Hey guys,

Well, I just got back from, what I call, a very well organized and quite loud show. The colors used were superbe while many of the effects were in excellent mixture with the variety of speed with the music. Some of the lower effects were terrific, though, at times, a tad redundant. The shell of shells used at the end and during a couple segments during the show were also most welcomed. I also noticed that there may have been (at least in my mind) attempts to create rhythm and "music" with the fireworks themselves, which I thought was quite neat.

From start to finish, there was plenty of action that filled the sky along with a dramatic start to a sincere finish. I'm not too sure of when the nautical volcanoes were present, but I did notice something going on at around 10:11 at the low levels, so I suspect that was it. Synchronization was pretty good, but I thought, personally, that maybe one or two places were slightly off or where the music just kept going (vice versa). However, this could be because of the noise obscuring the music, so my remarks here may be distorted. I did enjoy, as I've said, the selected soundtrack while I thought it went well with the fireworks. I also thought that there was much transition between the pace, color and music in combination with the fireworks, especially where the fireworks were sort of "dancing". Some of the music was quite similar to that of 2000, but the show presented tonight was done differently to back then while it worked very well.

The ending was pretty neat and long, but was more of a series of faux finales with breaks in between, but not too much in the way of color. I did, however, like the way it was built, but the intensity was lacking some power, but I did like the 2 smileys at the very end.

The only minor criticisms that comes to mind is just slight redundancy with either color or certain effects, or just perhaps slight similarities in firing scheme during segments.

In any case, I'll have a full review tomorrow. I hope you all had a good time tonight and the fact that we had a neat and powerful start to the season accompanied by some fabulous humid weather. Too bad the Molson clock disappeared on us.

Good night.

Trav.

I am just back from La Ronde, where I enjoy a good show from Bugano. It was well executed with no technical problem, the choregraphy was interesting and the team used all ramps and the lake a couple of times. The soundtrack wasn't original, but I always like to see firework with Vangelis' Conquest of Paradise!

I especially appreciated the richness of colours, a strong point of this performance. We don't see often a display with as many multicolour and two-change colour shells as we did tonight, including a very wide range of colours. The "popping broca", which produced clusters of colour stars, were spectacular and the audience applauds to them. Another interesting sequence was, during a piece from Tol + Tol, the overlapping fans of rustling white comets. Also, I liked the several kinds of shells-of-shells. However, the anticipated nautical volcanos, announced in the press release, were not original. Appearing on the lake during Conquest of Paradise, these "volcanos" were nautical fountains. Some people with me found that putting Queen in this soundtrack was a strange choice... It is not easy to see a link between all parts. Most of time, synchronization was correct, but some mistakes occured (ex.: the mines started to early at the beginning of Queen's music; at the end of some parts, pieces bursted after the music was finished).

I really enjoy this good display, but I have to say that I am a little disappointed by what appears to me a lack of innovation from Bugano. It is a legitime choice to choose a conservative or traditional artistic orientation and it may be successful (i.e.: the Argentinian team in 2005). It is another thing to repeat a similar show in the same competition. Before the show, I had read Paul's reports of the 1999 and 2000 displays. It's incredible how similar the three displays are, with the same strong and weak points, main pyrotechnic pieces and music. On Conquest of Paradise, especially, the three performances included nautical pieces at the beginning and "popping broca" at the end. When a company is back to the Montreal International Firework Contest, I always find interesting to see evolution and improvements from one show to the next. It was not the case tonight. I have learnt that Bugano has chosen for the first time in Montreal to use a digital firing system, but this change didn't produce a difference for the audience. However, most of the audience (and the jury) have not read Paul's reports from 1999 and 2000, so they are not aware about this!

We were very fortunate with weather condition tonight. The crowd was the largest for an opening show since many years. Following the great Six Flags' strategy about customer service, rides didn't reopen after the show, so guests were not able to continue the party... and to spend more money in food, beverages, games, and so on. This is incredible: the park made important effort to attract guests and when the park is full, La Ronde closes the door! This is one of the most obvious demonstration that some managers in this park should do another job.

Fred

hi "i think" according to what i read in ur comments!! i think that their trying to put on a trademark so that people who will watch their show will remeber how their team makes a display!! well thats just what i thin! hehe

Hi Fred,

Indeed, the display presented last night by Bugano was quite similar to the past 2 shows they did in 1999 and 2000, but I also felt, as I've said before, that it was somewhat different in some respect, but you're certainly correct about the idea. Though I remember their displays back in those 2 years, I can tell that the concept flow and layout was mostly the same, particularly the way the colors were nicely used. As noted, despite the similarities that we saw, the differences I noticed were mainly in the way that the fireworks were integrated to the flow of music pace and in between color transitions using different effects between high and lower levels of the sky. Regardless, this was a definite traditional display.

