Re: pic: Remember when?
 

Archimedes was definitely around in 02. It was Galileo.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

I was a freshman in high school on 234 sitting even further back in the stands from where this picture was taken. I remember how hot it was and not being able to see much of what was happening on the field. Though some say they want to go back to Disney, I think we've come a long way.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

Yeah...the combination of watching the elims on Einstein and then sitting through the closing ceremonies in the sun was absolutely brutal. It must have been close to 100* and 90% humidity in 2002.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

I can confirm this with photographic evidence:


(yes I was there... my senior year on team 38)

I remember there being a Newton, and a Watt. I don't recall Curie or Galileo, but my memory is getting fuzzy with old age.

And a few more images-

The pit tent:


Slightly closer (but lower resolution) view of Einstein:

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

My first year in FIRST.
My least favorite game and it was hot and all I wanted to do was find shade.

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I didnt get to go that year, but our Team 359 did.
Castle and Cooke/Dole Plantation stepped in to help us raise the funds to attend after hearing how we couldnt go to CMP the year before after winning in both 2001/2002 in SJ again. **thanks Poofs**

This was the start of our relationship with our main sponsor.............all because they read in the paper that we couldnt go due to a lack of funds.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

It was definitely

Newton
Curie
Archimedes
Einstein

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

I slightly remember this! I remember the spectral of the fireworks they did after closing ceremonies and the GIANT confetti cannons! I also remember having sunburn so bad I couldn't walk for a week. Pretty crazy to see how everything has evolved over the last 12 years.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

One of my favorite memories of Epcot was seeing the shuttle launch during opening ceremonies (IIRC, might have been in 2001 as well). Just stopping everything to watch the shuttle rise up in the air was a truly incredible and memorable experience to me and made the magic of Epcot real.

I will agree with Ryan though that the seating was really far back if you were up in the bleachers.

Be happy your first year wasn't 2001 like mine...........(terrible game IMHO).

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There I am in the back row waving.
But there was this annoying team with big smiley face signs wrecking my view. :) :) :) :) :)

The humidity in the pits was a killer. The sun felt good for about 5 minutes.

Mandy walked out and screeched "Hiiii Guyyyysss!!!)

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I saw a documentary about the game. Yes. I am very very glad to miss that game.

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I still have a FIRST branded SHASTA water bottle!

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My high school team's (311, now defunct) semi-finalist finish on Einstein, who beat the team I was mentoring as a freshman in college (190) in the semi-finals. What a year...

Also, the last year for studded tires/filecards/"traction devices".

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That FIRST logo made up of truss pieces is pretty epic. I wonder if that's hanging around FIRST HQ somewhere.

Re: pic: Remember when?
 

Nice picture, Last year of Disney Championships.
This was my first Champs with 624.

Its neat to see how team shirts haven't changed that much, its been about 10 years, and 217's shirts look the same