Reports Book Forum Photos Information Links

L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2006
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Switzerland Grand Tour of Switzerland June 17th, 2006

Bugano AG Feuerwerke - designed by Toni Bussman, Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography; 2089 cues

Bugano of Switzerland, represented by the firm's manager, Toni Bussman will be taking part in the Montreal competition for the third time. Its performance "Grand Tour of Switzerland", is a stunning pyromusical exhibition blending colours, shapes and rhythms to a soundtrack that will merge traditional folk and contemporary music to recall the new multicultural reality of Switzerland. This spectacle will evoke the scenery of this mountainous country, the diversity of the languages that are spoken by its inhabitants, as well as the multiculturalism engendered by the arrival of immigrants in Switzerland. Their team of six will use fireworks created all over the world : China, Italy, Germany and Spain. Moreover, the firm has developed impressive water volcanoes, that are exclusive to their team. These volcanoes will dance on La Ronde's Lac des Dauphins. Founded in 1987, the manufacturing firm Bugano is renowned for its uniquely creative pyromusical style, which has brought it over 12 distinctions in prestigious fireworks competitions everywhere on the planet. It is also considered a leading light of the pyrotechnics industry due to the quality and variety of its proximity fireworks.

After many weeks of strange weather, summer finally arrived and we were treated to perfect conditions for the opening display of the 2006 season. A large audience (one of the largest I can remember for a season opening) were ready to witness the twenty second edition of the most popular festival in Quebec. Bugano's previous displays in the competition had used traditional manual firing and so their announcement of using a wireless version of Pyrodigital created a feeling of anticipation.

Part 1 to the music In the Ghetto by Elvis Presley Z-cakes of red star crossettes started firing in the centre of ramp 3 and were augmented by others until the whole front of the display area was being swept. These were then added to by shells of the same above. This theme continued and then moved to shells of red stars with silver comets. This theme continued for a while and was followed by shells of pink strobes as fans of pink-headed meteor comets fired from cakes below. Next, a theme of silver Niagara Falls shells which was followed by shells of orange star crossettes and then the same in cakes below. This continued and the segment was brought to a close with a carpet of red nautical flares on the lake.

Part 2 to the music Sedalia by Tol + Tol. This segment opened with cakes of silver crossette comets. Then cakes of bombettes ending in small crackles. These were followed by shells of comets ending in small tourbillons. Then shells of wiggly comets followed by fans of pastel coloured stars. Next, farfalle shells in single and double rings followed by shells of comets with pistils and then farfalles with glittering cores in both single and double rings. These were followed by barrages of shells with twinkling pistils, the segment coming to a close with a volley of studatas.

Part 3 to the music Aegina by Tol + Tol. This began with a sequence of bright yellow turning to blue mines and then cakes of bombettes in bright colours. Then, wide fans of very loud crackling comets in sequences across ramp 3 as the cakes continued. Next shells of comets turning to deep blue above and then shells of double colour changing stars and shells of blue with gold glitter pistils. This continued and was followed by Z cakes of blue stars ending in bombettes and then a return to the sequences of crackling comet fans and followed by shells of blue stars with silver wiggling comets above. These continued and were followed by shells of blue with silver starfish comets and then a sequence of the yellow-to-blue mines from left to right. These were followed by shells of comets with crackling pistils. The segment was brought to a close with shells of pale gold comets with blue stars, becoming larger and ending with a really big one.

Part 4 to the music Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis This began with fans of kamuro comets. Then small nautical fountains lit up on the lake. These increased in size as they burned with gold sparks and small microstars. These continued for some time and were followed by a sequence of fans of electric comet candles. Then a return to the fans of kamuro comets with willow star palm tree shells above. This theme continued with kamuro fans and rising palm trees above. Next cakes of blue stars bursting to crackle bombettes augmented by shells of white changing to blue above. Then large shells of crackling comets turning to colour changing stars and huge shells with crackling pistils. These were followed by pale gold comet shells and then shells of willow stars tipped with blue and with starfish comets. These were followed by huge kamuro shells with popping brocades and bunches of poppoing coloured stars, the segment coming to a close with kamuro comets trailing to the lake with popping colour bunches to cheers from the audience.

