World class fireworks

On 18 September, we present two crackling stamps, celebrating the achievements of Åland pyrotechnicians JoHo Pyro in the art of pyrotechnics. This August, the team engages in competition with the very best at the International Fireworks Festival in Cannes.

JOHAN HOLLÄNDER has been involved with fireworks for as long as he remembers. Prior to starting his own business JoHo Pyro in Mariehamn in 2004, he freelanced for many years as a pyrotechnician for various Swedish companies. A firefighter by profession, Johan still works as such between his fireworks commissions.

SPECIALIZING in pyro-musical shows, JoHo Pyro’s breakthrough came in 2006 when they won the Finnish Fireworks Championship. Subsequently, Johan and his team have lined up fine results in a number of international competitions, e.g. in Berlin and Warsaw. Invited to participate in the 2016 International Fireworks Festival in Cannes, JoHo Pyro made a grand slam winning both the Silver Vestal and the Public Prize. No Nordic team has previously participated in this prestigious competition arranged since 1967.

BOTH STAMP MOTIFS show images from the Cannes show, Johan’s greatest achievement so far. But new successes may

follow. Every fourth year, the Silver Vestal winners compete for the Gold Vestal in Cannes. Thus, JoHo Pyro gets to compete against six other winners to designate the very best of the best.

SHOWTIME IS on 15 August, and Johan’s objective is to win, obviously:

“Cannes is impressive, incredibly impressive, so, winning would be awesome. But, knowing that we’re competing against teams with mind-blowing resources and fantastic designers, we’re in for a tough battle. I keep my feet firmly on the ground. We’ll do everything in our power to display Åland and Finland in our show. Still, it is a competition and the only way to approach it is with a winner’s attitude; we hope and believe that we’ll place among the top three.”

A PYRO-MUSICAL show requires a great deal of preparations, particularly in connection with competitions that present 15-30 minute-long shows. The fireworks must fit the music and all pyrotechnical pieces must interact.

“I listen to the music over and over again, keeping it on my mobile phone, in the car, yes, everywhere. I listen to simply get a sense of the mood, to find suitable effects to match the music with the fireworks, sort of like a marriage,” Johan explains.

IN PRINCIPLE, preparations for Cannes have been ongoing since the 2016 win and, today, Johan and his crew feel ready to take on the world’s leading pyrotechnical firms. His team counts 15 persons; during competitions, however, between 4 and 10 staffers participate depending on the assistance supplied by the organizer.

JOHO PYRO’S most recent commission was to round off the Finland 100 years celebrations in Helsinki on New Year’s Eve 2017, a show that included music by Jean Sibelius and from the movie about the crofter’s wife Stormskärs Maja. Johan finds choosing a favourite fireworks show difficult:

“The win when we first entered the Finnish competition scene was a magnificent feeling seeing that we were the dark horse. Still, the silver prize at our first world fireworks championship was equally awesome since our team was entirely unexpected on the winners’ stand.”

TO VIEW MORE FIREWORK shows, please visit www.johopyro.fi.

2 X GUTTER PAIR STRIPS (2 X 4 GUTTER PAIRS) PRICE: € 44.00 CODE: 301-380/381

FIREWORKS

DATE OF ISSUE: 18 Sep. 2018 PHOTOGRAPHER: Didier Brunel

EDITIONS: 130 000

DENOMINATIONS: Europa (€1.50), €4.00

PRICE FDC: €6.25

STAMP SIZES: 40 x 26 mm

SHEET SIZES: 2 x 16 stamps PAPER: 110 g/m² PERFORATION: 13 per 2 cm PRINTING METHOD: 4-colour offset

PRINTING HOUSE: Cartor Security Printing