My View of Life on the Dock
This is one of my favorite posts of all time and I owe it all to Peter Black Frontiero who granted GMG access to get on the Greasy Pole and Adam Bolonsky who captured the video footage perfectly for us.
I spent all morning pouring over every second of video footage to take these screen shots.
The pictures show the heart, strength, passion and determination of the warriors who put it all on the line in the quest for Greasy Pole Glory.
More videos coming all day long-
Filmed By Adam Bolonsky For Good Morning Gloucester
Look For The Entire Series Throughout The Day As We get Them Uploaded In Hi Definition Including Footage From ON THE POLE and The Traditional Walk Up Beach Court.
We will bring you inside to view the entire process.
Applying The Grease For Saturday 2011 Greasy Pole
Click on Photo below for Slide_Show, includes Seine boat races, Greasy Pile and Opening Ceremony.
Click the picture for Thom’s Excellent Slide Show
Watch Joey Take Home The Flag and The Ceremonial Walk Up Beach Court
click the pictures for the larger views
For The Continuing Good Morning Gloucester Fiesta Coverage Click Here
They’ll never take it away from you kid-Greasy Pole Champ for Life!
Click here for all the Good Morning Gloucester Saint Peter’s Fiesta Posts
Prepare for full-on Fiesta Tilt!
here’s a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to get you’re appetite wet-
The former champ turns 50 days after his walk next Sunday
Prints available at Tiny Island Beach Glass 44 MAIN ST GLOUCESTER MA
This year’s Greasy Pole Shrine at Felicia Oil down in the Fort is going to be better than ever (and it was already pretty huge to begin with). Eric Spear asked for us to put a call out for help finding old photos to add to the Greasy Pole Shrine and connecting the dots is generally something we can do pretty good around here at GMG.
I put him in touch with Fred Buck at The Cape Ann Museum and they have been collaborating to bring a whole slew of new photos that haven’t been seen in a great number of years to the Shrine. there is also another huge addition which I’ll announce once I get clearance.
Also this just in from Frankie Interrante-
Not sure if it newsworthy to your readers bout Bobby Scola and I will be walking the pole for the first time in over 20 years. Neither one of us has ever won but got a bunch of Saturday walks under our belts. I am walking Sunday in honor of my cousin Benny Interrante who took the flag in 1976, a few years before he went down to sea on the Captain Cosmo. Bobby I think is walking for Sammo.
Be nice if you let the readers know about our traditions regarding this tradition.
Thanks Frankie Interrante.
Here are some photos from the past-
Joe Agrusso- Greasy Pole Champ
Greasy Pole Champs, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Joey Palmisano- Greasy Pole Champ
Russell Heinze- Greasy Pole Champ
I wonder what’s going through his mind
There are some amazing fabric art piece on display in the Matz Gallery at Sawyer Free Library right now.
Here just one of about 20 really cool Gloucester scenes on display!
Pauline Dion depicts the Greasy Pole-
The Sawyer Free Library is such an incredible resource. If you haven’t been in a while, it is worth a visit for this exhibit alone in addition to the thousands of other cool things inside there every single day just waiting for you to discover!
Bob Hastings From The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce forwards this-
On The Travel Channel’s Website Bert Writes–
It is impossible to write about the Massachusetts episode and not focus on the Greasy Pole competition. I have never had a better time or been more welcomed into a community than in Gloucester, Massachusetts. At the same time, I have never been more embarrassed by one of my performances than I was that day on the Greasy Pole. I have no defense and I will not try to justify my weak-ass attempt at getting the flag. I will, however, point out a few things I think are important to acknowledge before we BOTH call me a wimp.
First and foremost, I am somewhat of a wimpy man. Case in point: I live in L.A. Not a lot of hardcore, real men move to L.A. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Joe Rogan. Having said that, my performance at the Greasy Pole should not highlight what a wimpy man I am, but rather highlight what real men I was surrounded by. These were dudes with big, fat, rough hands. Guys that when they slap you on the back after a joke, it hurts (or at least it did me). Guys that don’t rupture spleens or get knocked unconscious; I do.
Second, I was at least ten years older than anyone on the platform (not counting my director LANI who was on the platform and much older than me). If this show has given me anything it is the realization that with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes fear, which sometimes sadly results in weak-ass attempts at Greasy Pole flags.
Last, and certainly not least, there were plenty of people that day that didn’t do the competition, and for good reason. A thirty foot fall, off a greased-up pole, into ten feet of water is, to say the least, intense. I would like to think that had I gotten a chance to try it four more times (like I thought I would) I would have been charging it just as hard as the rest of them. But as I sit here in my hotel room watching “Maury,” I can’t honestly say I would have. Thankfully I have twelve months to build up my courage and my core because next year, I will be a GREASY POLE CHAMP!!!
Here is the video I took of Bert’s Greasy Pole walk from the beach
And here was Bert’s Trailer from the Pole-
Click the picture for the trailer. It is at 36 seconds into the trailer (Thank you Jamie Verga for sending this in)
Shelly Writes-
Good Morning
Here are some photo’s I took last week
I’m sure everyone has seen enough snow pictures
but thought these were a little different use them
if you want. Thanks Shelley
148 Days!
Good Morning Gloucester 