The music choice was excellent, but as we both said, it was redundant and therefore was not original, well, at least some of them. However, I had a hard time trying to establish a link between the choice of music with the main theme, though some music seemed ideal while others didn't. So, perhaps I heard the mistakes afterall in the synchronization criteria in a couple of parts, but it was mostly good throughout. That being said, some girandolas would have fitted in nicely in some more sirene parts of the show. On this point, I felt that there was also, in some parts of the show, an imbalance between the top and lower levels.

I did forget to comment on the crowd. There was quite a bit of people last night for the first show due to the glorious weather. This was quite the difference from last year's first display (Australia) where the weather was very cold (16 C). In any case, a lot of people were happy last night and they did enjoy the fireworks altogether, though most were somewhat disappointed in the ending segment, but it was still beautiful. An excellent start to the season, nonetheless.

Trav.

Hey guys,

An excellent start to the 2006 fireworks competition season in addition to some fabulous and attractive Summer weather along with plenty of humidity and just the right amount of wind to clear the smoke, which I thought would be a small dilemma due to the excess of stagnant moisture. Thankfully enough, we had an incredible amount of people for our impeccable starting audience because of these glorious weather conditions. Though the forecast had been speculating scattered isolated thunderstorms throughout the day, we ended up having a nice clearing for the late afternoon hours into the evening while some sprinkles here and there occured while skies were overcast in the earlier parts of yesterday. I'm sure this more Summer-like weather must be much more welcomed than the weather anomalies of extended cool/wet conditions we've experienced in the past.

I must admit that at some point in time in the afternoon yesterday, however, the weather was looking nefarious. In any case, this was an enjoyable evening and this Swiss team had an excellent opportunity to setup and fire their very much appreciated display.

Last night's show was much loved by many members of the audience, including myself. The dramatic start was very nicely opened leading to red stars and some crossettes along with many cracklers at the lower levels followed by brilliant high level red shells that burst into scattered red ball stars. This was a more ideal approach than the narration attempts devised by many displays at the beginning last year leading to an obvious anti-climax, though some narration worked well with some displays (but still not a fan of it).

Synchronization was very good, but a bit slack in some areas. The choice of music was quite ideal but didn't fit, personally, to the main theme of the show. Some of the songs were suited but others simply just didn't feel right, although I did enjoy the music. The music, for the most part, however, did go nicely with the pace of the fireworks. On the other hand, in respect to a thematic approach, the way the fireworks were launched at times (especially with the colors), it gave me the overall impression of what the theme implied more so than the music ever did, so my judgment was mixed here.

The effects were delicately used. I personally loved the double and triple ring shells accompanied by latter shells of swirls. There were also some single ring shells being deployed here and there, which were quite loud at times. Those Saturn shells were also very intrinsically fired in relation to the mixture of colors. There was a piece that I was quite enamored about and I simply must comment on it. This was the part where there were rapid shots of shells that contained about 3-4 colors in one. I believe the colors were light orange, green and purple. This was then followed by low level cracklers of the same colors and suddenly became more in number.

There were also some silver brocades (I think that's what they're called) about mid way, or earlier in the show that made the atmosphere very peaceful, which relates back to my statement of transitions between "pace". The kamuros, or weeping willows, used in one of the segments were also quite dramatic, especially the way they later burned into blue stars as they trailed downward. I'm sure we all enjoyed the frequent use of the shell of shells. But it's not only the frequency of their appearances that was appealing, but rather the way they were mixed in with the other multi-breakers and comets. The candle-like fans at the bottom were nicely exploited, though a tad repetitive for my likings, while in different forms throughout the show, such as the gold glitters used later on. The massive white shells with the gold dust in the middle that made that familiar "heavy rain" noise was very nicely used as well while they always make things feel intense. Of course, one of the most spectacular effects were the shells that burst into a huge star shape with multi-colors along its edges while encompassed by a ring of green or white stars (I think these are what you guys call "pistils", but I'm not sure about this). In any case, these took the breath away from the audience while I was so taken up with them as they were so fondly exploited. Finally, the nautical effects were not totally inconspicuous to us since we could see some illumination very low at ground level, so I suspect that these were the” nautical volcanoes" that were mentioned. However, I can't confirm this, but I recorded the time at around 10:10-10:12 when I saw them.

