Monday, August 04, 2008

One wedding and a flugtag

There wasn't much to do on Sunday. I hadn't heard there was a punk rock show at the New Bayou on Sunday, so instead of listening to The Botched Suicides and folks like that, I decided to go and photograph other stuff just like I'm always threatening to. Like everyone else I'd heard of the Flugtag at the Museum of Civilization, sponsored by a well-known energy drink company with a soft spot for ridiculous sports events (and overpostering). They expected about 30,000 spectators I'm told; it was plain from the crowds streaming over the Alexandria St. Bridge that they got a lot more. I found a place to lock up my bike and found my way through the crowd to a place near the on-ramp. There wasn't a good place to take pictures from, but I did snap a few pictures of the contestants.

I believe this is team Banana Hammock.



Here come the first, pizza-themed contestants.



Everyone had a chance for a 2-minute skit. These guys just ran around and hit one another with their giant hot pepper and wasabi tube.



Ready, set, jump!



Yay!



The next team had some technical difficulties - a wheel on their cup broke and consequently, it did not runneth over. They only used the glider, which despite its suspiciously aerodynamic appearance had all the handling capabilities of a boulder and went straight into the water.



The cup handlers gamely followed it in.



After that the Gatineau police made everyone move back so they could pretend there was a clear route for the ambulance. I tried to find a decent spot for photos, failed and bicycled home. They had closed the pedestrian walkway over the bridge, there were too many people lingering on the somewhat rickety structure.

As I passed the Congress Centre there was some ruckus - evidently a wedding of some kind, with the groom arriving in style.



The shovel girl has her fingers in her ears because it was quite noisy.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Shoot out the lights

Here's a selection of photographs taken from the grassy slope new the Laurier St. Bridge just across the Rideau Canal from the Department of National Defence. I don't think the framing is as nice as last year, but the turnout ruled out a higher vantage point.









See you next year!