Architect Dan Swain talks about the Trojan Horse
Get an inside look at the construction of the Trojan Horse with this great documentary done by Jason Tongen.
Dan Swain, one of the architects of the Trojan Horse, explains the nitty gritty of the leg-towers, supporting structure, observation platform, and all the challenges of the project.
We love our Freakers! Burning Man loves Freakers! It’s time you get your own Trojan Horse 2011 Freaker! We just added this beautiful knitted bottle-cooler to our list of rewards on Kickstarter and on our donations page. Anyone donating $50+ will be handed this custom-designed Freaker – in the horse’s black-and-red colors – ready to be put to use directly on the playa.
Look it up here: http://www.freakerusa.com and start LOVING THEM as well!
“… Manufactured in Troy, North Carolina, Freakers are nationally recognized as the one-size-fits-all knit koozie that functionally makes your beverage feel special. Presented in myriad of prismatic designs; the Freaker is a strong, tight knit that keeps your liquids insulated in style! … “
Meet Androdameia (a.k.a. Anna Maltese) – one of the Trojan Horse Archers!
Anna Maltese - one of the archers for the Trojan Horse Project
Anna Maltese began shooting when she was a small girl living in the hills of San Diego County. A tomboy and an avid rider, she would gather her fiberglass bow and arrows (later, they would be crude ones she fashioned herself from bamboo and flint) and ride her rugged little Shetland pony far into the woods, shooting at bushes and making believe she was a fierce and wily huntress of the plains. Anna is now a Level 2 instructor at the Pasadena Roving Archers range where she teaches the beginners’ class on Saturday mornings. One of the most rewarding experiences for her is watching any one of her students grow and develop in this delightful and exciting art, and she maintains that waking up at 5 in the morning on Saturdays is totally worth the look of incredulous joy on the face of a little girl when she hits the target for the first time. This year, Anna was featured on the cover – as well as in the month of July – for the Ladies of the Pasadena Roving Archers’ calendar to celebrate the range’s 75th anniversary.
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Reno crew chief Bill Tubman
Reno crew chief Bill Tubman was pleased to be able to rent a 40 x 60 warehouse space a few hundred yards from the Truckee River and a short bicycle ride from his home. He said the toughest thing about the project was just getting started—finding work space, securing the money to begin work, and getting his crew. “We’re all heads-down kind of guys and have already put in more than a couple of 12-hour days. The cart is absolutely huge. You don’t have any idea what an eight-foot-high wheel really looks like until you’re standing next to it and looking up at it.”
When the crew put the first wheel they built on a trailer and hauled it down to Reno’s Compression event, Bill said, “People simply couldn’t believe their eyes. They kept on asking, ‘How big is the horse going to be.’”
One of the four Trojan wheels at Reno’s Compression event
Lee “Snow” Williams
Lee “Snow” Williams, a Senior Builder and Heavy Metal Specialist for the project, is building the axles for the project. He says, “I’ve built many strange vehicles from paintball tanks to art cars, but this is by far the largest moving object I’ve ever worked on! Even the smallest pieces of the axles have to be moved with a forklift. I can’t stress enough how HUGE these are. It’s simply amazing to work on such a big wheel set.”
Lee and one of the cart's axles
The Reno crew has their own Facebook page “The Cart Before the Horse.” Check out the amazing pictures there. In addition to the cart, the Reno crew will also build twin obelisks that will serve as the Gates of Troy.
Another great shot by Jason Mongue, showing the beginnings of the horse’s belly. Look out for more images on our Facebook page.
The Trojan Horse Toga Pattern
Make an easy, no-sew toga in under 10 min!
by Karilynn Thompson, Costume Designer
Attention! TOGAS FOR SLAVES IN WHITE / TOGAS FOR MUSICIANS IN BLACK
Summon strength from the Greek gods and join us to pull the 28-ton Trojan Horse wearing our DIY Toga. Download the PDF and follow the easy instructions. This no-sew design will transform you into a stylish slave / stylish musician within minutes. We estimate it will take 300 willing slaves to pull the Horse, and 100 drum and brass musicians to play the procession march. The spectacle will be more striking if we all match, so please use a clean, bright white fabric for slaves and black fabric for musicians!
“READY SLAVES??? PULLLLL!!!”
Download the instructions sheet:
Trojan Horse 2011 – Toga Pattern PDF (193Kb)
All you need
More costuming tips here.
