South Pasadena ‘Sailing Sea of Knowledge’ wins 2013 Rose Parade Founders’ Trophy

USS Pasadena Sailor of the Year, Electrician's Mate 1st Class (SS) Phillip Alampi, rides “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” with his wife, Veera.  The USS Pasadena Foundation had invited Alampi to take part in the Rose Bowl Kick-off Luncheon, Rose Bowl Game and meet with various Pasadena Foundation civic leaders.  When the Tournament of Roses saw the South Pasadena design, they seized the opportunity to bring the foundation and the two cities together by creating a space on the float for the Alampi family.Chris Colburn, a former Navy Hospital corpsman and Construction Chair of the South Pasadena float, told the US Navy News Service, “It makes sense to us to honor someone whose achievements in the Navy fit our float's theme to a tee….  We're all absolutely ecstatic about having the Alampis ride on our float.”The title sign is made of gladiolus petals and the map details and designs are of clover, flax, poppy, sesame, lettuce and onion seed, parsley, oat bran, cinnamon, ground walnut and other dry materials.An open library book (from the South Pasadena Library, of course) with a ship rising and falling on the waves captures the theme of the 2013 Rose parade, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”  The pages are made with white sesame seed on a bed of bright orange roses.  The gardens tucked under the pages and the bouquets in the scrolls are tulips, gerbera daisies, hydrangeas, iris, stock and other flowers.  Orchids and other showy white flowers cascade over the pages.  The ship’s body on “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” uses carnations, ti leaves, flax leaves an mums.Fresh materials used to create the colorful sails of South Pasadena’s 2013 Rose Parade float are chrysanthemums and carnations.  Roses and gerbera daisies fill the crow’s nest made of mimosa pods and outline the railings and yards.  This use of fresh flowers from California in the middle of winter brings the Rose Parade back to its roots as publicity for California’s climate and won California Cut Flower Commission “California Grown” certification.  The ship’s railing is of corn husks, and melaleuca bark decorates the masts and inside of the hull.View the list »
“Sailing the Sea of Knowledge,”  built by South Pasadena Tournament of Roses, won the Founders’ Trophy for the “most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization” in the 2013 Rose Parade.  The float, featuring some 32,000 fresh cut stems in addition to dry materials, was the first city entry to receive certification from the California Cut Flower Commission for using at least 85 percent California flowers and roses.It depicted a Spanish galleon listing and falling on the open pages of a book embellished with sea creatures in flat materials.  “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” aptly reflected the 124th Rose Parade theme, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” and that knowledge is a key to exploring life’s journey.

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South Pasadena sailed through the 2013 Rose Parade with the Founders’ Trophy banner, California Cut Flowers Commission “California Grown” certification, and USS Pasadena Sailor of the Year front and center.

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The floral bounty on “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge,” built by South Pasadena Tournament of Roses, garnered the CCFC certification for using at least 85 percent of flowers and roses grown in California. The Founders’ Trophy is given to the “most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization.”

The float depicted a Spanish galleon listing and falling like a ship on the ocean, only in this case, the ocean is the open pages of a library book embellished with sea creatures in flat materials. “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” aptly reflected the 124th Rose Parade theme, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”

This is a meaningful image to a Southern California native such as your Tournament of Roses Examiner. Spanish ships had an important role in the region’s history and one of the most famous California memoirs, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, recounts sailing up and down the coast in a merchant brig during Mexican rule.

South Pasadena Tournament of Roses worked with CCFC to achieve California Grown status for the 2013 Rose Parade. SPTOR chair Bill Cullinane said in a press release that one of the goals of the design was to show that life-long learning is important to South Pasadenans.

“The other was to make our float California Grown!” Cullinane said. “We wanted to be the first city float to earn this prestigious title and show that California’s growers represent an opportunity to support family farms that support our economy—our local economy.”

Read more about the California Cut Flower Commission in “California Grown: Not everything’s coming up roses on Rose Parade floats”

As the photos in the attached list show, South Pasadena volunteers were able to showcase more than 22,000 roses, 5,000 carnations, and at least 5,000 other flowers, including mums, gerbera daisies, tulips, hydrangea, iris, orchids, stock, and wax flowers. Whole stems were tucked into every nook and cranny and billowed over the pages of the book.

