Western Enterprises fireworks team wows the crowd in Montreal

MONTREAL — The Western Enterprises fireworks team was hoping it would open up the heavens Saturday at the Montreal International Fireworks Competition.

The heavens sure did open up, but not the way Western Enterprises had wanted them to. Torrential downpours soaked the city on the day of the show, but that didn’t stop the Carrier-based fireworks company from thrilling a crowd that braved the weather and packed waterfront bleachers at La Ronde amusement park to see the competition’s sixth act in nine weeks.

Gary Caimano, Western Enterprises’ chief choreographer, said people told him it was “the greatest and biggest Montreal finale they had seen in a long time.” The show came to a thrilling end with a barrage of red, white and blue artillery shells and a shower of comets that lit up the lagoon where the fireworks were being launched.

“It was huge, almost overpowering at the moment,” said Western Enterprises Chief Executive Officer Jim Burnett. “Like any performance, you want to save your best for last.”

Western Enterprises will find out in the next few weeks if the finale was grand enough to get it invited back to La Ronde Aug. 14 for the presentation of the Jupiter Award. Seven other countries — Italy, Taiwan, Poland, Portugal, Canada, Sweden and France — also are in the running for the honor, which is considered by some to be the most prestigious in the fireworks business.

Caimano said a handful of the team’s fireworks were disabled either because firing ramps were wet or lightning had disabled electronics that were used to launch the rockets. In fact, a lightning strike to the firing ramp before the show prematurely set off some of the team’s fireworks.

“I’ve never seen rain like that,” said Caimano. “It’s a tribute to our crew and (the competition’s) crew that we were able to put on the show.”

The rain began about 2 p.m. Saturday and continued all the way up until right before the presentation began. It finally let up late in the evening, and the orders were given to begin around 10 p.m. A downpour began again halfway through the 30-minute show but let up in time for the finale.

Caimano said the audience likely didn’t notice a few of the fireworks were missing after being disabled by the afternoon thunderstorms. Of the 8,000 to 10,000 effects that were used, Caimano said only 100 or so didn’t launch.

“There weren’t any flagrant blackouts,” Caimano said. “To the audience, it was perfect.”

Burnett said it is unlikely Western Enterprises will be able to capture the top honors because of how the weather affected some of the technicalities of the show. However, the small company has a great chance at getting another crack at it in the future.

A review of the team’s display on an independent website dedicated to the international competition concluded with these encouraging words: “I have a feeling that whatever happens, we will see a return of Western Enterprises in the future as they certainly did an excellent job for a debut display at this complex and unforgiving site.”

As Western Enterprises made its debut in Montreal, its star continued to rise not only in the business, but also in the science community. It will be featured in an issue of “Popular Science” magazine next summer.

Caimano, Burnett and the rest of Western Enterprises crew was followed around by a reporter and photographer as they prepared the week before the show. Caimano said they were particularly interested in “how the science and chemistry (in fireworks) can translate into art.”

To view Western Enterprises’ show, go to http://www.burchcom.com/2010/index.html.