Part 5 to the music We Will Rock You by Queen This highly rhythmic music was oddly choregraphed with red mines that were not in the same rhythm. Then shells of rings of stars with comet pistils and a return to the mines (again not in the rhythm). Barrages of shells of multiple rings fired above the mines that were firing below and then saturn shells and shells of rings of comets. This theme continued and was followed cakes of red crossette comets with the same above in shells. The segment was brought to a close with a volley of studatas.

Part 6 to the music Im Oergelihuus - Swiss Folklore Very different music to the previous segment as this one started with cakes of bombettes and then large colour shells above. This theme continued and was followed by shells of glitter comets and shells with comets and pistils. Then beautiful kaleioscope shells in bright colours with silver pistils (imagine a six-pointed star made in bunches of bright coloured star clusters). The kaleioscope shells continued and were followed by silver shells with colour star bombette cakes below. Then fabulous shells with double pistils and twice changing colour stars. These enormous double-pistil shells with double colour changes continued and were followed by shell-of-shells in bright colours, barrages of these bringing the segment to a close.

Part 7 to the music I Have a Dream by ABBA Fans of glitter comets with cakes of electric comet bombettes above were followed by fans of pale gold comets and more electric comet bombettes above. Then bombettes of loud crackling willow comets with the same in shells above. This theme continued and then move to shells of comets to strobes. Next, barrages of beautiful pale gold comet Niagara Falls shells (or horse tails as some call them) together with shells of pale gold ending in tourbillions. This theme continued and was followed by huge shells of willow comets which ended with big crackles at the tips. This theme built up with barrages of these shells and then shells of the same with white pistils. Then shells of rising tails bursting to dahlia comets with strobes, getting larger and larger. Next, shells of crackling kamuro comets, barrages of these increasing in size. These were followed by shells with kamuro comets and strobing pistils, shells of white and pink strobes and more kamuros, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 8 to the music Waterloo by ABBA Cakes of fans of bombettes were quickly augmented by shells of comets above and then shells of colour changing stars. Then shells of silver crossettes followed by silver shells and popping bunches of colour stars. Then a sequence of mines below, bombettes above and silver comets shells above. These were followed by large shells with pistils turning to crackle and shells of three colour chnages turning to crackle. Then shells with crackling pistils as the bombettes continued in red, white and blue below bringing the segment to a close.

Part 9 to the music Granada by André Rieu Mines of comets with studata shells above began this segment and then a sequence of mines. These were followed by fans fo silver comets and then studatas above as the music became more dramatic. A return to the fans of comets as the music decreased. Then barrages of rings and silver comets shells as well as studatas and more silver comet shells. Next, shells of strobes, and then barrages of silver comet shells with bombettes below and fans of silver comets at the bottom. This theme continued and built in intensity, following the music well, a return to silver strobes and then deafening mines of screaming come whistles and a final barrage of silver comet shells bringing the display to a close.

This was a very enjoyable display and note must be made of the quality of the material used. Despite there being large numbers of cakes, these were excellent with bright colours and very little smoke - always a potential problem. There were many really excellent shells with double pistils and multi-colour changes as well as the fabulous crackling shells - I learned later these were from San Tai who are renowned for this type of shell. The theme of the display was somewhat hard to discern from the music and there didn't appear to be much linking the segments together, but there were good contrasts of pace. Choreography was good on the whole but didn't seem to work out for the Queen segment. From a technical point of view the display was interesting because it used a wireless version of the Pyrodigital firing system which appeared to work flawlessly. Overall, a very enjoyable display and an excellent debut to the 2006 season.

line

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