by Laura Berthold Monteros
Today’s Rose Parade was another wonder of the world. It went off without a visible hitch—no breakdowns, no gaps between entries, a good pace, more than a thousand Tournament of Roses volunteers directing the action, and law enforcement that was both present and respectful. There were floats that were spectacular, whimsical, imaginative, touching. The bands were spot on (except for a few ragged corners at Orange Grove and Colorado), the equestrians colorful and the horses well-behaved, and the vehicles for the dignitaries ranged from boron wagons pulled by 20 mules to a really spiffy 1937 Bentley.
It was cold, cold all day, which is unusual for Pasadena. The heavy overcast brought no moisture and kept the early temperature to 51 degrees, 20 degrees warmer than last year, but the sun never broke through. By parade’s end, it was only 54 degrees with cutting wind gusts. For photos, the overcast was great. The scaffolding for the photographers is on the southeast corner, so the photographers face south into the rising sun for most of the shots. Except for the cold, we think this was one of the better Rose Parades.
Be sure to subscribe to this page to get notifications of articles when they post. The subscription box is at the upper left on the web, towards the bottom on phones. On the upcoming docket is a great interview with the man who built the two wagons for Pres. Brad Ratliff and the president of the Death Valley Conservancy, photos and interviews from the California Grown certification presentation, and galleries of the award-winning floats.
2017 Rose Parade trophy winners
AES and Paradiso Parade Floats have the distinction of winning trophies for every float they built, with three and four respectively. Paradiso, in its fifth year as a company, has never had a losing float. Fiesta Parade Floats won seven, including Extraordinaire for the world’s longest and heaviest float and the return of Sweepstakes to Dole. Phoenix Decorating Company won six, and the self-builts won four.
| Animation Trophy | “Waves of Hope” | Northwestern Mutual | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Bob Hope Humor Trophy | “Backyard Rocketeer” | La Cañada Flintridge TOR | Self-Built |
| Craftsman Trophy | “Soar Beyond Imagination” | Netflix | AES |
| Crown City Innovation Trophy | “Do More With Your 24” | 24 Hour Fitness | AES |
| Director’s Trophy honoring Jacob Maarse | “Prosperity in the Wild” | Western Asses Management Company | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Extraordinaire Trophy | “Lucy Pet’s Gnarly Crankin’ K-9 Wave Maker” | Lucy Pet | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Fantasy Trophy | “The Monkey King: Journey to Success” | BDK, A Singpoli Affiliate | Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Founders’ Trophy | “A New Leaf” | Cal Poly Universities | Self-Built |
| Governor’s Trophy | “The Gold Rush” | Downey Rose Float Association | Self-Built |
| Grand Marshal’s Trophy | “We Came, We Saw, We Covered” | Farmers Insurance | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| International Trophy | “Return to the Beauty of Taiwan” | China Airlines | AES |
| Isabella Coleman Trophy | “Books Bring Us Together” | The UPS Store, Inc. | Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Judge’s Special Trophy in Memory of Raul R. Rodriguez | “Keep the Beat Alive” | Union Bank and the American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy | “To Honor & Remember Orlando” | AIDS Healthcare Foundation | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Mayor’s Trophy | “The Cat’s Away” | Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn. | Self-Built |
| National Trophy | “Simmered in Tradition” | RAGÚ Pasta Sauce | Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Past Presidents Trophy | “Field of Dreams!” | American Armenian Rose Float Association | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| President’s Trophy | “Echoes of Love” | The Bachelor | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Princess’ Trophy | “Doing Good in the World” | Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee, Inc. | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Queen’s Trophy | “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” | Miracle-Gro | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Sweepstakes Trophy | “Spirit of Hawaii” | Dole Packaged Foods | Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Theme Trophy | “Teammates in Life” | Donate Life | Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Tournament Special Trophy | “All Aboard! 50 Y ears of Serving the Best….” | Trader Joe’s | Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Tournament Volunteers Trophy | “Be Your Own Knight” | Torrance Rose Float Association | Fiesta Parade Floats |