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What got you started?

tradami

tradami

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Apr 2019
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This is a question I always love to ask new Pyro's that I meet. For me, I grew up with only firecrackers and fountains. When I was a kid, a neighbor of mine had a shell kit sitting in his bed room for 2 years. I had never shot a shell until one day he finally decided to shoot them off. Here is what he had: 24

After that I was addicted. For the longest time I couldn't remember what the shell kit was and then one day I saw it on a store shelf and it all came back to me and I was able to purchase it.

So... what got YOU started?
 
I always loved shooting off fireworks as a kid but what got me into doing it professionally was actually the TV show Pyros
 
For me when I was a teenager or maybe younger my stepdad bought fireworks and we would shoot some off every year. Nothing major but fun. Of course he wasn’t my real dad but I loved it but didn’t like showing him. It took me years to understand he was just trying to do stuff with me to be there for me and not trying to take my dads spot. So fast forward some years later when I got out of the Marines and moved home. We went to a nearby firework store and bought some stuff just to do one year. Then the next and the next, now we’ve been doing 2 shows a year for 15 years now. My kids now look forward to Papaw and I doing our shows yearly and have been getting into helping set up the last few years or so. Got into wholesale buying 7 years or so ago. That was bad. Lol. So I guess that would be what got me into this.
 
Taz5king said:
For me when I was a teenager or maybe younger my stepdad bought fireworks and we would shoot some off every year. Nothing major but fun. Of course he wasn’t my real dad but I loved it but didn’t like showing him. It took me years to understand he was just trying to do stuff with me to be there for me and not trying to take my dads spot. So fast forward some years later when I got out of the Marines and moved home. We went to a nearby firework store and bought some stuff just to do one year. Then the next and the next, now we’ve been doing 2 shows a year for 15 years now. My kids now look forward to Papaw and I doing our shows yearly and have been getting into helping set up the last few years or so. Got into wholesale buying 7 years or so ago. That was bad. Lol. So I guess that would be what got me into this.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Pyro is fun but it's even more fun when you have someone to share it with.
 
We always had a family reunion on 4th of July growing up and always a few people who'd bring fireworks. Mostly safe & sane stuff since this was way before most 1.4 was legal in KY. We had a truck driver in the family who would always stop in TN to get some "good stuff" (bottle rockets mostly) and he was the hero of the night. I guess the smoke got into my blood because as soon as I was old enough to work I became the big spender on the fireworks. Even the little safe & sane assortments when I was a kid, I'd spend time putting together a show, carefully numbering each piece and putting together a firing list. Once I owned my own house and property, the festivities moved to my house. It has just grown and grown over the years. Started with snakes, fountains and sparkers as a kid to ATF license and firing system today.
 
What got me started was my dad and I going to the fireworks store when I was a young boy and I always remember being in awe at all of the items and products they had. We started with the small stuff and, after a couple of years, moved to bigger products, like artillery shells and NOAB’s. That got me into researching and learning the trade and how to build common devices. A family friend of ours was the lead pyrotechnician in our hometown display, and we convinced him to let me apprentice under him and was finally helping to shoot professional shows. Later, I joined OPAG and was learning how to shoot scripted shows and how to use Finale Fireworks. Now, I script, shoot and run my own shows and have a wonderful crew and a great group of friends.
 
My family shot off some fireworks with matches and lighters by the side of the road on the Fourth of July in 2013. We had a ball ! I wondered if you could buy fireworks online and searched. That’s how I found out about online vendors as well as the pyro hobby, electronic firing systems, show design and so on. I had no clue there was such a thing. Less than a year later I had my state pyro license and ATF type 54. I went from lighting bottle rockets with a punk to shooting pro shows between July 4, 2013 and July 4, 2014! It happens to be raining today so maybe tonight...
 
I've been shooting fireworks as long as I can remember. Dad always let me buy a little someting every 4th of July. In the early 90s, I began shooting a show for my family reunion. Then, artillery shell kits and 500gram cakes took over the market and things really started to take off. As the family reunion show grew larger every year, I bumped up to buying wholesale by 2000. The shows continue to grow in size and number. Now, I have my FEL, state licenses, magazine, etc., etc. and even my own display company. I just got through hosting the Spring Pyro-Fest for the Pyrotechnic Artists of Texas (PAT) at my ranch for the 2nd time. What an event it was! 9 displays, 1,000 spectators and raised $5,400 for a local charity.
 
When I was a kid, my parents would take us to go buy fountains and cones for the 4th. We started going to a stand that was on the outside of town instead of buying at the grocery stores. It was all safe and sane stuff but they always had an item or two on that fringe... A fountain that would shoot a pearl or two, jumping jacks, etc. I fell in love with fireworks from the start and those few "extra" items would get my curiosity up about what else was out there. When I was old enough to get a paper route and earn some spending cash, my buddy and I would beg my mom to drive us to the state line where you could find shell kits, rockets, and some cakes. I've been hooked for a long time. I just recently have gotten more serious about it and bought my first Cobra system last year. I bought a few more pieces and have 2 18Ms and a pair of slats. I did my first big buy this year and am scripting my first real show for the 4th! I've got lots to learn but I'm excited to finally be in a place where I can properly scratch that pyro itch!
 
It think it was the summer of 01 or 02 and the I had money burning a hole in my pocket so I drove over to the purple ghost as it was the closest place and bought 2 Tube Finale Assortments and an Uncle Abes, along with 3 packages of "thunder Stick" rockets. I still miss those rockets they had some pop, closest thing i shot to a salute for the next 13 years.
 
What initially got me hooked was a buddy of mine introduced me to packs of firecrackers and lady fingers … I just loved the effect and the smells.
But what got me fully hooked was a trip to Florida, and my father stopped at South Of The Border in South Carolina (the first of several fireworks store stops on that trip) .. seeing so many options, and then putting on small displays for family and friends, that is what took hold of me.
 
Family used to go buy a set of shells and an assortment, probably spent no more than $200 a year or so, but we had fun

I got a little older and starting spending it with my friends who would have bottle rockets, firecrackers, etc that their dad would buy

Fast forward a few years and we got together to put on a small backyard show, grew that for a few years and I started coordinating the Victory group buy for WA, caught the attention of Al (GuitarAL) with the NPA, he convinced me to join and attend my first shoot, which was also Pyroland's first shoot. They came out, did a demo, and basically just become NPA overnight...

Ever since I have just been doing more, more club shoots, took an officer position in the club, been out to PGI several times, WWB a couple times, met a lot of people and created the Pyro U Facebook group

It's been a wild ride, and I'm having a ton of fun with all things Pyro ;-)
 
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