The South Pasadena float has run on propane since 1984 and is hydraulically propelled instead of using a traditional transmission.

Riding at the front of the float were Electrician's Mate 1st Class (SS) Phillip Alampi and his spouse, Veera. Alampi told the US Navy News Service, “I'm honored my wife, Veera and I were invited to participate. I'm very thankful for the USS Pasadena Foundation and my command to provide this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The theme of the 124th Rose Parade and 99th Rose Bowl Game was “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” The Tournament of Roses is a celebration that lasts several weeks in the fall and winter, with the high points being the Rose Parade presented by Honda and the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO on New Year’s Day. Keep following your Tournament of Roses Examiner for the latest news and for upcoming announcements.

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  • “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge,”  built by South Pasadena Tournament of Roses, won the Founders’ Trophy for the “most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization” in the 2013 Rose Parade.  The float, featuring some 32,000 fresh cut stems in addition to dry materials, was the first city entry to receive certification from the California Cut Flower Commission for using at least 85 percent California flowers and roses.It depicted a Spanish galleon listing and falling on the open pages of a book embellished with sea creatures in flat materials.  “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” aptly reflected the 124th Rose Parade theme, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” and that knowledge is a key to exploring life’s journey.
  • Fresh materials used to create the colorful sails of South Pasadena’s 2013 Rose Parade float are chrysanthemums and carnations.  Roses and gerbera daisies fill the crow’s nest made of mimosa pods and outline the railings and yards.  This use of fresh flowers from California in the middle of winter brings the Rose Parade back to its roots as publicity for California’s climate and won California Cut Flower Commission “California Grown” certification.  The ship’s railing is of corn husks, and melaleuca bark decorates the masts and inside of the hull.
  • An open library book (from the South Pasadena Library, of course) with a ship rising and falling on the waves captures the theme of the 2013 Rose parade, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”  The pages are made with white sesame seed on a bed of bright orange roses.  The gardens tucked under the pages and the bouquets in the scrolls are tulips, gerbera daisies, hydrangeas, iris, stock and other flowers.  Orchids and other showy white flowers cascade over the pages.  The ship’s body on “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” uses carnations, ti leaves, flax leaves an mums.
  • USS Pasadena Sailor of the Year, Electrician's Mate 1st Class (SS) Phillip Alampi, rides “Sailing the Sea of Knowledge” with his wife, Veera.  The USS Pasadena Foundation had invited Alampi to take part in the Rose Bowl Kick-off Luncheon, Rose Bowl Game and meet with various Pasadena Foundation civic leaders.  When the Tournament of Roses saw the South Pasadena design, they seized the opportunity to bring the foundation and the two cities together by creating a space on the float for the Alampi family.Chris Colburn, a former Navy Hospital corpsman and Construction Chair of the South Pasadena float, told the US Navy News Service, “It makes sense to us to honor someone whose achievements in the Navy fit our float's theme to a tee….  We're all absolutely ecstatic about having the Alampis ride on our float.”The title sign is made of gladiolus petals and the map details and designs are of clover, flax, poppy, sesame, lettuce and onion seed, parsley, oat bran, cinnamon, ground walnut and other dry materials.
  • A boy rides the waves, reading a book, behind the aptly-named ship Discovery on the South Pasadena float.  The creative design won the Rose Parade’s 2013 Founders’ Trophy for the “most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization.”Pages are covered in white sesame seed and embellishments are of clover, flax, poppy, sesame, lettuce and onion seed, parsley, oat bran, cinnamon, ground walnut, statice and other dry materials.  Roses are massed on the base and over the railing.
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, Tournament of Roses Examiner

With 30 years of Rose Parade viewing under her belt, Laura Monteros knows the ropes when it comes to the Tournament of Roses. She's gone to the Rose Bowl game, decorated Rose Parade floats, stood on the street to watch, and organized grandstand seating for 635 people. And that's just the start....

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