because we were sweating so hard from all the paddling and splashing (and the destruction we wreaked on everyone else was contained and hidden using sun and battery-driven hair dryers). And that is the truth (as we see it) about today's river float.

The river itself was very nice today, and very different from the first float we did on August 2nd. The Aug 2nd float was an interesting float through the city, where today's was more of a nature float... lots more trees and lots less sky scrapers and neighborhoods. We had a lot more people out today, which was a bit of a logistical... um... 'challenge', but lots of folks stepped up to help out in various ways, and we had a great time. At the end of it all, we met up with the sub-COC group organized by Barbara M and had a barbecue. The tragedy of the day came when I dropped my ostrich burger into the campfire (they don't call me 'Grace' for nothin'), but Philip lept in and saved the day, salvaging the burger and helping me finish cooking it on his much safer camping stove. We finished off the afternoon with some birthday cake for Joel, and then Cheryl, Joel, Cathy and I raced off to go watch the Canadian competitor's display in the International Fireworks Competition.

-- Rhonda

Global Fest 2004 Fireworks Competition: Team Canada

If you're a fan of fireworks, the International Fireworks Competition at Elliston Park is the place for you to be when it is held there in conjunction with the One World festival in August. The competition runs over the course of about ten days with approximately five competitors from different countries. The object is to put on an impressive fireworks display that is themed and choreographed with music selections. Tonight we watched the Canadian competitor (last year's winner) as they did their "Shark Attack" display. The fireworks were AMAZING, but to be honest, we couldn't figure out what a lot of the show had to do with a shark attack (they used "Purple Rain" and "Wonderful World" as two of their songs). If they don't win this year, it will be because their display didn't really adhere to the shark attack theme very well, but it was really a wonderful display anyway. The coolest items (IMHO) were the sort of mushroom-shaped fireworks that flew up, then floated down and kind of opened up a bit like a parachute, and then a second rocket took off from the center. I have never seen a firework go up, then down, then back up again (and they probably didn't, but that was the illusion, anyway). Tres cool. Another thing that was just too cool was the 'happy face' fireworks that they used during the "Wonderful World" song. At the line where he sings "the colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by" there were three fireworks that went up and when they exploded, the little 'stars' went in the exact shape of a happy face. Now how in earth did they DO that!!?? Last year when I went, I arrived a bit late and didn't know what the 'theme' was of the American Competitor's display that I saw, but I think I enjoyed that display better. I still remember how well he choreographed his fireworks to BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".

We had taken the shuttle bus from Marlborough Mall, which was much slicker than the old Pavilion shuttles they had last year for getting to the grounds. After the show, though, we briefly entered Shuttle Hell where we spent about ten frustrating and futile minutes jostling in the street competing with the 50-buhzillion other people who were trying to get on the buses. We called an end to Shuttle Hell and instead followed up the fireworks display with an "Urban Hike" from Elliston Park to Marlborough Mall, which, because a lot of the street numbers in Calgary seem to be MIA, wasn't as long of a distance as we feared it would be. Next year, we may try meeting somewhere in Forest Lawn and walking to Elliston Park, or jumping on the #1 bus and taking it down rather than using the shuttles.

-- Rhonda

Photos

Globalfest Details
Globalfest List
Rafting Details
Rafting List
Rafts on the Bow
Joel's raft
A mighty battle
Apres-float

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