Le Mondial SAQ 2002
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

France The Six Elements July 24^th, 2002

Société Lacroix-Ruggieri, Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography

'This company is the foremost European pyrotechnic show design. It is said that its products illuminate more than 8000 fireworks presentations yearly. They were the first pyrotechnician team to be able to literally write in the sky - specifically the figure 2000, during a millennium firework presentation, giving them the name "Sky Painters"'

Perfect weather with low humidy and just enough wind to move the smoke was the setting for this final display in the competition. Using 131 PyroDigital firing modules, this promised to be a well choreographed display. Lacroix-Ruggieri is the oldest fireworks company in Europe with a history dating back to 1739. The display represents the six elements of earth, water, air, fire, love and money.

Introduction to the music Main Titles from the film Planet of the Apes by Danny Elfman. Strobe pots at the back of the display flashed into life as angled mines in the centre fired in perfect note-synchrony in rainbow colours. A narration, explaining the theme of the display then began for a minute or two. When this was over:

Part 1 to the music Bud on the ledge from the film Abyss by A Silvestri. Nautic flares were fired into the lake and cones of rockets climbing into the sky like growing flowers and bursting into slow falling clusters of stars. The flares on the lake became strobes as strobe shells were fired above and then a line of fountains lit up at the back of the display. An alternating sequence of note-synchronized mine fronts and fans of comets from the centre of the display was augmented by kamuro shells above. Then candles of charcoal comets with fireflies and barrages of charcoal comets turning to silver in shells above, with thick comet fans in the centre below as the music moved to:

Part 2 to the music Main Titles from the film Waterworld by J. N. Howard. Screaming serpent candles and weeping willow bombettes were followed by mines in thick bushy pale gold charcoal/aluminium comets with the same in shells above. Then larger kamuro shells with the stars trailing to the lake and then more mines. Flights of rockets bursting to charcoal comets were followed by large kamuro shells with big pistils, with repeated barrages of these and some brighter bombettes below as the music moved to:

Part 3 to the music Suil a Ruin from Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance by R. Hardiman. Star candles with star bombettes above were augmented by rising tail shells bursting to star-headed comets. Below these, fans of comets in the centre and then rising tail shells bursting to broccade. The comet fans in the centre continued with rising tail shells bursting to kamuros with pistils above. This theme continued for the rest of the segment.

Part 4 to the music from the film The Brotherhood of the Wolf by J. LoDuca. Screaming serpent candles were followed by shells of bright orange. Then shells of glitter comets, then the bright orange shells at a lower level. This alternating sequence continued and then was augmented by a barrage of titanium salutes. Back to the orange shells, with the glitter comet shells interspersed and then a return to the screaming serpent candles. Above these, bombettes in colour, comets and with crackle. Flights of rockets burst to bright stars as bright lemon-yellow mines fired below. Large cones of rockets thrust into the sky bursting into bright colour clusters, like huge bunches of flowers and were followed by silver comet shells above. Then candles of bright lemon-headed comets with fans of comets in the centre and a huge barrage of titanium salutes, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 5 to the music Allumer le feu(live) by J. Hallyday. Sky-mines, some bursting rather low, began this segment. Then candles of charcoal comets with fireflies were followed by large mines in the centre of pale silver comets turning to deep red stars with crossette comets in as well. Note-synchronized mines were followed by tourbillon ring shells. These were followed by candles of meteor crossette comets and then more note-synchronized mines with more of the tourbillon ring shells with pistils above. The meteor crossette comet candles continued as the sequence repeated with more note-synchronized mines with double ring tourbillon shells with pistils above. The segment came to a close with huge double ring tourbillon shells with deep blue pistils.

Part 6 to the music On Sacred Ground by Yanni. A line of gold glittery fountains angled over the lake opened up this serene segment. Gold glitter comets fired from the left then the right will weeping willow bombettes above. Then gold glitter comets firing up with pale gold broccade shells above as crossed gold glitter comet candles opened up below. More weeping willow bombettes with gold glitter comets from the centre and weeping willow shells with trunks. Next glitter charcoal/aluminium comet mines fired at angles over the lake, with the stars trailing to the waver in perfect note synchronization. Behind these, shells of whizzers and then colour mines in note synchronization. Weeping willow shells with trunks continued and then blue-headed meteor comets fired up from the centre with mixed mixed colour shells adding to the weeping willows still being fired. Colour bombettes and glitter comet bombettes were augmented by broccade shells above. This theme continued and then thick comets were fired from left and right with rising tail shells bursting to kamuros above. The left and right comets continued and were added to by bombettes of bees. This theme continued and then a flight of gold girandolas rose into the air as more of the angled mines of charcoal/aluminium comets trailed their stars into the lake as a final flight of double ascension girandolas took off, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 7 to the music Fallen Embers by Enya. A ring of fountains in the centre lit up as clusters of crossed firefly charcoal comets fired into the air. Then strobe mines in note synchronization and bright flash-burst colour bombettes. Above these, barrages of shells of strobes and multi-break shell-of-shells of the same, filling the air with falling flashing stars.

