jAZ
08-21-2005, 07:28 PM
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/011936.html
(click here to see all the in-line links that don't paste here)
Hunter Thompson's Final Blast-Off
http://talkleft.com/hunterblast.jpg
Around 8:30 pm MST tonight, Hunter Thompson's ashes, contained in capsules, were blown from a 153 foot tower with 350 or so of his closest friends in attendance. [Update: Sen. John Kerry and George McGovern were there.] The Rocky Mountain News got a tour of the tent next to the tower on Owl Farm, his Woody Creek, CO property outside of Aspen.
A round bar looms in the tent's center. Above the bar hang five chandeliers. Thompson worked out of his kitchen, and that feel has been recreated on either end of the bar with a refrigerator. A large drum sat atop one refrigerator. The other, unusual mix of items in the tent also mirrored Thompson's kitchen.
Three blow-up sex dolls lay on a set of chairs stacked near the tent's entrance. A stuffed peacock, a bison head, a gong, and a hockey mask were among the other items. Couches and dozens of lounge chairs rounded out the scene.
The tower is the main attraction.
The centerpiece is the 153-foot fist — two feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — near the tent. The structure was still covered in blue and gray tarps blowing in the wind Saturday morning, with a red tarp covering the fist. Around the base of the conical structure were enough fake boulders to fill three semi trucks, said designer Gregg Lacy, who was looking up at the piece he began work on nearly six months earlier.
Near the top of the structure, which features a sculpted red fist holding a peyote button with different colored lights, chrome sections gleamed in the sun. Maybe 200 feet away sat an unassuming, white truck. Inside were the 34 mortar tubes that contain a mix of fireworks, and Thompson's cremated remains.
Lots of people have been wondering what Hunter would have made of all this. Hard to say. Video should be available after the event, and I'll update with links.
Update 9:08 pm: I just saw the blastoff on the local news. It was pretty big, like fireworks. You could hear the cheers go up.
Associated Press: A Deafening Boom.
Update: From the 10:00 pm local news: 8:40 pm, the drapes came off the giant double thumbed fist, a band played, the ashed were fired, it was like fourth of July fireworks. The 400 invited guests are expected to party until the wee hours. There was a great live shot of a round ball of fire still glowing in the air above Aspen.
Update 8/21: Another photo of the blastoff:
http://talkleft.com/hunterblast2.jpg
Larger version here.
More articles:
Aspen Daily News
Going, Going Gonzo (Denver Post): John Kerry and George McGovern were there.
"It's a fantastic crowd," said Thompson's longtime friend and neighbor Don Dixon. "Half of the people here look like Keith Richards."
Alcohol was limited before the ash blast, but in true Thompson style, mint juleps were served to attendees at the gate. Trays of champagne circulated just before Thompson's remains flew.
Hunter is home now. May he rest in peace, he will be both missed and remembered.
http://talkleft.com/hunterfist1.jpg
(click here to see all the in-line links that don't paste here)
Hunter Thompson's Final Blast-Off
http://talkleft.com/hunterblast.jpg
Around 8:30 pm MST tonight, Hunter Thompson's ashes, contained in capsules, were blown from a 153 foot tower with 350 or so of his closest friends in attendance. [Update: Sen. John Kerry and George McGovern were there.] The Rocky Mountain News got a tour of the tent next to the tower on Owl Farm, his Woody Creek, CO property outside of Aspen.
A round bar looms in the tent's center. Above the bar hang five chandeliers. Thompson worked out of his kitchen, and that feel has been recreated on either end of the bar with a refrigerator. A large drum sat atop one refrigerator. The other, unusual mix of items in the tent also mirrored Thompson's kitchen.
Three blow-up sex dolls lay on a set of chairs stacked near the tent's entrance. A stuffed peacock, a bison head, a gong, and a hockey mask were among the other items. Couches and dozens of lounge chairs rounded out the scene.
The tower is the main attraction.
The centerpiece is the 153-foot fist — two feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — near the tent. The structure was still covered in blue and gray tarps blowing in the wind Saturday morning, with a red tarp covering the fist. Around the base of the conical structure were enough fake boulders to fill three semi trucks, said designer Gregg Lacy, who was looking up at the piece he began work on nearly six months earlier.
Near the top of the structure, which features a sculpted red fist holding a peyote button with different colored lights, chrome sections gleamed in the sun. Maybe 200 feet away sat an unassuming, white truck. Inside were the 34 mortar tubes that contain a mix of fireworks, and Thompson's cremated remains.
Lots of people have been wondering what Hunter would have made of all this. Hard to say. Video should be available after the event, and I'll update with links.
Update 9:08 pm: I just saw the blastoff on the local news. It was pretty big, like fireworks. You could hear the cheers go up.
Associated Press: A Deafening Boom.
Update: From the 10:00 pm local news: 8:40 pm, the drapes came off the giant double thumbed fist, a band played, the ashed were fired, it was like fourth of July fireworks. The 400 invited guests are expected to party until the wee hours. There was a great live shot of a round ball of fire still glowing in the air above Aspen.
Update 8/21: Another photo of the blastoff:
http://talkleft.com/hunterblast2.jpg
Larger version here.
More articles:
Aspen Daily News
Going, Going Gonzo (Denver Post): John Kerry and George McGovern were there.
"It's a fantastic crowd," said Thompson's longtime friend and neighbor Don Dixon. "Half of the people here look like Keith Richards."
Alcohol was limited before the ash blast, but in true Thompson style, mint juleps were served to attendees at the gate. Trays of champagne circulated just before Thompson's remains flew.
Hunter is home now. May he rest in peace, he will be both missed and remembered.
http://talkleft.com/hunterfist1.jpg