Since 1988, certified pyrotechnican Steve Linn has worked on most of Colorado’s biggest fireworks displays, including Independence Day shows at Bandimere Speedway, Summit and Eagle counties, and the celebrated post-Colorado Rapids show in Commerce City. He works for the pyrotechnics company Western Enterprises Inc., which is based in Oklahoma. Claire Martin, The Denver Post
Q: Do you still have all your fingers?
A: Gosh, when I started out, most shows were hand-fired with a “fusee” (flare). Fireworks were set up in tubes, and you’d fire and reload. Very few communities still have hand-fired shows.
Q: How does it work now?
A: Now we manufacture our own systems. Shows are choreographed and computerized. It’s a whole new industry.
Q: What do you mean by “choreographed”?
A: A script tells to the second — to the millisecond — what size shell will go off, how many shells will go off, and the specific special effect in the shell. It’s a detailed script that tells the client and the shooter exactly what to do and what will happen.
Q: How many shows in Colorado do you supervise personally?
A: I, myself, am in charge of about a dozen big shows in the Denver metro area. That means the logistics, getting the products and trucks where they need to be. I personally will be in charge of Glendale’s show on July 3 and Thornton’s on the Fourth. And our company has shows all over Colorado.
Q: How big do those mortars get?
A: Ours go up to 12 inches in diameter.
Q: Twelve inches?
A: The 12-inch shells will be at Bandimere. And those will be a thing of the past before too long. The federal government has reclassified those shells. You’ll need special transport. Nobody’s going to want to mess with that. We shoot a lot of 10-inch shells, as well. Thornton alone has 64 8-inch shells, I believe.
Q: Are those big shells sort of like Russian nesting dolls, with smaller shells inside that go off at different times?
A: It looks like a shell inside of a shell. They’re called “stars.” When the lift charge lifts up the mortar, it has a time fuse inside, and the big shell opens at the right altitude. And then there are several different stars, and canisters that ignite and open at different points. It’s very intricate. The effects they create depend on different types of shells.
Q: Do the special effects all have different names? I understand one is called “Titanium Twinkle,” which sounds a little like a Disney princess’ sidekick.
A: You have as many names for them as you do Chinese people. Every year, they change the name of a shell to try to coordinate it with the effect they’re trying to create. So a “Titanium Twinkle” would be a very flashy twinkling, with a lot of follow-up. One manufacturer might call it “Sparkling Rain.” Another might call it “Rain With Lightning.” Another might call it “Willow.”
Night Planner
JULY 3
Avon, Harry A. Nottingham Park, 9:45 p.m.325 Benchmark Road
Fort Carson, Outdoor Recreation Complex, 9 p.m., 32429 Specker Ave.
Glendale, Infinity Park, 9 p.m., 950 S. Birch St.
Lakewood, Jefferson County Sports Stadium, 9:30 p.m., 500 Kipling St.
JULY 4
Arvada, North Jeffco Park & Recreation District, 9 p.m., 13150 W. 72nd Ave.
Basalt, Arbaney Park, 9 p.m., 456 Park Ave.
Commerce City, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, 9 p.m., 6000 Victory Way
Cortez, Parque de Vida, 9 p.m., 210 E. Main St.
Craig, Craig High School, 9 p.m., 900 Finley Lane
Crested Butte, Paradise Park, 9 p.m., 502 Ninth St.
Delta, Confluence Park, 9 p.m., 301 Main St.
Estes Park, Lake Estes, 9 p.m., 1700 Big Thompson Ave.
Frisco, Frisco Bay Marina, 9 p.m., 900 Main St.
Glenwood Springs, Two Rivers Park, 9 p.m., 740 Devereux Road
Golden, Lions Park, 9:30 p.m., 1300 10th St.
Kremmling, Kremmling Square Park, 9 p.m., 203 Park Ave.
Leadville, Leadville Courthouse, 9 p.m., 505 Harrison Ave.
Louisville, Coal Creek Golf Course, 9:15 p.m., 585 W. Dillon Road. Shuttles from Home Depot and the Louisville Recreation Center; no parking at the golf course
Morrison, Bandimere Speedway, 9:30 p.m., 3051 S. Rooney Road
Northglenn, E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 9:30 p.m., 11801 Community Center Drive
Ouray, 320 Sixth Ave., 9 p.m.Parker, Town Hall, 9 p.m., 20120 Mainstreet
Silverton, 9 p.m. Fireworks over San Juan Mountain, Miners Tavern, 1069 Greene St. and other locations
Telluride, Town Park, 9 p.m., 500 E. Colorado Ave.
Westminster, Westminster City Park, 9:30 p.m., 10455 Sheridan Blvd.
Winter Park Resort, Cooper Square, 9 p.m., 47 Cooper Creek Way
