Most unusual fireworks I have ever seen...

Arob · 03-24-2008, 10:02 AM

So I was hanging out at this guy's farm near Brandon Manitoba and he tells me that he makes pyrotechnics for rock concerts and event shows in his garage in his spare time and I said ‘come on that’s dangerous and illegal’, and he said ‘no. It isn’t’

He has all the papers and certificates and apparently he was one of the best in the business - but he has since retired.

That night after the sun set he showed me something however that was illegal. And it was awesome - his very best and most creative piece, which he can only safely launch in the winter and or out over water as its certain to start fires when it lands. Listen to this: its a lump of potassium in a perforated wax paper cup on top of a gunpowder rocket ship.

It’s called The Spider - KABOOM the pyrotechnic goes up in the air and the flammable waxy paper burns off exposing the potassium to oxygen which ignites it, and it burns bright. The super bright light shines out through the holes in the cup to make the spider’s legs as it descends down through the smoky air at the end of the pyrotechnics show. Hasn't been seen live in twenty years cause it ALWAYS starts a fire when it hits the ground.

What are the most unusual pyrotechnics that you have ever seen?

sconstantine · 05-19-2008, 05:03 PM

I took a trip to the oregon coast last year to stay at a beach house with a friend of mine. I had too much champagne and I was a bit heartbroken, so I wandered down to the water by myself, wrapped in a bathrobe to let the sea absorb some of my distress.

I remembered a voodoo spell I had been reading about, where you throw roses into the ocean for a goddess named Yemaya, asking her for assistance with healing or cleansing. I stood there, up to my knees in the dark freezing cold water, watching the churning waves. I poured out my problems, and waited for some sign or some change of feeling. Nothing happened until suddenly I realized that I didn't have any gift for the goddess.

I reached down and yanked off my jade necklace and threw it into the ocean, and said-- it's all I got, is that ok? Show me that you can hear me!

Suddenly, a single white firework blossomed in the sky over my head. One of my favorites, with the wide circle of sparks. Someone must have let it off from the beach houses, but they were all dark, so I couldn't tell which one. No other fireworks followed.

So, the most unusual pyrotechnics I have ever seen have been from a goddess named Yemaya as a sign that she was listening.

As a side note a friend told me about seeing a fourth of july show in Alaska when she was younger that blew her mind. Apparently when the pyrotechnics expert went to light the first round, a rogue wind carried sparks from the first pile of fireworks to two other piles and set off hundreds of fireworks all at once in the span of sixty seconds. The crowd thought it was armageddon. lol

tdpannie · 07-04-2008, 02:02 PM

What a lovely story. What is about fireworks that can fit so many different emotions. I remember when we saw our first display in Disney Florida (not quite as unique as yours) it was jus spectacular and reduced all of us including the kids to tears. Thanks for sharing.