On thing about the effects was definitely the rapid change of pace between the slow and fast pieces, which ultimately made things rather dramatic, though somewhat abrupt.

The colors were extremely important in this display and the wide variety and richness of colors used typically depicted the success in which this display was executed. Despite my feelings of the repetitive use of the red color via the beginning of the show, we were treated with an array of dramatic colors that led to an immediate representation of what was being demonstrated as the main theme of this show. Although some of the music did not relate too much to the show in its entirety, the colors certainly did it justice by which they were organized in mixture with the variety of pace, especially with the "dancing bottom effects" as well as the multi-color and rapid paced shell of shells.

My criticisms are relatively minor, but I believe that the major flaw with this display was the lack of originality in which it was delivered. Though this is not entirely true for some of the display, parts and pieces of the show were a tad similar to the way I remember how their past couple of displays were fired back in 1999 and 2000. However, in some contradiction, the way the show was presented to us was particularly distinct to their past displays in the sense of the differences in rhythm and pace by contrast with the music while using a somewhat different technique in exploiting the colors. In this respect, the show did have some originality, especially with the creativity and use of different effects. But, nonetheless, I felt the overall idea was a tad redundant, but it still made things enjoyable. I also had a hard time, as I've said, trying to establish a concise link between the main theme of the show and some of the selected soundtrack.

Other minor criticisms that arise in my mind are practically to do with slight repetition. For example, the beginning of the show used quite a bit of a standard predominant red color while perhaps some of the paces in between segments were somewhat repetitive. Synchronization was pretty much well done, but , as I've said, was perhaps a little off near mid way of the display. I would have also appreciated the use of girandolas in the more sirene parts of the show, especially mixed in prior to the coconut tree shell segment. Finally, I felt that there was a sense of some imbalance between what was going at high and low levels. However, there was equilibrium in other parts and it worked well with the colors for those respective areas. Nevertheless, these are fairly minor criticisms and did not present a devious plot in the display as a whole.

The ending was rather interesting while creating much zeal and enthusiasm among people just after it had begun. Its design and organization was very tempting and provocative for excitement due to the pauses in between the more active pieces. However, the ending didn't present too much variations of color as compared to more active areas during the display itself. In any case, many people were happy with the two smileys and the prior short intense finish at the very end bringing the display to a dramatic close with a barrage of salutes at the bottom and shells at the top with a departure of some go-getters (I think) with some pretty loud crackling mines at the bottom. However, I felt that the entire ending was more of a series of faux finales and would have probably felt more intense if it all were to combine (while a touch more color mixture) without the little pauses of the bright glitters in between. However, it was a strong and brief "real" finish, which reminded me of the ending presented by Sunny International (China) in 2004, though that was more intense.

Travis' personal rankings and display criteria rankings:

-Synchronization: 7.5/10-Though not entirely perfect, they made some good attempts in many areas in between music speed, so a decent score from me.
-Color: 8/10-Simply gorgeous colors, especially the shells that contained 3-4 colors as well as the "pistils" (someone correct me on this) for most of this display, but a little more color in the end while a little less repetition of the red color at the beginning would have given them a near perfect score from me.
-Creativity/Originality/Concept: 7/10-Though not totally original, the creativity was still really good in this display, especially with the mixing rapidity of pace and color transitions. The concept, however, was still somewhat similar to the displays they've done in the past, but still different in the way it was fired with the color and effect variations. Moreover, there was no major improvement to take advantage of a fundamentally different innovative approach by contrast to their prior displays, although I felt that the firing sequences were different.
-Choice of music: 8/10-I loved the music, but I just had a tough time trying to get a connection between some of the soundtrack in relation to the main theme approach. The music was very popular with the audience, though. It also gave way and set the stage for differentiations in pace flow betweem segments.
-Finale/Overall Appreciation: 7.5/10-Though mostly a series of mini/faux finales, the ending was still quite interesting and went well with the soundtrack used here. The overall appreciation was still very much present, though.
-Overall: 7.6/10

