September 25, 2009

Burning Man 2009: Evolution

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise

zzzzzzzzip... yes, yes, there it is. the last of the missing marbles. ah ha, thanks so much.

now, where were we...

well, black rock city, of course.

after missing a year, it was really nice to get back to our fair city. and, thankfully, all was pretty much how we left it: insanely chaotic, and yet reassuringly in tune. to borrow a description from yesteryear: "a surreal assortment of interconnected freeze frames that simultaneously motivate, amuse, inspire, befuddle, enrich, entangle, electrify and delight."

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


good times with kindred spirits do we seek. and never do we leave with anything less a full serving.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


truth be known, it's quite likely that you'll be over-served. and that's ok.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


no double rainbows this year, but there was a planetarium-like full moon which ensured that total darkness would never prevail in the 89412.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


in fact, for those meteorologists scoring at home, the conditions were just about idyllic. high 80s/low 90s during the day. mid 60s at night. a couple dust storms along the way, but otherwise pretty much calm.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


well, not totally calm.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and it's still one kick ass place to call home for a week. a glorious community, whose population is now just a couple free spirits shy of 50,000.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise

alas, here's a rundown of the happenings...

----------

CAMP BOJON... over 70 peeps. over 10 RVs. wow. logistics not an insignificant undertaking. real deal compliments to agent kevles who took the reins and led the way.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


crafty decision in the prep stage to register as a theme camp to lock in some pre-defined real estate. we fashioned ourselves as a "sunset bar" to compliment our deep playa sunrise saloon.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


mission accomplished as we got early passes and set up shop with plenty of room to accommodate the posse.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


not sure we ever stuck to the sunset happy hour theme, but we did have a bar. and we did serve anybody who came by. with a smile.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


uncle velvet and mikey D hooked it up the again by charging up early with the truck and building the camp. can't say enough about how big a deal it is to have these cats roll in ahead of the masses and set up shop. fellas, BIG SHOUT OUT.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


seattle came strong once again this year and brought a cadre of new faces with them.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


in fact, lots of virgins in the camp this year. not sure of the final tally, but it was north of twenty. and at least three of them were fathers to long time camp bojon burners. gotta love it watching your pops ring the bell.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


----------

ART INSTALLATIONS... a bountiful assortment of art this year. all shapes and sizes, some playing to the evolution theme, and others playing to their own theme.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


every year there is at least one piece that everyone saw and/or rode. this year it was the slide. rather beautiful in its simplicity. so much so that it's hard to believe its never been done before. funny thing was that the astro turf on the slide left its mark on just about everybody who took the plunge. the raspberry it left behind became a tangible badge of courage (and a burden on the medical tent).

here's a nice shot of the great heracean charging the wedge on a short board...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


the rocket got a lot of attention this year as well. by almost all accounts the "launch" was anticlimactic since the vessel was never built to actually take off. crazy thing is, expectations of the unfathomable are so high at the burn that had the rocket actually lifted off, people would have taken it in stride and moved on.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


the oversized rubik's cube was also a crowd favorite. it was actually possible to make the panels move, but it took some doing.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


the butterfly was also pretty striking and fun to ride.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and like most years, the devil was in the details. the more you took the time to explore , the more you were rewarded with creativity extraordinaire.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


----------

ART VEHICLES... sweet development this year as we linked up this year with some friends from SF who had an art car. agent nies debuted the white rhino on the playa, and we all enjoyed it immensely.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


big props to the janky barge as well. this rolling sound system made its way out to the outter playa and hooked us up with a killer saturday morning set. dj motion potion already has his time slot reserved for next year...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


other vehicles of note were the rolling house...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and the golden gate bridge...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


----------

BIKING THE PLAYA... remains one of the best activities on the planet. playa a little chopped up this year, but still down hill in all directions...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


rigs come in all shapes and sizes...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and there's always a helping hand out there for those who are lagging...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


of course, if you topple over, you're on your own. but even that can be fun.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and check it out, a good doctor siting. this species is rare indeed, but not yet extinct...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise

----------

THE TEMPLE... captivating temple this year. flower like shape was well conceived, and the walk around ramp made for easy access to all levels.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


we again paid tribute to duff and tuttle. even as the years pass, the memory of these fellas remains strong.

Brothers in Arms


night view of the temple was especially sweet this year. perfectly backlit to reflect the tone...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


----------

THE MAN... the man stood well-perched above the playa this year...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and when he burned, it was with a rush of fireworks...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and yet he stood tall for some time, not quite ready to submit...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and yet the story ended as it must... to enable us to do it again next year.

----------

SWASHBUCKLER SUNRISE... sun's up, morning's here, up and at 'em engineer...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


the swashbuckler sunrise served as an outpost for pirates, vagabonds, and ne'er-do-wells located along the outer reaches of the playa near the boundary. twas an ideal place to catch a sunrise, either to start your day or end it.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


all about rum this year. and that led to the pirate theme. and a well-crafted bar with an upper deck that held the ship's quarters.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and yes, there was a plank...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


nice to have a few DJs roll our way this year and spin some desert magic. the space cowboys sent the unimog out on thursday...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


and motion potion sailed the janky barge out to take the lead on saturday...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


here's a little video sample from the scene:


and a few other shots from the action:

bar set up squad...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


early settlers and lead pre-burn construction team...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


the good captain owning the joint...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


scene from an old western...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


four reasons not to stay at the bar too long...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise


sunrise right on queue...

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise

----------

and so, that's a wrap.

and another dose of proof that:

    Burning Man is nothing if not all about the celebration of life, the illumination of the spirit and the glittery determination of the human soul to find raw joy in the world no matter what...

upon return, one of our crew sent an article around that took a shot at summarizing the life lessons one can pull from the burn. worth a read.

gotta say that there are some years i head out of black rock not knowing if i'll be back. this year, i left with the sense that my work there is not done. and so for those out there thinking about a trek out to the desert, 2010 might be a good year to get on board.

Bojon Swashbuckler Sunrise

Posted by bojon at September 25, 2009 10:11 PM