On the Fourth of July, 2008 I was lucky enough to take part in the pyrotechnic display for the city of San Francisco. This was a two part display. There was a barge in the bay ,just off Fisherman's Wharf with about 3,000 shells and there was a setup on the municipal pier in Aquatic Park, with another 3,000 shells, fountains, mines, and candles. I worked on the Aquatic Park piece. Fog rolled in around 8:30 and reduced the ceiling, which pretty much obscured the barge , however since the pier was closer to shore the effects weren't as diminished. The above picture was taken 30 minutes after the show and as you can clearly see the fog has dissipated and the stars came out. Oh well.
It is a rarity for a show to come off "perfect", that is with 100% of the shells firing. This was such a show. The roar of the crowd after the finale is something electric and difficult to explain. I can say, though, that I can understand why rockstars crave the audience attention.I am a part of the "A" team and I am so proud. I LOVE PYRO.
The Site
The Crew
The Bomb Squad
The Set Up
The Show
Different Vantage Points
From the end of the pier
Up Close