I thought that this was an excellent start to the competition, which was much better than last year's opening. The materials used in this display were very good and the transitions between segments were very well executed and concocted. Most of the effects were dazzling, especially the use of the silver glitter shells in between the finale while some the triple and double ring shells were used elegantly. The pace variations in this display were demonstrated clearly and the richness in colors were suited for the way it was designed and choreographed. The use of colors were definitely the strongest point of this display and made things very attractive to the audience. There was also plenty of action in the sky while there were many massive shells of white that blow your chest inward! There was some minor smoke accumulations at times (moreso towards the ferris wheel), but there was nothing entirely serious thanks to the right wind velocity. Actually, there were times when we could smell the smoke quite heavily on the other side of the river. In a personal opinion, I felt that the fireworks were actually creating their own music in which they were launched in some segments, so I felt that this was a neat attempt (perhaps like Spain last year, though not as distinctive). For example, the parts where there were 2 big shells and then a massive one above our heads. This was repeated for some time and similarly in a couple of other spots in the show.

In any case, this was an excellent show and everyone was very much satisfied. The series of shells that were fired around 9:29-9:30 all gave us a constant reminder of what we've been missing for 10 months; we all welcomed those big bangs with pride. It was a nice night and a truly nice display from the Swiss team altogether. Most of my criticisms were directly related to redundancy in some aspects, but this absolutely did not deter me from enjoying such a fantastic, exciting and intense show. They did a great job, despite the little errors. Because the show was so active and the music was most admirable, I personally enjoyed the display to an optimal level, though the ending was a little less than I expected, but intense, nonetheless.

Regards,

Trav.

Hello fellow friends,

What a beautiful night for the first display . Anyways, the display was, in general, very well executed. Many large calleber shells were used to great effect. This was maybe a bad thing since the ending was lacking in energy, propably due to too much material spread throughout the entire display and maybe also a lack in money. Also, being a computer fired display, the syncro was not on par with some great displays I saw last year. For example, during the "we will rock you" segment, the pink mines were used to the hand claps. However, no shells were used to match to the drums . By focusing only on "minor" elements, the synchro appeared weak even if it followed the music, but NOT the pace. Also, the music used was not entirely matched to the theme of the display. What does Queen have to do with it? ANyways, I as well as my grandma still enjoyed the music !

Despite these minor negatives, the quality of the material used was fantastic. All of the shells had excellent height, level, color intensity (well, some greens appeared faded), and symmetry. The silver "fans" used were beautiful but repetative. I loved the left to right firing of bombettes/crossettes (nice green and pink colors) used throught the whole display, although used a bit too much. All of the 12'' shell were stunning since they all exploded in a sphere pattern, no symmetry was lost (especially the saturn shells). One minor thing, when the three color star shells exploded, the orange always burned faster than other two colors (red/blue and green I think). The finale was lacking, though. Like many of you said, many faux finales were present yet no "big boom". All in all, it was a very enjoyable display and a great start to the festival. Should it win an award? Hard to say since too much repetition was seen and the theme is a bit uneven, but the quality was excellent. Anyways, looking forward to see Italy's display!

Quality: 7
Synchro: 7
Design: 7
Appreciation: 7

I think last night's show was just a "good" display from Bugano, aside the fact that it wasn't really original.

I really liked the quality of pieces that were used, though! So many effects, filled with surprises were happening in the sky all in one. And the huge shells were definitely welcomed, Smoke! They were really nice!

The synchronization was good in general, but not "flawless". Perhaps, it seemed a "too easy" synchronization between the music and the fireworks for a modern show.

I very much enjoyed the beginning of the show, instead of the middle and the finale part. I think all the way to "Conquest of Paradise", the show was quite enjoyable. But my biggest critisim would come from the "ABBA" displays. I really failed to understand what the display was all about as I found ABBA's songs actually boring (along the segment) and not a very good choice of songs for a pyromusical show. Although, Conquest of Paradise's segment was probably for me the highlight of the show because I think, in general, it was well done. Finally, the finale song sounded more like Mexican, but it quite a good song, nonetheless!

Another critisim would come from the lower effects. They seemed too repetitive and sometimes, lack of originality.

And of course, I was also disappointed by the finale. I thought it could have been better organized. The feux finales were not as intense as I wanted them to be. And the very finale was clealy disappointing for me, even if I heard a few wows here and there.

So overall, there wasn't anything special about the show, as I said. In the end, it will probably end up being known as more an enjoyable show than a serious display.

I'm not sure if it's just me... but I don't know why I'm always harsh with my comments when really, I'm not a mean person, but I do tend to be very picky! lol I think this year, I'll be looking out more for creativity, innovation and organization.

I've actually readjusted my scores in each area since this was only the first display, so I need to leave room for possible higher scores from future displays, as Fred told me last year.

