There were a lot of events in May and June, 2002, but ours was first! Basically because we unknowingly planned it for the weekend of the first round of elections in France--France votes on Sundays).

Being entirely objective, we checked out all the other events we could get to in Haute Garonne, to compare and to learn. We were surprised! We did a better job than all the others. No joke. The atmosphere at our event was evidently superior. Our event was FOR and done BY the people who do these sports. All the other events were sponsored things, financed by companies who sell shoes, skateboards or cell phones. Their focus was on something called money, or somewhere else, like wanting to impress people, but ours was focused on just doing a good event because that's what we came here to do. What a difference.

With no prior "training," we pulled off an event that excelled, matched and beat all the other events in terms of organization, unique-ness, quality, enjoy-ability, skill level, etc., etc.

Extravaganza: take a look.

Here are photos of our first event.

Here are more photos of our first event.

Here are still more photos of our first event.

Here are even more photos of our first event.

The EXTRAVAGANZA, May 4-5, 2002, a la plaine haute, in Castanet Tolosan, was not what we expected. We didn't really expect anything, because we had no previous conceptions. We found out it was a lot of work to plan something this big and complicated. Just two people (or, one and a quarter, with a year-and-a-half old boy thrown in).

Luckily, David is brilliant and a genius--and Andrée ain't too bad either.

We were lucky enough to think of most of everything. We were lucky enough to have good people to help us. We were lucky to be able to do it, period. Lots of things came up that threatened to torpedo the whole thing. Maybe what helped us the most is that we didn't care about the event. We cared about the people and the time we could give them.

Well, we designed and made t-shirts. We organized and planned and built modules from scratch. Buying tools, renting a place to build, organizing a work crew, etc. We organized a tournament of softball and a tournament of roller hockey. A competition of BMX, skateboard and inline skate that was out of this world. We organized and rented sound equipment for three live bands. We organized demonstrations of BMX freestyle, juggling, longboard, roller hockey, graffiti.

It rained. Power cables shorted out. Microphones quit working. People were injured on the street course. Windskate people didn't show up. Someone stole signs. Someone stole power cords and microphone stands.

But it was a real success. Because we pulled off an event that made 1,400 people grin and have a blast watching and taking part in a unique event done for them, by them. We involved them directly in the event..

Would we do it again? Yes.