Part 8 to the music Main Titles from the film Planet of the Apes by Danny Elfman. Fast cakes of white tourbillons were followed by the large mines in the centre of pale silver comets turning to deep red stars with crossette comets. Above these, shells of comets turning to red and silver and shells of rings of tourbillons. These continued with red mines in the centre below and then a line of fountains. Mines of crackling strobes lit up and were followed by dazzling star mines with bright crossette comet shells above and dazzling mines in silver and lemon-yellow below. More crossette comet shells and shells of rings of tourbillons were followed by large silver crossette comet shells. This theme continued, the segment coming to a close with barrages of huge glitter comet to silver star shells.

Part 9 to the music Race to Old New York from the film Final Fantasy by E. Goldenthal. A line a blue flares lit up the back of the display area. Flights of silver girandolas rose up and burst into stars. Then another flight of these with blue-headed meteor comet cakes. Then mines of fabulous deep blue stars and gold glitter with the same in shells above. Then the same in bombettes as well and with mines and shells, the segment coming to a close with a huge shell of blue turning to green.

Part 10 to the music The Feeling Begins from the film The Last Temptation of Christ by Peter Gabriel. Thick bushy comet mines fired in the centre with note-synchronized angled mines in alternating glitter and bright pink moved along the floating ramp. Fan comets fired from the centre were followed by broccade shells and then silver comet shells. Back to barrages of broccade shells, then silver comets and then back to the alternating glitter and pink mines with a return to silver comet shells above. The synchronized mines continued, with shells above, the segment coming to a close with sky-mines.

Part 11 to the music The treason of Isengard from the film Lord of the Rings by H. Shore. Rockets bursting to weeping willows and gold glitter were immediately followed by a line of horizontal spinning rings along the floating ramp shooting stars up as they spun. Above these, bombettes in colour aimed over the lake. Then mines of blue stars and then also in shells. Fans of comets in the centre were followed by kamuro shells above, more comet fans in the centre and then gold glitter shells. Below these, bombettes of crackle with colour shells above, this theme continuing for the rest of the segment.

Part 12 to the music May it be by Enya. Bright flash pots emphasized the sound of a heartbeat very effectively. Then red flares lit up on the roof in the centre with dazzling crossed meteor comet candles. Behind these, girandolas burning red with silver sparks rose into the air and burst into stars. The crossed meteor comet candles continued and were followed by bombettes of strobes with strobe shells above. Meteor comets candles firing out over and above the lake were augmented by strobe bombettes from the centre as more colour girandolas rose up as bright red bombettes fired below. Then a repeating sequence of bright lemon mines, bombettes and shells in deep red. More red star shells and then several shells of lines of red stars on parachutes (see later), to cheers from the crowd. These were followed by silver crossette comet shells and shells of comets with blue pistils. Flights of rockets bursting to crackle were followed by mines of salutes, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 13 to the music Suerte by Shakira. Bright lemon-yellow shells with salutes and salute candles below were followed by shells of blue and yellow and then shells of dazzling lemon-yellow comets. Then mines of huge electric comets with blue stars as well and shells of silver comets above. More of the mines of huge electric comets with blue shells above and shells of glitter. Shell barrages continued and then huge multibreak shell-of-shells of blue stars. Then the same in gold glitter, then in blue and then in deep red and then in crossed silver comets. Mines of crackle were followed by crossette candles and then screaming whistling serpents with blue shells above. These were followed by silver kamuros and large shells of silver comets. The pace increased as huge salvos of salutes were fired, with salute candles, massive shells of dazzling silver comets, an enormous barrage of large salutes, more and more dazzling silver comets, the display coming to a close with huge numbers of salutes and a massive silver crossette comet shell.

This was a fantastic display. The material used was fabulous with amazing colours, especially the deep blues, reds and lemon-yellows. Great rocket cones too. The synchronization was flawless and worked really well with the music, which was also well-chosen. The display was very artistic with a strong theme running throughout. However, I was surprised more use wasn't made of the lake, with just a few nautic flares and somehow there just weren't quite enough exciting moments in the display, save for the finale. These are but small criticisms though. The main question will be whether the use of parachute shells causes disqualification. My guess is that these shells were probably mis- or confusingly labeled Chinese shells: I think that red falling leaves were what was intended at this point since the French team are well aware of the "no parachutes" rule. It would be a tragedy if this error removed them from a sure place on the winner's podium.

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