I'll have more comments later on. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and comments in the mean time. I think Pierre will be giving his thoughts sooner or later, so we can all look forward to that, too.

Overall, however, I think this display lacked more in a thematic approach in connection to some of the music used while redundancy in either effects, or somewhat color, played a small role here and there. But, this display was still very much enjoyable.

I'll get back to you, Dan and Enkil, later on. You both had comments that I mostly did agree with.

Trav.

wow les review se vont vite ! hey bien moi j'ai très apprécié le feux d'artifice,les différent calibre de bombe était très varié mais les couleur était beaucoup pareille,il y avait beaucoup de kamuro et bon une finale très dorée j'ai prisbeaucoup d'image et une video avec ma caméra voici les image du feux:

le montage du feux de part le pont jacque-cartier

désolé pour la vidéo un problème technique as survenus et je ne recomencerait pas a tout uploader les photo que j'avait mit
mais bon j'vous laisse l'extrait video :
http://media.putfile.com/switerland-display-at-montreal
jerome

mon type d'effet préféré


tien le bouquet final
bon c'était trop tentant de poster d'aussit belle image avant le site des feux

jerome

Hi Dan,

I strongly agree that the transition of pace integrated with the color was the key player that concocted this display as a whole, though some of the soundtrack didn't quite fit the selected theme. In this sense, the effects used, such as the frequent utilization of shell of shells at one point, or the lower fans and mines, sort of marked the differences in music speeds, for example. However, there were many aspects that were redundant, such as some color use, but more with some of the effects, particularly the lower candle-like fans.

Indeed, the finale was lacking, but moreso with the absence of color as well as a well fitting "boom" that would usually make us feel that internal satisfaction. As I said, it was a more provoking series of faux finales since I did feel that all the mini finales and the pauses would tease us in anticipation of the real supposed "big bang" in the end. The real ending, though, started quite rapidly and ended rapidly, too, which was disappointing, but the two smileys at the end were cute.

In the long run, the display was quite exciting considering that there was a lot taking place in the sky, which inevitably made me establish a sense of imbalance at times. But, the display was pretty decent and loud, nonetheless.

Oh yes, I'm certainly looking forward to what Italy has to offer, considering that it's a new firm representing them.

Enkil,

As I told Dan, it's certainly true that many aspects of the show were perceived as repetitive, but at least we were treated with much action in the sky. And yes, those massive shells that were frequently exploited before us, as well as the shell of shells, were definitely most welcomed. I'm also sure that you remembered the massive shells that were fired at about 9:30? Well, that's what I was trying to make you remember before.

Creativity may pose a challenge, especially when having to compete with last year's orginality techniques. The way Spain (last year) used the fireworks to make music and rhythm, for example, while staying solely with low level mines and fountains for most of the display was simply incredible and totally authentic. In this respect, like you, I will have increasing expectations for innovation and creativity, while not neglecting the excitement concept, which is sort of what Switzerland demonstrated to us last night.

Of course, we're all quite picky since we haven't seen much good finales last year, but the criticims about the display as a whole are quite important to sort of visualize what we expect of typical displays while we simultaneously look for the success in criterion of other displays where some possibly lacked in. In this sense, we're looking for near precision while comparing strong and weak points between shows.

Jerome,

I love the pictures, especially the angle at which you got some of them. I also was quite fond of the multiple shells of swirls as well as the gold kamuros. I would have liked to see that little clip, but hopefully it will work in near future.

Did you have any comments on the show in its entirety? If so, I'd love to hear about what you thought, my friend.

And, to all of you, I'm sorry for the errors in my report, particularly the sentence that was incomplete. I've edited it several times, so everything should be alright since I've added in some things here and there.

In other news, there have been claims, by a couple of my aunts and grandmother today, insisting that they could hear the fireworks from their locations in the West Island. Actually, my grandmother has mentioned this several times in the past on fireworks nights, too. Is that even possible? It's certainly hard to believe.

