"ALONG FOR THE RIDE - Float riders included, from left, SpaceShipOne pilots Brian Binnie and Mike Melvill, designer Burt Rutan and Rutan's wife, Tonya." JENNIFER X. HERNANDEZ/Valley Press
Posted on 01/02/2005 10:08:35 AM PST by BenLurkin
PASADENA - The Rose Parade float that almost wasn't came through in fine fashion Saturday, not only representing the Antelope Valley as it made its way down the famed Colorado Boulevard parade route, but by also grabbing the Princess Trophy for most beautiful small float, under 35 feet. Float organizers speculated that perhaps it had something to do with the luck and charisma of a few of its riders who had already won a coveted prize in their own field: aerospace designer Burt Rutan and pilot-astronauts Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie of SpaceShipOne fame.
"We're just ecstatic," said Mary Rainwater, who started the non-profit Antelope Valley Float Association and spearheaded the effort.
"You look at some of these floats, how beautiful they all are ... for us to win is pretty exciting. There were a few hiccups along the way, but it's made it all worthwhile."
The float, the Antelope Valley's first entrance in the parade in more than 50 years, appeared as though at times it would not come to fruition due to fund-raising problems and controversy surrounding one of the association's members, Sandy Douglass.
But the project pulled through, and the float, titled "Where Family Dreams Take Flight," was completed earlier this week.
More than 12,000 roses lined the float, which combined the Antelope Valley's aerospace heritage and high desert landscape. Replicas of the B-2 stealth bomber, the F-117 Nighthawk and the F/A-22 Raptor were suspended above the float as if soaring through the air against a desert backdrop of faux California poppies, Joshua trees and cactus blooms. A replica antelope also stood in the background.
"We have a gorgeous float. There's a lot of heart and soul in that float," Rainwater said. "And our riders, I think, gave it just that something extra to send us over the top."
The finishing touch was the celebrity riders from the Antelope Valley who earlier this year won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for conducting the first civilian commercial flight into space. Rutan, his wife Tonya, Melvill and Binnie waved to the hundreds of thousands of spectators.
A handful of other riders, including Rainwater's son, Michael, also graced the float. A Valley schoolgirl who won a drawing to be in the parade also rode on the float with her mother and her teacher.
The riders were all smiles along the parade route, but their morning had started off at a frantic pace. After leaving the Antelope Valley in two limos at 5 a.m. in order to arrive for their 6:30 a.m. check-in in Pasadena, the caravan was stuck in traffic at 7:05 a.m. and had hardly moved for 45 minutes.
With the parade set to begin in little less than an hour, Rainwater and the riders decided to get out of the limos and walk to their assigned staging spot. The walk turned out to be a couple of miles; since the AV float was slated second to last in the parade schedule, the group had to walk through the entire lineup.
"We got to see every single float before the parade," Rainwater said.
But the difficulties weren't over once the group had reported to their location. Rainwater still had to connect with the second limo carrying the pilots' wives and other spectators. But she then learned that the limo's parking pass wouldn't allow it into the area where it was supposed to be.
By then it was 7:45 a.m. and Rainwater was on the phone, trying to guide the limo to another place where she could meet them. It was then that she received word that the AV float had garnered the prize.
"We're trying to solve this problem and Bill (Graham) says, 'Oh, by the way, we got the Princess award,' " Rainwater said. "That was just like icing on the cake."
Rainwater eventually reunited with the second limo and the group settled in at the end of the parade route to watch, still a bit shell-shocked by the award and the hectic morning.
"It was a community project," Rainwater said. "Because of all the difficulties we had, just having it go down the street was fulfilling. It's made it all worthwhile."
The float was on display in Pasadena with the other parade entrants Saturday afternoon and is being exhibited again until 3:30 p.m. today
"ALONG FOR THE RIDE - Float riders included, from left, SpaceShipOne pilots Brian Binnie and Mike Melvill, designer Burt Rutan and Rutan's wife, Tonya." JENNIFER X. HERNANDEZ/Valley Press
GlobalFlyer set to visit heartland - http://www.avpress.com/n/susty5.hts
Pasadena Calif., my adopted hometown.... We used to live in San Marino, then Pasadena, then Claremont. All are lovely cities in Los Angeles County, but Pasadena is the largest of the three and it has it all. When we lived in San Marino in 1988-1990 Pasadena was a sleepy little town whose streets were rolled up and put away about 9pm. Now it is a hoppin' happenin' place full of great restaurants and great shopping. I LOVE Pasadena. Been to Rose Parade three times .... so far. Moving back out there soon, Rose Parade is my favorite event of the year. And since our Longhorns were the winners in the Rose Bowl last night....
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