San Diego/Vista Games 2018

[OC Richard]

Playing in a Pipe Band leaves not a lot of time to go around the Games taking pics, and most of what I saw was the things happening in the piping and drumming area. So given that, here goes:

As usual at Highland Games the solos are in the morning. Here's a dad tuning up his kid's pipes for solo competition. (The dad is a piper too, I heard him playing a lovely piobaireachd earlier that morning.) First the drones:



Now checking the chanter:



It's wonderful to hear so many youths sounding so good! The future is bright for piping around here. Another proud dad, this one a fine Highland drummer, and firefighter.



Another youngster competing



Later, time for the older folks! Note that the wearing of Balmoral bonnets is making something of a comeback.



The Professional Piobaireachd. The judge is Major Bruce Hitchings MBE BEM ex-Queens Own Highlanders, the competitor Seamus Coyne. (Seamus has played in some of the world's best bands including Simon Fraser University, which kilt he's wearing.)



And now for drumming! The drummer has to accompany a piper. This is unusual: the piper is sightreading his tune! (Since the piper himself isn't being judged, it's OK.) Note the ex-serviceman wearing his desert boots.



Here's our Pipe Major playing for one of our drummers in solos. (He won the aggregate solo snare for the day!) One of our tenor drummers is making a video.



I didn't take any pics of the Pipe Band competition, too busy with the hour-long pre-comp tuning procedure, and playing, and we were one of the later bands. Best to go on early so you can hear the other bands! But alas.

BTW a cherished institution at these Games, the Beer Tent right beside the Pipe Band competition area, was done away with this year. A Beer Tent so situated is ideal for us: as each band finishes its competition set the band goes into the Beer Tent, gets beer, and watches all the succeeding bands (with the typical Beer Tent kibitzing and smack-talk). I heard that the Games people abolished the Beer Tent because it was losing money. It's packed with people all buying beer, a line for the beer all afternoon. If it lost money, where did they lose it? They had one or two people selling beer, a security guy at the door to the Beer Tent, and they were selling beer as fast as they could sell it all afternoon for $10 a glass.

After the Game, at The Belching Beaver. Our band played a short set there, somebody's got to mind the drinks while we're all getting our instruments!

[grizzbass]

it's always a shame the games are so far from the piping as I never get to it. I did pass through going to the kids area so I could photograph my grandkids doing the events at there. Of course having the bands (guitar etc) is nice as after a couple of hours in the sun it's nice to take ten under there tents. I'll get the games up soon. I also got the bands going to the closing on sunday so will post those