Regards,

Trav.

yeah yeah sure but in french because its a too long text for me:
ouais c'était une journée assez chaude hier, j'ai extrêmement apprécié ce feux d,artifice,mais bon j'voulait aller à la ronde mais la police avait fait un barrage,et bon j'avait 1 kilo d'explosif pyrotechnique dans un sac,alors je me suit contenté d'aller sur la rive sud et de faire pèter mon kilo d'explosif,c'était merveilleux mon petit show de 30 secondes juste avant que le feux commence,lors de l'avant dernier test j,ai été médusé de la salve de gros calibre,disont que sa la réchauffé l,ambiance qui était déjà très chaude.bon dès que le feux a débuté j'ai sortit mon appareil photo et j,ai commencé a prendre des pic,bon j'me souvient pus vraiment du feux en tant que tel mais je sait qu'il y avait beaucoup de bombette,chandelle romaine et autre bombe de petit calibre sa me fait penser a howard et son pyrotechnic de l'année dernière, beaucoup répétitif sur les kamuro et autre effet et quoi que la finale kamuro avec comète dorée et quelque marron aux titane ma guère impressionnée,la finale était forte mais bon j,compare pas aux autre firme qi ont fait autant de bruit mais bon les effet était répétitif mais la qualité des pièces était assez de bonne qualité surtout le bleu qui est une couleur assez difficile a maitrisez et voyon que le bleu était très claire dans ce feux d,artifice voici ma note d'appréciation.

syncronisme 7/10
couleur 8.5/10
qualité des pièces 9.9/10
niveaux de bruit 8/10
la musique 7.5/10

NOTE D'APPRÉCIATION GÉNÉRALE 7.5/10

jerome

and trav i probable go on notre-dame and de lorimier corner for the next display and trav youre are welcome to go on http://www.artificier.eu/forum its my website but its in french but english people are welcome in my site my name in artificier in the site,so,i waiting you y friend

Hi Trav,

Yes it is possible for your grandmather to hear the fireworks. It all depends on the direction of the wind. The reason for this is based on the Doppler effect but I won't go into details . Also, Soldi is NOT a new firm since I very well remember the first display I ever saw at La Ronde in 1995. They won a bronze award and their finale was, well, "very Italian" to say the least . Hopefully they'll do the same this year!

Dan

Hi Jerome,

Thank you for the offer of visiting your site. I'm also happy that you may come to Notre-Dame and De Lorimier on Sunday. And don't worry about the French thing, I can uderstand it pretty well to a point, but I do this better than I can write in French. Thank you kindly for your review and feelings as well.

Hi Dan,

Sorry about the confusion with Soldi, but I did remember the Italian finale as well in 1995 (it was strong), except I just didn't remember the firm as I didn't pay much attention to "firms" as much back then. Anyhow, thank you for the clarifications, Dan. Indeed, they did win the bronze that year.

As for the Doppler effect, I'm quite familiar with it since it also relates to Doppler radar for detecting tornadic activity within a cluster of severe or mature thunderstorms associated with a strong cold front that has already gone through frontogenesis and is approaching a hot and humid airmass (like today's scenario) that has a steep gradient. It's a handy tool for measuring relative internal wind velocity within the actual funnel as well, but the beauty of it is that it also helps to detect "wind shear" (winds moving at different speeds and opposite/different directions at different levels of the atmosphere at different altitudes, causing the storm to essentially rotate).

Though this is not entirely similar to the Doppler effect, the idea of wind direction and velocity remains the focus. It does, indeed, depend on the wind speeds and especially the direction for adequate transmission. This is particularly true with thunder and lightning, but the sound waves created by lightning (through expansion and contraction of air) produce thunder. I later on learned that the sound of thunder, after the initial flash of lightning, can also be hindered because of changing air temperatures and therefore density, so the sound of thunder will therefore appear to have been either inaudible or transmitted to another location to the observer rather than where the bolt actually struck, that is, given that there were differing wind directions. I think the same idea applies here, too, though more on a local to regional scale.

I was actually giving this some serious thought this morning upon waking up and the idea of sound wavelength transmission came up in my head, so then I thought it would be possible for my grandmother to hear it well. I'm quite happy that you came up and said the same thing as well, so it helped me finalize this theory more coherently.

Trav.

Hi Trav,

Wow, I'm speechless! You should seriously work for MeteoMedia . For some reason, I'm sure that you would give better predictions than them, even with all their supercomputers . It's amazing how much you know about weather conditions.

Dan

Hey Everyone,

It's so nice to be back in here with all of you, after months of absence and months of waiting for this great event (Montreal firework international competition) to finally arrive!

About the Swiss display, I had little expectations because all I wanted to get from it, was the satisfaction to watch a firework display, thing that I had been craving for for soooooo long! But I won't lie to you though.........as I am a finale AND salutes lover, I wanted and needed to see an intense finale loaded with salutes! Did I get what I wanted? Let's see.

