JERSEY SURF WILDWOOD PICS AVAILABLE!

[JerseyDigger29]

Hey, guys, sorry it took me so long to get my pictures together for you but here they are.

As someone who has experienced the glory and tradition of lying on the ground to look "UP" at drum corps at Wildwood's Maxwell Field since 1963, and experienced last year's successful Jersey Surf home show in which a lot of us were able to view the show sitting on the field on lawn chairs, I would like to ask how everyone liked this year's improved field. What did you all think of the new stadium bleachers - which just happened to be completely installed the very afternoon of the show. And how about the field changes?

1) Mayor Ernie Troiano was proudly telling everyone at the show that the new grass on the field was "Hijacked" from the Green Bay Packers. Apparently the grass was on the way to Lambeau Field from a NJ contractor and Ernie said something like Wildwood shoud have first preference, or something to that effect. Anyway, Maxwell got Green Bay's new grass. No more muddy craters in the end zones and in the middle of the field as in decades past.

2) He fulfilled his promise to return the field to the traditional west side as it has always been. Unfortunately the new state of the art press box wasn't done in time for the show and the judges had to use a high-rise lifter. I understand a couple of those "big weenies" had some hight issues and were afraid to use it. Well guys, next year will be better.

3) Don't know if you heard, but the night before the show three out-of-town morons were arrested by Wildwood's Finest for trying to steal several pounds of unfinished bleachers aluminum. Our new bleachers almost didn't happen if these three idiots hadn't been caught and sent to jail. (Drum corps: 1 - Bozos: 0)!

4) What did you think of the view of that incredible ferris wheel behind the corps performances? Especially after dark?

5) And sorry for the continuing construction behind the field of the city's new first class community center. That should be done by next year's first show. In addition to REAL rest rooms.

Well, what did you all think? We drum corps Wildwoodians are still working on our "work in progress." And we want to impress you even more next season.

Thom b**bs

www.TheWildwoodsReporter.com

P.S. Here's the link to some of the better show pictures. No need to log in. Just click on "galleries," and then on "Drum Corps 2007." I also have all of my pictures available from the Wildwood shows dating back to 2005. Enjoy!

www.DigitalDazzlePhotography.ifp3.com

P.P.S. Here are a couple of special shots of the new bleachers so you can visualize the difference in size, as well as a pic of the Bridgemen DM's receiving their "GIFT" from the Surf. The distinguished gentleman in the second picture is Andy Vaden of Wildwood and the Caballeros Alumni staff. He is a local show coordinator and is checking out the new field before the show:

[Brassman53]

Thom,

It was great to march on Maxwell Field once again facing the original concert side ( I march with the Bridgemen). We rehearsed behind the baseball field, and it was a pleasure to be on such a well manicured grass surface. Sure makes it easier on old legs. I go back a long way with Wildwood drum corps, first saw '62 Legion states as a 9 year old, sitting in the old baseball bleachers watching corps like Sac, Blue Rock, the Victorians, Jersey Cyclones , etc ( and my dad who marched with the Lambertville Volunteers trying to get within 10 points of the cabs every year). I've marched down Atlantic Avenue with various corps over the years probably over 50 times since 1969.

In later years (71-73) I competed with Blue Rock at Maxwell Field, and had fond memories of standing on the inspection line, and playing to the fours rows of rickety green bleachers, and GE judges being on top of an Econoline Van. It was great to see the new bleachers up. I was in Wildwood for the Legion Parade, and they weren't even started yet. The lighting is also great. Remember the old Legion States shows where corps were rehearsing at 600am because they had to be on the inspection line by 745am? Can remember one year they announced the scores by just calling out the Legion Post numbers, so everybody was trying to fgure out who finished wwhere.

I also vaguely remember the Blue Angels from when I marched with the Earls of Bucks- I believe we may have competed against you in an ensemble competition somewhere- plus my grandparents lived in Villas , so I remember hearing something about the corps back then reading a local paper.

The Bridgemen had a great time in Wildwood hopefully we'll return next season. The town is coming along nicely- like all the new condos and lodging facilities springing up, plus it has a cleaner look now. Thanks for the pictures , and updates on Wildwood shows. They are appreciated.

RCC

[scott414]

Thom,

It was great to march on Maxwell Field once again facing the original concert side ( I march with the Bridgemen). We rehearsed behind the baseball field, and it was a pleasure to be on such a well manicured grass surface. Sure makes it easier on old legs. I go back a long way with Wildwood drum corps, first saw '62 Legion states as a 9 year old, sitting in the old baseball bleachers watching corps like Sac, Blue Rock, the Victorians, Jersey Cyclones , etc ( and my dad who marched with the Lambertville Volunteers trying to get within 10 points of the cabs every year). I've marched down Atlantic Avenue with various corps over the years probably over 50 times since 1969.

In later years (71-73) I competed with Blue Rock at Maxwell Field, and had fond memories of standing on the inspection line, and playing to the fours rows of rickety green bleachers, and GE judges being on top of an Econoline Van. It was great to see the new bleachers up. I was in Wildwood for the Legion Parade, and they weren't even started yet. The lighting is also great. Remember the old Legion States shows where corps were rehearsing at 600am because they had to be on the inspection line by 745am? Can remember one year they announced the scores by just calling out the Legion Post numbers, so everybody was trying to fgure out who finished wwhere.

