Well what a crazy two weeks it’s been here in Sydney as the Mardi Gras season whisked upon us like some tumultuous technicolour tornado, whipping up a frenzy and leaving a wake of devastation (and underslept partygoers) in its wake.
This year seeing the Mardi Gras street parade and the MG after party separated by a week, brought many a raised eyebrow. And extra party or special event to attend! I actually quite enjoyed the idea of a “carnival” or “Festival” feel within the longer MG Festival. There was the opening ceremony (parade) culminating a week later with a closing party and official afterparty (Toybox).
Let me start with the parade J
Look, arguments over political meaning, relevance, cost, convenience blah blah aside – it still is one of the most colourful and fun events to grace the city streets in the year ! And with thousands of parade entrants rumbling down over a kilometer of parade route, in front of tens of thousands of crowd members (and hundreds of thousands of total viewers) – the gyms and parks of Sydney were al but jammed in the weeks leading up to the event. What a joy to behold! I sincerely hope they are all back there this week keeping up their good work (and their fabulous shapes!).
I got a chance this year again to be in the parade, as part of the Team Sydney float.
Team Sydney is the group of gay and lesbian sports and athletics clubs. Covering both social and competitive levels, it includes teams like the Wett Ones (swimming), Freezone (volleyball) and the Frontrunnners (running club). And look, I couldn’t be more in support of them! (Other than to be in one of the clubs which I should probably look into – ok so I was only introduced to TS this year officially!). A lot of people get scared off team sports and athletics in high school as they are made to feel awkward or uncomfortable – especially in competitive sports where sledging lends itself all sorts of nasty names and comments unfortunately flung across the field. That these guys have formed or joined the teams of Team Sydney is a great beacon to those who would like to be more active, but need more variety than just joining a gym or running around their neighbourhood park.
That besides the point – Team Sydney recruited 4 of us from Golds Gym Sydney to man the “chariot” in the 180-person strong tribute to sports and athletics throughout the ages. The brief – well, besides the costumes being very brief in initial planning! – was to have 4 golden “Greek Olympians” representing the ancient beginnings of formalized sports. There were 4 of us, two boys and two girls, each representing a particular activity: javelin, discus, archery and the Olympic torch run.
In the planning phases we were to be statues, imitating our particular sports in recognizable poses. Laurel wreaths were to be adorned, above glittering metallic gold bodies and classic “Greek style” skimpy clothing (the point was raised that Olympians used to train completely in the nude, however the idea to be completely accurate to form was immediately vetoed in favour of a more “family friendly” approach!).
With days to spare before the parade … each of the teams that were marching had organized their own co-ordinated dances and costumes to represent their own sports following on behind our “chariot” (a ute with wooden panels of horses and chariot wheels). Cheerleaders and flagbearers were to be followed up with Harlem Globetrotteresque basketballers. Our own little truck-top contingent was arranged to meet for full body painting on the afternoon before – hours of gold makeup application and preparation to ascend the parade route in gilded style …
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