The display started with a nice intensity, which I found promising! Nice colours, good pace. Sorry, but I will not get technical since all of you are quite better in this regard.....and since I am an amateur at describing fireworks, I'll just tell it as I felt it. All in all, I found that the display was "nice". I never got overly excited at any time, which really disappointed me, but still, I liked the 30 minutes it lasted. As for the finale, "Je suis vraiment resté sur mon appétit!" At first, the intensity increased slightly, so I thought they were on the right track, but at one point, everything stopped and I thought it was the end.........a few seconds later, they resumed but this time, with less intensity and the display came to an end! I looked at the ferrous wheel to make sure it was over......it was!
I had the feeling that the crowd around me, was feeling disappointed (as I was), by the lack of intensity of the finale, but also by the way it was conducted.......the pace was decreasing instead of increasing! At least, I got to see a few salutes here and there, which made me happy

Anyway, it was so nice to be back on the bridge again, enjoying this June evening with the sky lighting up to beautiful colors and sounds......and exchanging thoughts with all of you in this forum.

A special "Hello" to Travis whose participation in this forum is incredible, and also to Enkil.

I am really looking forward to Italy's performance next week. If they could only be half as good as IPON S.R.L., I will be very happy!

Talk to you later, guys!

Pierre

Hi Dan,

Thank you for the compliments, my friend. Indeed, I am a weather fanatic while the spark of interest began when I was barely less than 3 years of age (because of a strong storm). Ever since then, I've always been taken up by the weather, while it does affect each and every one of us somehow. However, I simultaneously feel that it's my duty to update the latest weather conditions for you guys, especially for each fireworks display, though I so do enjoy doing it. I know it's also simple just to go and check a simple forecast anywhere, but sometimes, especially in the case of an unstable day (like today), it's important that we also rely on our "own" observations to get an idea of what we can expect on a local scale. Satellite imagery is also very important.

I'm particularly fascinated by lightning and all the aspects of a Cumulonimbus (thundercloud). This is also very well the reason why I'm passionate about fireworks for so long, too! I believe Paul had mentioned this back on August 10th, 2004, when we had that night time storm. He said that pyrofreaks seemed to be just as fascinated and interested in thunderstorms as they are in fireworks or anything that happens in the sky. I certainly believe that he's right while I've felt this way for a long time! Keep in mind that thunder and lightning possess the same idea as fireworks, where in both cases you see the flash and then hear the noise.

The supercomputers that they typically use at the weather stations give them loads of data, and yet precision on even an hourly basis is still quite the challenge. In this respect, my predictions are just as good as the meteorologists there, but I like to take on a different approach where I monitor physical and visual observations on an hourly basis to garner further accuracy, especially cloud watching. Cloud watching is quite intriguing, efficient and it is, at the same time, really fun to name or identify different clouds (kind of like naming fireworks). This is usally what I do before I write up weather reports on the forum (but more so on threatening days when it's vital) while I supplement these observations with data from the Weather Network.

In any case, I thank you for the encouragement, Dan. I've always wanted to be a meterologist, climatologist or even as part of a storm chasing team. If there's anything you're curious about or always wanted to know based on the weather, you can always send me an email and I'll be more than happy to explain to the best of my ability. Thanks again, Dan, I really appreciate it.

Hi Pierre,

Well, it's really good to see you again after such a long period of time! Seeing you here in addition to the rest of us only brings only more enthusiasm!

Indeed, you're right to say that the ending of the Swiss display was a little disappointing because of the lack of a fully fledged climax. The build up was really good since it consisted of a set of faux finales, but it didn't seem to get to the point. The pauses in between were also, as I've said, quite provocative as well as perplexing. The take off real ending was a little too short for my tastes and didn't really leave me shaking. Nevertheless, this was an exciting and loud display as a whole considering most of it was devoted to high leveled effects. I, too, looked at the ferris wheel in hopes that it wasn't the ending, but the 2 smileys made it obvious of true ending, so it wasn't as devious. I'm also certain that you loved the ABBA songs as well as the some of the other soundtrack used. BTW, are you attempting to record the finales again this year, Pierre?

You also deserve a "special hello", Pierre, considering that we haven't seen you in quite a while. I also did get your email and was very glad that you could make it. Knowing you would be there as well only made me happier, considering that you're on the bridge. I'm sure that it felt good seeing familiar faces on the bridge while also seeing that sort of atmosphere brought you a lot of zeal.

