Photo: Remy Scalza

The time-honored Vancouver tradition which is the Celebration of Light fireworks competition got underway last night.  The first of four pyrotechnic contestants, the USA started things off with a bang.  Well before the 10 p.m. showtime – as early as noon – eager fireworks fans had set up blankets and tents along the length of English Bay.  By the time evening rolled around, Beach Avenue was closed to traffic and packed with people in shorts and tank-tops, enjoying a rare balmy night in Vancouver.

Down on English Bay Beach, wall to wall bodies stretched from the bathhouse to the edge of the water.  Live bands brought in by Shore FM kept the crowds entertained.  An occasional shell blasted from the barges out in the bay helped build the anticipation.  Moments before the 10 p.m. start, the streets got eerily quiet.  Pretty much every set of eyes was fixed on the water, waiting for the first explosion.

Photo: Remy Scalza

The USA’s theme was In the Mood, with a soundtrack consisting of classic swing and Big Band era tunes, everything from Mambo Italiano to It Don’t Mean a Thing.  The team did a good job of balancing huge, high-altitude pyrotechnics with displays of fountains and candles that shimmered on the water.

The upbeat music matched the fireworks well and built to a memorable finale.  To the strains of Sinatra’s New York, New York, a succession of huge gold bombs exploded, filling nearly the expanse of the night sky with glimmering sparkles that floated down to the water.

And afterwards – The typical chaotic exodus from English Bay.  Thousands of people swarmed from the beach, leaving the sand littered with evidence of the day’s fun.  Laggards were systematically rounded up by a wall of mounted Vancouver police, who steadily cleared the beach on horseback.  The revelry spilled out on Beach Avenue, where a few rowdy partiers in miniskirts and tube tops unexpectedly found themselves in handcuffs, being led away to the paddy wagon.

Photo: Remy Scalza

All in all, a consummate Vancouver evening.  The Celebration of Light is a unique birthright for Vancouverites: a free spectacle year after year featuring what must be some of the best choreographed pyrotechnics in the world.  If you haven’t seen it in person yet, make sure you check out one of the three remaining shows this year: Sat., July 24 (Spain); Wed., July 28 (Mexico); and Sat. July 31 (China).

Anybody else see the USA show?  Impressions?  Do you think the US has a chance to win it this year?

Remy Scalza