I also vaguely remember the Blue Angels from when I marched with the Earls of Bucks- I believe we may have competed against you in an ensemble competition somewhere- plus my grandparents lived in Villas , so I remember hearing something about the corps back then reading a local paper.

The Bridgemen had a great time in Wildwood hopefully we'll return next season. The town is coming along nicely- like all the new condos and lodging facilities springing up, plus it has a cleaner look now. Thanks for the pictures , and updates on Wildwood shows. They are appreciated.

RCC

Thanks for the walk down memory lane........ I too remember standing on the " inspection" line at 0-dark-30 waiting for the judges to inspect us and performing at such an early time on sat morning. But, with all the corps in NJ at the time, guess we had to start early. And the parades..........playing to the crowd at "Kelly's... What a blast!!!!!

[MikeD]

Thanks for the walk down memory lane........ I too remember standing on the " inspection" line at 0-dark-30 waiting for the judges to inspect us and performing at such an early time on sat morning. But, with all the corps in NJ at the time, guess we had to start early. And the parades..........playing to the crowd at "Kelly's... What a blast!!!!!

One year we left Garfield at midnight to aviod the expense of staying over. Got to Wildwood around 4:30'ish AM...started to practice on the beach near one fo the hotels around 5:00 AM...police car comes racing up to us with the PA system blaring "Stop the band music...stop the band music!!!".

Cop gets out of his car, comes over to us and quietly told us to waiti until 5:30 and he'd make sure we could rehearse. :P

[JerseyDigger29]

Love all those memories.

Anyone have the pleasure of snapping your horn up on the inspection line only to lose your mouthpiece. When someone eventually handed it back to you because you were NEVER allowed to flinch at inspection - or God forbid - retrieve your own mouthpiece, it was covered in about an inch of lime. Yuck!

I remember one of the all girl corps members, maybe Bon Bons, or Paramus Mountettes, or Stardusters, marking time so high her pants started falling down, and watching an embarrassed chaperon run out on the field to pull them back up. The poor girl cried all the way back to her bus - but she never stopped marching!

Ah, memories...

Thom B)

[JerseyDigger29]

Oh, here's another question I forgot to ask:

Remember the hospital tent that always sat in the south end zone? Haven't had to use that contraption since the advent of Wildwood night shows. Don't know if anyone "current" remembers, but Wildwood Legion at times rivaled a DCI semi finals show, there were more than a dozen corps competing in one day - and that was just the juniors. They also had a seniors competition, which of course the Cabs always seemed to win.

Because the shows were in the daytime and the bigger corps performed later in the afternoon, a whole lot of kids passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital tent on stretchers. I remember one time there must have been more than 30 kids being treated for heat exhaustion in that tent. Another time, the inside of the tent was a wall of "maroon," it was overflowing with "Garfield" Cadets.

Some wise man - or instructor - back then had a saying: "if you HAVE to pass out, make sure you do it at attention!"

Thom B)

[Brassman53]

Yeah, I remember the "TENT". One year ( I think '71 I remember looking at a Bank Temperature display before we performed around noon with Blue Rock and seeing 97 degrees on the display- didn't have to use the tent though. I also recall the checkered flags that were set up to designate the starting and inspection lines. The Cabs NEVER a lost Legion States competition (which ran through '85 I believe -that year with out of state corps filling out the line up). They even came down to defend their title for a few years in the Legion Parade after that.

Another cool thing about Legion states would be that they had the Fleetwood Records on sale from the VFW Nationals show, just completed a few weeks before. One feature of last year's show was performing at night ( to the opposite side) and seeing the huge lighted ferris wheel on the boardwalk.

Another great Wildwood memory was the Legion States parade in the sixties and seventies. Some years you'd have over thirty corps in the parade, along with the screaming, imbibing fans at Kelly's ( which I was one of, when not marching). Because this show was the unofficial close of the season, kids from corps in Massachusetts and even Ontario would come down for the weekend (you'd frequently see Boston Crsuader, 27th Lancer , and De lasalle jackets in Wildwood).

RCC

[MikeD]

Yeah, I remember the "TENT". One year ( I think '71 I remember looking at a Bank Temperature display before we performed around noon with Blue Rock and seeing 97 degrees on the display- didn't have to use the tent though. I also recall the checkered flags that were set up to designate the starting and inspection lines. The Cabs NEVER a lost Legion States competition (which ran through '85 I believe -that year with out of state corps filling out the line up). They even came down to defend their title for a few years in the Legion Parade after that.

Another cool thing about Legion states would be that they had the Fleetwood Records on sale from the VFW Nationals show, just completed a few weeks before. One feature of last year's show was performing at night ( to the opposite side) and seeing the huge lighted ferris wheel on the boardwalk.

Another great Wildwood memory was the Legion States parade in the sixties and seventies. Some years you'd have over thirty corps in the parade, along with the screaming, imbibing fans at Kelly's ( which I was one of, when not marching). Because this show was the unofficial close of the season, kids from corps in Massachusetts and even Ontario would come down for the weekend (you'd frequently see Boston Crsuader, 27th Lancer , and De lasalle jackets in Wildwood).

RCC

I liked Legion States because the ocean was warm enough to swim in by then. At VFW's....coooooolllllld

Regarding the Cabs...there were years where they were the ONLY senior corps at the show! :)