There were two broad categories, "Raw" where folks inflated the balloons they needed, and "Inflated" where folks brought up already inflated balloons. There was a styrofoam head (nailed with great ceremony to a bar stool) that folks could use if they needed to interact with someone, or needed something for a hat. She was named Emelia Airhead. There were 44 entrants in total (needless to say, the competition went on for awhile)
There were 7 sub categories under the broad categories: Most Unique, Favorite Style, Best Bit, Best Action Thing, Best Thing to Carry, Best Hat, Best Non-Hat Wearable.
I didn't get pictures of all of the entrants, but here is what I did get.
|
|
Norm Barnhart doing his giant animal hat bit. (and an example of why it's bad to wear a big balloon top hat in the front rows. Makes it hard for everyone behind you to see) |
|
|
Got it right here, first time, every time. The Giant Man-Eating Tasmanian Devil. Wooda wooda wooda. |
|
|
One of the "Ring Girls" (Denise?) showing who the current act is. |
|
|
The other "Ring Girl" (Mollie) showing the category. |
|
|
I like the bolts on the side of his neck. |
|
|
Yvonne Brogdan, "Yummy" of the WAY-Cool Gang. |
|
|
Arleenie Beenie, of the WAY-Cool gang, demonstrating that yes she does use the incredibly corny jokes in the WAY-Cool books |
|
|
Lauren Surprenant showing an alternate kind of balloon weaving. Winner of best non-hat wearable/raw. |
|
|
Barbara (?) doing her 8 petal flower. |
|
|
detail of the flower. |
|
|
Flamingo hat under construction. |
|
|
Teri Stokes' fancy hat she makes at restaurant gigs. |
|
|
Which double as fancy wings. |
|
|
No, Hans didn't make the hat in 2 minutes. He did a magic act using it. |
|
|
Naboo fighter perhaps? |
|
|
When Debbie Brow came onstage with a huge pile of balloons (which took awhile to arrange), we were wondering what was going on, (and getting a bit antsy). Then she started her routine which would appeal to just about any star-trek fan out there. She brought the house down and got a standing ovation from the crowd (at least those of us who haven't fallen over from laughing so hard). She won Best Bit/inflated and Favorite Style/inflated Here the Captain is starting her log |
|
|
We are 260 of Q of the borg. |
|
|
Keptin', me engins canna take any more of this! |
|
|
May LaForge be with you. |
|
|
That sounds illogical. |
|
|
Elmo on a stick. |
|
|
Baseball hat, easily done within the 2 minute time limit. |
|
|
Connie and her hula skirt, winner of Best non-hat wearable/inflated |
|
|
Another view of the hula skirt. |
|
|
Stacey Schmude, the Balloon HQ Columnist |
|
|
|
|
|
Detail of the light sabre. |
|
|
Bidou's poodle. He won Most Unique/Inflated. |
|
|
which also doubles as a hat. |
|
|
Mike Yannes' VW bug done with 350s Winnder of Best Thing To Carry / inflated. |
|
|
Pasqual, winner of Best Hat / inflated |
|
|
Sheree doing a card routine. |
|
|
The Lord of Latex doing Spiderman. |
|
|
|
|
|
One of the more revolting acts of the evening (yet still hilarious). Here Tim Metiver swallows an inflated balloon. |
|
|
And here he is making a poodle. You can imagine the rest of the routine. Winner of Most Unique/raw |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chris Jackson, about to construct his rollercoaster hat. |
|
|
|
|
|
This is Gido who won the large figure competition, as well as getting winning Favorite Style/Raw |
|
|
Dizzy Doc. Winner of Best Thing to Carry/raw. |
|
|
|
|
|
Dizzy's butterfly with the spirals in the wings. |
|
|
Fred Harshberger and his full-body puppet. |
|
|
Pat in the Hat. Pat's the one who did the balloons in Patch Adams. |
|
|