Toronto Island Party

The Wards island ferry waiting at the dock for more passengers

The Toronto Island Party sucked me back to the islands for a second week in a row. The hilights being 11 straight hours of DJ music and the Canada Swimsuit Bikini competition. As our ferry approached the Centre Island dock. Maybe even while we were half way across the lake you could hear the thumping of large speakers from the "test" music they were playing.

As it was before 11am the party hadn't started officially yet. Getting off the boat I confirmed this by talking to the two ticket sellers. Guys that seemed tired even before the long day ahead of them. So off for food I went.

My travels took me up to the north part of Centre island where there was a Pizza Pizza food court (if you will) and hopefully burgers. The burgers were non-existent. Maybe I was there too early? I wondered around the beach a bit debating what to eat, where to eat, and shooting water crashing into the rocks every now and then. I decided to skip the food thing and wonder around for a bit.


A small statue of a rhino on Centre island

Along the path of blower beds and well groomed plants I noticed some small statues on the lawn. They were a new addition since I was last here. The one that I seemed to gravitate toward was the rhino. Maybe it was the detail.

The next item on my list was to look at the Maze. As a kid the Maze was a huge source of entertainment. I would spend hours playing tag with all my other fellow day care kids, running through the shrubs oblivious to the adults walking around at a snails pace.


The maze of hedges was donated by the Dutch-Canadian community to commemorate the centennial anniversary of confederation 1867-1967
(taken from the rock plaque in front of the maze)

The maze seemed smaller and a bit neglected. You could see the chain link fence where a hedge might have been years ago. The maze seemed easier to navigate as well. Did I mention smaller? So much for the reminiscing value. Kind of like watching those old cartoons you used to see as a kid. They were great back then. If you watched them now they'd be simplistic and repetitive.

By this point it was time to go back to see if they were letting people in for the Island Party.


The TAG girls

The first thing you noticed upon entering the main party grounds are the TAG girls squirting guys at they pass by with their product. Kind of like cats marking their territory. In the distance there's a topless women reporting for the Naked News. Other than that there really aren't that many people. The people that have showed up are milling around waiting for something to start or they are on the other side of the island restaurant listening to some current DJ, maybe even dancing to the music.

It feels like you're in a club in that you can't hear what the person next to you is saying and there's a droning in your ears. A club, with the exception that you're outside. I decide to break down and buy a $6.00 burger. Since they have you trapped on an island the prices are a kin to eating at an airport.

Eventually the girls start heading toward the change room behind the stage. Hey, it's Amy, the girl from this is london and the last Playboy runway show. I say "Hi". Dawn, the girl with her, introduces herself. I wish them both luck and jockey into position in front of the stage. While waiting Alon, a Photoshop artist, and I wonder where everyone is.

Then without warning the media is let in to shoot. They are on the other side of the fence between the stage and us, effectively blocking our line of sight. The lingere part of the event takes place.


Amy poses for her fans and the media

I snap a few pictures of the "media" in the foreground and the models in the background. It gives a bit more info of what was going on and how crowded it was. I hear a noise... above me? I look up to see this female photographer sitting on a guys shoulders taking pictures. Why didn't I think of that? My attention on her is broken by the grunting sounds coming from the guy under her. He looks like he's going to fall over. The only thing keeping him up is the sheer determination of getting good shots. As he wobbles closer to the fence so she can get better pictures I decide to change my vantage point.


A photographer sits on a guys shoulders to get pictures

As I didn't want all my pictures to have Alon's head I walked out of the crowd of photgraphers and on lookers and did a quick survey of the event. There were picnic tables for press and a evenly dispersed crowd all around the stage. About twenty meters away I saw some empty picnic tables sitting off to the side of the park.


The line up

With the camera bag over my shoulder and camera in hand I marched over to the vacant tables and dragged one over to the back of the crowd. I'm surprised no one else did this. Once on the table I could see the girls with minimal interference from the crowd. It was during this moment of logistical victory that it started to rain.


Bagelhot Model Tip: To increase your chances of being published "Make eye contact with the camera".

Normally I'd be running for the indoors with my camera in a bag or covered by my body but after the WakeStock fiasco Nikon had proved itself and a little rain really wouldn't hurt. I continued shooting through the misty conditions until, lo and behold, Amy won.


Miss Toronto Islands 2006


I wanted to get a shot of Amy with this orange background. She looks good here.

I stayed around to shoot a rapper from England. His thing was that he could do all the sounds using the mike and his mouth. Kind of like that guy from Police Academy, Michael Winslow. After that I took a few shots of people standing in the rain and decided to leave. The thumping sound was starting to get to me.


Party goers still party despite rain.