California's annual Rose Bowl Parade is well known to Bermudians, many of whom begin New Year's Day by watching the spectacle on television. Of particular interest are the huge floats, whose breathtaking designs and immaculate execution make compelling viewing.

For many, the parade evokes memories of our once beautiful Easter parades whose floats, while much smaller, were exquisitely wrought.

With much of that art seemingly lost or abandoned here, the Department of Cultural Affairs has been actively trying to upgrade the quality of Heritage Day floats and, to that end, brought in students from California Polytechnical University again this year to conduct workshops for participants. By all accounts it was a success and, although they won't be here on Thursday, the students' influence will certainly be noticed.

During their visit, they took time to outline for Lifestyle's Nancy Acton just what it takes to create a successful Rose Bowl Parade float.

What the student team lacked in age they more than made up for in expertise, for they were the latest in a long line of fellow students from Cal Poly, as it is popularly known, to enter a float in the prestigious Rose Bowl Parade.

"We are the only university to participate in the parade and have been since 1948,'' Brett Davis said. "We compete against multi-million dollar corporations and ours is the longest-running consecutive float in the parade.

The university has won many awards for its entries.'' The students were also proud of that fact that they did all of the work themselves, aided by volunteers, whereas almost all of the other Rose Bowl Parade entries are created by three professional float-building companies in California, who charge between $250,000 and $500,000 for their services.

Parade organisers lay down stringent rules and conditions and any infringement, including slowing down the smooth-flowing event, results in either a fine or not being invited back again. Any reinstatement is via a long waiting list.

They also choose the overall theme, which entrants are free to interpret.

Float specifications are precise and entries are judged on overall design and floral presentation; innovative use of flowers; colour harmony and balance; how many roses are used, and how well they cover the surface. Animation is a major feature and the ingeniousness of this is also factored into the judging.

There is no restriction on height (the record is 83 feet tall) but parts of a float must be collapsible so that it can pass under bridges along the route.

The team who conducted this year's workshops comprised engineering students Brett Davis and Susie Hoskinson; design specialists Timothy Shen-McCullough and Heather Stonehouse; Dawn Moyer and Michael Austin.

More than 50 attended the workshops and enthusiasm was at an all-time high.

Dr. Gary Burgess, Programme Coordinator at the Department of Cultural Affairs, remains delighted with its success.

"It's the best we have ever had,'' he said.

Details of how the students constructed their Rose Bowl float were an eye-opener.

Unlike Bermuda, work on the Cal Poly University entry takes a full year because of study commitments and the students are divided up into "departments'' based upon their area of skill.

The process begins in February with the design concept. Once this is settled, scale drawings and construction notes are made, detailing such things as the correct dimensions of the float's support system.

Initially, the float is built in two halves on separate campuses, one in Pomona, which is near Los Angeles, and the other 300 miles away at San Louis Obispo, so the accuracy of the design drawings is critical in ensuring that, when the two halves are eventually joined, they will fit perfectly.

Animation details are finalised in March. Then the decorating department begins thinking about colours and textures, always bearing in mind that the parade audience will include millions watching on TV.

In the summer, engineering students on the San Louis Obispo campus work on construction of the supports and skeleton, a process which includes welding, hydraulics and propulsion. Beneath the basic support structure are two engines -- one for driving and the other for the animation. In addition to propelling and steering, and working the animation, operators must know how to repair their equipment should it break down en route.

The completed base is ultimately put on a flatbed trailer and hauled up to Pomona campus.

Meanwhile, at Pomona the design team is shaping the crucial "skin'' to which the beautiful flowers and other materials will be affixed in the autumn. At this stage the float looks like a giant sculpture.

In the autumn, colour-coded paint is applied to the "skin'' as a guide to those who will affix the decorations. At Thanksgiving, the two halves are bolted together, and the appropriate music is also chosen.

Decoration time at the end of December generates huge excitement not only on campus, but also throughout the local community, who turn out in force to assist.

And just what sort of materials are used to decorate those beautiful Rose Bown Parade floats? Since everything must be natural, the list is infinite and often ingenious.

Fresh produce is very popular and choices include everything from watermelon to broccoli, lettuce, citrus peel and more. Dried beans, ground dried blue corn kernels and cotton wool are other choices.

Float builders share secrets "Hair'' may be made from dried coconut palm fibre, first soaked then shredded, while "skin'' tones can be created from a mixture of uncooked cream of wheat, cinnamon and chili powder. In addition to fresh flora and roses, dried flowers and leaves are widely used. Often petals are separated and used individually.

Apart from teaching the basics of good float building, it was the imaginative use of everyday natural materials that the Californian students were anxious to share with Bermudians.

Aware that local economics and other factors would preclude making floats on the scale of the Rose Bowl Parade, the young men and women assured these would not be an impediment to creativity.

"You can have a small float that is beautiful, and a huge float that is ugly,'' they said. " The main thing is to have fun. Sometimes it is easy to forget that in trying to get everything done.'' Thursday will doubtless prove them right.