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.

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!