This was at the same time when the world's largest rubber band ball came to my school. Again, another random opportunity. I took pictures, I got some rubber balls, good times.
Fast forward to last Wednesday. I learned of World Pillow Fight Day, and that a pillow fight would take place downtown near the Art Institute. I've seen videos of past pillow fights in Los Angeles and thought they were crazy as hell. This was another moment where a random opportunity that was too good to pass up landed in my lap.
I almost missed it, though. I woke up Saturday afternoon at 1:15 pm when the fight started at 2:00. Luckily, I lived close enough to downtown to reach the fight in less than a half hour, that is if the Public Transportation Gods were smiling upon me.
I had planned to bring a video camera to record the show, but in the hustle and bustle I could only gather my camera.
I got off the elevated train at around 2:05, and from the platform I could see the fight was well underway. I wanted to bring a nice pillow with me, but alas, the rush kept me from bringing or buying a cheap one.
As soon as I walked up the stairs of the Art Institute, there was this security guard for the museum trying to move the onlookers off the stairs. I kinda felt bad because it wasn't too long ago when I did crowd controlling. And being the only person trying to move 30 to 40 people.But it didn't stop me from taking these pictures.
After a while, the fracas moved down the street.
To be honest, as a person looking in from above, the fights did not look as wild as I expected. Maybe because it was contained too much. I was expecting to see one on one battles...Maybe I was expecting to see something similar to a wrestling battle royale where you could see all the action. But still the energy was still powerful.
I couldn't help but get involved. Someone abandoned their pillow in the fight, so I saw it as my opportunity to join in the madness. At first, I had planned to do my attacks drive-by style, randomly clocking people as I ran through the crowd. It did not go as planned. The crowd was too centralized. The next thing I knew I was locked in a duel with this guy about 5 inches taller than me. There was no way I could go toe-to-toe with him, so I decided to aim low. Unfortunately, my friends, I lost the battle. I got my ass whooped to put it simply. He knocked the hat off my head. It also didn't help that some kid who couldn't be older than 14 got the jump on me too.
Where lost that big battle, I won many small ones, maintaining my aim low offense. Although, in retrospect, constantly aiming low on the girls there and eventually hitting them on the ass may have communicated the wrong type of message. But who cares!
I only regret that I wore mostly black that day, because when a down pillow exploded in front of me, it all got in my hat and on my coat. And I'm still picking them out now as I speak. I should take the advice from a couple people nearby and invest in a lint remover.
There were contests, best dressed and best decorated pillow. All I can remember from that is a battle for the prize between a girl in a Rey Mysterio mask and a dude in an afro. The little kid who got the jump on me won the prize of best fighter, so I can feel better because I evidently wasn't the only one who got creamed by some 14 year old. But, the joke was on him, since his title made him a target. I never exacted revenge. Well, maybe I did and didn't realize it. The fighting afterwards became so random and partners switched quickly, I couldn't keep track of who I battled with.
I did notice this guy substituting his orange fleece sweater for a pillow though.
As I had expected, with the new snow that had fallen the night before, the pillow fight soon evolved into a snowball fight. I realized that I had forgotten how great an aim I had, surprisingly without my glasses.
The cleanup had resulted in garbage bags filled with feathers mixed with sleet.
It was fun.
But it all seemed to end as soon as it began, and when it was over, people dispersed rather quickly. Some people shook hands with each other and exchanged compliments for their valor in the battle.
For what it was, the idea of randomly hitting strangers with pillows brought people together for the moment. Everyone in this mob of "pillowers" were conformed in the agenda to beat the crap out of each other with pillows, and to have fun.
I certainly look forward to the next pillow fight. And hopefully, it will be in the summer, which would present a more interesting and sweaty experience.
Here are videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT5-zXO9WDE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oghR4AzZlC4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VF14Rfbruc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAaQhuHQoBc
If I had done a video, I probably would have dubbed in the Amok Time music from the Cable Guy/Star Trek, but feel free to hum along when watching these videos.
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