FAE Pyrotechnie won the International Blackpool Fireworks Competition in the UK last Sunday against Howard & Sons and Brezac, two very experienced display companies.

With a James Bond-inspired entry, they competed using the same array of products as the other two contestants, as the organizers only permit products from a specified inventory and for a specific budget (so no one can overspend).

I interviewed the show's designer, Jean-Sébastien Gagné, to know how it feels to receive this kind of award, though FAE was not represented at the awards ceremony, so he has yet to receive his trophy by mail.

This was their first competition outside of Canada, and their second at the international level (the first being GlobalFest in 2008, which they lost to the Chinese team).

You can read the interview on Pyro Québec.

Congratulations to FAE. I have been part of this competition in the past, and it is not an easy competition. You are designing with unknown products and the site is unique and difficult. Glad to see a firm from Canada win.

Sean, what products are you given for that competition? What's the budget / product limit imposed? Sounds like an interesting way to organize a competition. When did you take part?

Congats to FAE, too.

Paul.

We competed in 2008 as Team Canada, and it was a lot of fun. I hope to go back some day.

You basically are given the stock list from Kimbolton which includes a wide variety of Chinese products like Sunny, Vulcan, etc. and some European products from Iqual, etc. The biggest shell you can shoot there is a 6" (150mm).

The budget is tricky to explain, but it can be compared to a show a bit bigger than the competition in Sherbrooke.

Sean