It was a pyrotechnic night around Utah Saturday as fireworks lit the sky above a bevy of communities. Not the least of the shows was the Deseret News-sponsored show at Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City as Utahns joined Americans from around the nation in celebrating the country's birthday.
In Provo, high energy, upbeat and patriotic are three phrases that best describe the culminating event to America's Freedom Festival at Cougar Stadium on the Brigham Young University campus.Fireworks were not the only thing falling from the sky this Fourth of July over Cougar Stadium. Ten Flying Elvi from Las Vegas jumped out of a plane with a 20-foot silver fireworks flame at their feet. After they landed, they performed a fun medley of Elvis Presley songs with 500 Stadium of Fire dancers.
The 560th Air Force Band from Spokane, Wash., performed a variety of patriotic tunes. After getting the crowd "all shook up," the pop band Huey Lewis & the News took the stage.
But the highlights of the evening were the traditional fireworks and pyrotechnic show choreographed to the Stadium of Fire's theme "United We Stand."
The Flying Elvi, who are all professional-rated sky divers, jumped from about a mile above the stadium. The sky diving Elvi were formed after the 1992 movie, "Honeymoon in Vegas." Flying Elvi president Dick Feeney said a man who worked for him on some different shows in Las Vegas told him about calls Castlerock Entertainment was receiving following the movie.
"So, I said, let's do it," Feeney said because he had a warehouse of Elvis costumes.
Flying Elvi Pat "Swivel Hips" Hemenway, who was in the movie, said he never thought he would be an Elvis impersonator. He said sky diving is not for everybody.
"Do it if you want to jump for yourself," he said. Hemenway said he would classify the Flying Elvi as adrenaline junkies who do a Mili Vanili style of singing (lip synch).
There are three requirements to be one of the Flying Elvi, Feeney said. First the person must be professionally rated or have a minimum of 500 jumps; for current team members the low is 2,000. Second, there must be a spot open, and third, the person must be crazy.
Like Hemenway, Rick "Hunk of Love" Moffet, another Flying Elvi, was in the original movie.
Moffet said when they were working on the movie they called qualified people to see if they would like the part. "We just fell into it."
"It's too much work if you are not having fun," Moffet said. He likes the work because the team "puts smiles on faces."
Moffet, who became an educator in 1994, said no one really knew how to take it at first. He said he would hear in the hallway that "so and so's teacher is a Flying Elvi."
After the Flying Elvi sprang onto the stage, the stadium field was filled with nearly 500 dancers from Idaho, Utah and Arizona.
Choreographer Julie Webb, of Roy, said it is an honor to be involved with the Stadium of Fire because of the patriotism that is expressed. She tells her dancers about patriotism and the honor they have to participate in the event.
Webb also tells her dancers when she invites them to be part of the event that the Stadium of Fire is the longest-running patriotic show in the United States.
Steve Young introduced Huey Lewis as a dear friend of his and of the 49ers. Young told the crowd that within five minutes that they, too, would become friends with Huey, and they did.