And yes, I'm sort of speculating whether we may see a scary ending from Soldi (Italy) this coming Sunday since they had a tremendous finish back in 1995. I'm also hoping for something bigger than even IPON's finale back in 2004 and in 1998. I'm sincerely hoping for this, especially since you missed IPON's ending in 2004.

Thank you for the kind reply as well as for sharing your fireworks report.

Trav.

Hey Travis!

Thanks for your reply and your warm welcome!

Yes, I did enjoy the fact that the fireworks from the Switzerland team included songs from ABBA in its soundtrack, althought these two songs are far from being my favorites.

In answer to your question, of course I did record the Swiss finale (wink, wink) and I will do the same throughout the season, so that I can share them with you in August........Man, I don't want to think of the end of the competition already!

As for the Italian team (Soldi) who will perform next Sunday, you got me so curious when you mentionned their performance in the finale of 1995, that I went and read the report......woof......they used a lot of salutes back then so I hope they will again this year! My digital camera will be ready and so will I!

As you said in your posting, I did miss IPON's performance on the 3rd of July 2004......and I am still mad at myself for that.....so I hope I will get to see IPON S.R.L. again soon....maybe next year? I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Take care and talk to you later.

Pierre

Hi Pierre,

I am also looking forward to a possible unbelievable ending like the one I remember in 1995. I remember it so well in which the ending started and ended. I remember my mom and aunt screaming so much, too! Well, let's see what they'll plan 11 years later.

Oh yes, Pierre, do you remember the ending of Spain (Igual) of 2001? To be honest with you, as I've said before, I thought that one was even way more intense that IPON of 2004.

I also did forget to mention in my report that the serene parts of the display more and less reinforced the theme of the show, though I didn't really care for that coconut tree shell segment.

And a good job on recording the finale. Oh yes, today is the first day of SUMMER.

Edit: I forgot to mention that Soldi has played many times in the past while the last time they actually presented was in 2002.

Trav

Hey Travis,

I do remember a wonderful finale by Spain around that year (2001), but I don't know if it's the one you mentionned....probably is though, but I don't have a sharp memory like yours! ;-)

To me, Italy's IPON S.R.L. is still my favorite, because they did make me shake and cry on June 6th 1998.....I'll always remember that finale, for as long as I live!

Have a great weekend.........I'll be on the bridge on Sunday, hoping for a finale flooded by thunderous salutes!

Pierre

Salut les mordus de l'art pyrotehnique

J'arrive un peu sur le tard pour écrire mon commentaire sur le feu de Bugano représentant la Suisse.
J'ai retrouvé ma place sur le pont juste au dessus du site.
C'est la 3 ième fois que cette firme compétitionnait à montréal.
Entre autre Bugano était là en 1999 alors que j'étais membre du jury.
Je suis d,accord avec tous ceux qui considèrent que les concepteurs ont utilisé la même formule à chaque occasion.
Cette année le thème choisi était "Balade Suisse"
La trame sonore avec des choix assez disparates devait nous aider à voyager dans l'histoire et les particularités de ce magnifique pays.
Je cherche encore le lien entre le concept choisi et les pièces musicales.On dirait que le concepteur a choisi des séquences musicales et s,est ensuite demandé comment faire un tout avec ces divers éléments. Donc un concept tiré par les cheveux.

La force des Suisses dans cette présentation ce fut la très grande qualité des pièces; richesses des couleurs lors du déploiement dans le ciel, un agencement raffiné des formes et des couleurs, une assez grande variété , et une très bonne utilisation des possibilités du site. Il y avait beaucoup de chaleur dans ce feu (!!) et des passages sont venues touché mes émotions.

La syncronisation était aussi très bonne dans la plupart des segments.

Comme je l'écrivais plus haut le concept était incohérent d'un bout à l,autre de la présentation . Le concepteur avait choisi de ne pas faire de transitions harmonieuses entre chacunes des pièces musicales ce qui par moment a nui à la qualité du rytme et de la recherche de créer un tout en évolution vers le bouquet final

Toutefois ce fut une excellente présentation sur le plan pyrotechnique...un feu roulant , parfois intense et des tableaux très beaux.
Malgré mes quelques remarques plus négatives le feu de Bugano a manifestement plu aux spectateurs dont j'étais.
Le jour où cette firme sortira des sentiers battus en choissisant un concept vraiment cohérent , innovateur ils seront de sérieux prétendants à un Jupiter.

La saison 2006 est lancée et de la bonne facon.

Roger