Le Mondial SAQ 2003
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Portugal Magical Moments July 12^th, 2003

Pirotecnia Minhota. Designed by Rui Fernandes, wireless digital firing with Firemaster Plus

A participant that made its presence known in 2001, Portuguese firm Pirotecnia Minhota is one of Portugal's pyrotechnic leaders. There can be no doubt that faithful Le Mondial SAQ enthusiasts are anxiously awaiting Pirotecnia Minhota's second appearance in the competition. The expertise of generations of pyrotechnical savoir faire have been combined to present the exciting pyromusical extravaganza entitled Magical Moments. This whimsical celebration of artistic originality will ignite your senses and your imagination. You'll be transported to a special magical place. Explosions of joy will dance their way through a variety of contemporary high-octane songs including Céline Dion's I'm Alive, Phil Collins' Can't Stop Loving You and U2's Electrical Storm

Dull cool weather threatened to spoil the festivities but fortunately the rain held off, the cloud base was high and there was sufficient wind to move the smoke. After their debut in 2001 there was an air of expectation for this display, especially after last year's magnificent entry by a Portugese team. Using Parente's Firemaster II wireless digital firing system meant that the slackness in the synchronization of Pirotecnia Minhota's debut display should have been solved. Interestingly, for rocket aficionados, tonight's display did not include any of the renowned Portuguese foguetes but, rather, special shells containing stick-less rockets. Click here for the official press release from the public relations team at La Ronde.

Part 1 to the music Here I Am by Bryan Adams. This began with a line of rapidly flickering white strobes as the music began in serene fashion. Then left angled gold glitter candles. These were then replaced by right angled gold glitter candles followed by a fans of meteor headed comet candles from the centre. Mines to the left and right were followed by shells of stars turning to glitter above and then high kamuro shells. Next, crossed mine candles of silver glitter with blue. These continued and were then followed by charcoal aluminium comet candles in fans and then mines of red stars and glitter comets. Next, mines or mine candles of blue stars and charcoal glitter comets with more red star fans in the centre and fans of charcoal aluminium glitter comets. These were followed by kamuro shells high above with mine candles of gold glitter and blue stars below. The segment came to a close with barrages of kamuro shells trailing to the lake to cheers from the crowd.

Part 2 to the music Getting Away With It by James. This segment began with two fans of crossed glitter and blue mine candles, with one position missing at the right hand side of the display area. These were followed by glittering charcoal comet candles with shells of pastel comets and stars above. These were followed by the same in green with crossed meteor comet candles below and then bombette candles with reddish pink stars shells above. Next, mine candles of blue clusters and silver comets with more of the red shells above followed by barrages of shells of small dim stars. These were followed by shells of crossette balls stars then shells of yellow and shells of blue stars with silver starfish comets. These continued with titanium salutes, shells producing clusters of stars and more of the large colour star and starfish silver comets, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 3 to the music From Sarah with Love by Sarah O'Conner. A line of fountains lit up. Then meteor comet fans at the right hand side, then both left and right. Then the same thing in white stars followed by fronts of bright mines and shells of blue above. Mines of bright pink were followed be shells of glitter comets, then meteor comets and then shells of gold glitter. Next shells of go-getter comets which I think are the foguetes replacements. Soft break shells of trailing glittery comets were followed by mines and then barrages of go-getter shells in stars and meteor headed comets. These continued and were augmented by shells of bow-tie glitter comets with stars around and a large kamuro shell trailing to the lake, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 4 to the music Electrical Storm by U2. Flickering strobes lit up on the Mirage (ramp 4) roof and then pairs of white star candles at the left and right. These were followed by fans of charcoal aluminium comets and bright comet fans in the centre. Then left edged and righted edged and a centre fan of white stars with shells of go-getters above and shells of pastel coloured comets. This theme continued and was followed by a front of bright mines and more of the soft-breaking shells of trailing glitter comets. Then shaped burst shells in double hearts and multiple rings. Back to the angled candles, this time firing pink stars and then crossed charcoal aluminium glitter mine candles with blue and shells of crackling crossettes above. This theme continued with the crackling crossettes shells in the centre and colour star shells to the left and right. Then large colour star shells and some titanium salutes with high up glitter shells and shells of blue stars and starfish silver comets and dahlia shells of silver comets. This theme continued until the end of the segment.

Part 5 to the music Can't Stop Loving You by Phil Collins. Mine candles in the centre and pairs of star candles to the left and right opened this segment. Then angles candles from left to right firing stars that all met in the centre followed by crossed bombette glitter candle fans and with salutes. These were followed by shells of charcoal comets with fireflies in them and some shells of comets turning to flickering strobes. The shells of charcoal comets with fireflies in them continued and were augmented by shells of comets turning to red stars and more of the strobe-not-quite flickering star shells. Below these, bright mines of charcoal glitter and then above these shells of clusters of stars. Back to a repeated them of charcoal comet firefly shells and shells of starfish (i.e. 6) clusters of glitter comets and shells of comets turning red. A repeated sequence of the starfish cluster comet shells in the centre with smaller star cluster shells to the left and right. These were followed by shells of small stars and comets high up, shells of smaller stars at a lower level, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 6 to the music I'm Alive by Céline Dion. A line of fountains lit up, then note synchronized mines at the left and right in red as charcoal aluminium comet fans opened up in the centre. These were followed by a large fan of star candles and crossed fans of pink stars. Above these shells of blue turning to silver and brocade shells above these and as the brocades continued, willow star shells to the left and right. These were followed by shells of crackling crossette comets and shells of crossette balls. This theme continued and with mines of falling over glittery charcoal comets below and then glittery brocade shells to the left and right with colour star shells in the centre and some silvery brocades too. Fronts of mines in blue turning to silver were followed by barrages of the charcoal comet firefly shells, filling the sky and trailing to the lake, with the very end of the segment coming with a large pastel comet shell in the midst of the charcoal comet firefly shells.

Part 7 to the music of the Spirit Sound Track by Hans Zimmer. Two waterfalls, to the left and right of the Mirage (ramp 4) lit up. Then a line of flares and then fountains on top of the Mirage room in the centre. Charcoal aluminium glitter fans lit up to the left and right with fans of stars in the centre and then bombette candles of charcoal aluminium glitter. The waterfalls continued to burn as bright mines to the left and right with big shells of comets turning red above and then fans of glitter mines below. Back to the bright mine fronts left and right with shells of comets and stars above. Shells of colour at a medium height with kamuro shells above and also shells of bright white stars started above as the glitter candle fans below continued and then titanium salutes started to fire. The pace increased with more and more shells, barrages of large salutes, the very end of the display a barrage of large salutes and shells of silver and finally a large kamuro trailing to the lake.

This was an interesting display due to the repeated use of certain thematic elements, such as pairs of candles left and right and fans of stars or comets in the centre. There were some interesting shells, particularly the crackling comet crossettes and the charcoal firefly comets. The go-getter / foguete shells were a bit disappointing since they didn't appear to be much different than regular go-getters and not a dramatic effect as real rockets. Surprising, though, was the lack of the use of the lake. This is understandable for a debutante, but for a company that has competed before, something of a missed opportunity. Overall, I got the feeling that the display was somewhat light in product and just not enough dramatic moments - even the finale was somewhat less than I expected. Synchronization was good and it was sometimes difficult to tell if mines or candles were used - this being praise of the quality of the timing on the candles. Overall, though, not enough excitement to justify a trip to the winner's podium and, in my opinion, not the most original music score and no Portuguese music at all!

Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.