What does a pirate do in his spare time?

After the gunpowder settles and the costume are finally washed, what do these Buccaneers do after the festival? Well, some go back into the regular lives doing regular things like work. And some continue visiting schools and nursing homes to spread a little pirate love among the Lake Charles people. But there's one thing we love to do in our down time, we enjoy an in door football game or two. It is the highlight being a Buccaneer to be able to cheer on and support our in door football team, the Swashbucklers.

No pun intended! But what a blast! Dressed in costume, packing pistols, and sharing some booty, Buccaneers can be found at any home game. What a shock to first time ticket holders and to the traveling teams when the Buccaneers load their guns and fire upon the first touchdown of the evening. And the blasts carry on into the evening as the Buccaneers take the field at half time to share some beads and trinkets with the spectators. It's never a dull moment with the Buccaneers around to cheer our team on.

Next home game is Monday, June 29th! You need to be there! Check the Swashbucklers at http://www.labucs.com/

Announcing New 2009-2010 Board Members

Let's congratulate and applaud the 2009-2010 Buccaneer Board. They have a great year ahead of them. We know that they will represent us well in the coming year.

President - Eddie Langley

President Elect - Ken Savant

Treasurer - Dean Day

Secretary - Jimmy Bastow

Membership - Karl Lopez

Social - Don Brade

Raids (oops Re-enactments) - Mark Lavergne

Publicity - Craig Dupont

Don't forget the Past President's Party on Sat, June 27th at the Boat Club. It starts at 7:00 PM

Hope to see you there.

And it all ends

Just as it began, all good things came to an end. It was the best two weeks of Contraband Days I think I have had in a long time. Not quite sure what was in the air, but it reminded me of the days growing up in the compound. It seems as if the Buccaneers had a new leash on the festival. It seemed as if the days of family had returned. It was back to the days when so many people were active and smiling. Pirates are getting themselves so involved in things these days. And it is so good to see their faces.
On Thursday night, Family night, I was overjoyed to see so many Buccaneers handing out treats and trinkets. Kids from everywhere were jumping up on the Bon Temps to scavenge for trinkets from the pirates aboard. We made such an impression on the kids, but we made a bigger impression on the parents.
The "Kids Pirate Costume Contest" had a reversal of participants. We went to having too many Buccaneers kids to having not enough Buccaneer kids. We had the most public kids than we have ever seen. Twenty-four public kids with amazing costumes! Yep, I say something is changing!
And on Sunday, we loaded the "Contraband", bid farewell to the city, and reminisced about what a great year it had become. I hope this spirit continues to pour into the Buccaneers. I hope that we can continue to find ways to promote our city and our festival, because isn't that who we are truly supposed to be. We are the face of this festival! And I for one like the new face that is emerging.

95 Lafitte Daughter

Contraband Days Captured

I want to take a moment to thank Kristine Lopez, our 2009 Miss Contraband mom, for archiving this year for us. I have been so amazed by the pictures she provides. Everything posted for the 2009 Contraband Days Festival on this blog has come from Kristine. On behalf of the Buccaneers of Lake Charles, I can not thank her enough not only for providing us with some great pictures, but for having an amazing daughter that we have fallen head over heels for.

Take a look the slideshow at the right for some some great moments from this past weekend!

Thar Be Pirates on Charlie's Lake

Amidst the cannon fire and black powder, a fierce fight erupted on the seawall of Charlie's lake. Once again Randy Roach and his militia took to battle to save their fair city from the likes of Jean Lafitte and his band of pirates. The new palm trees were no disguise for Lafitte. He knows these grounds well. After much banter, Roach once again relinquished his city to these pirates, but only after having to jump in the lake for the tenth time. You would think Lafitte and his men would be satisfied with Roach's jump. Not a chance! These rowdy pirates wanted more than the city. They wanted the parish as well. So they captured Hal McMillan as well and of course made Hal walk the plank also.

So it begins! Another two weeks ashore Charlie's lake. Two weeks of merriment for the fair citizens of this city and this band of pirates. They will take to the streets to share their treasures from the far reaches, sing a lusty song or two, and enjoy the comforts of home. With raise of the Jolly Roger flag, the city belongs to the pirates.

Past Lafitte Ball

The Buccaneers of Lake Charles honored their past Lafittes on Saturday, April 25th. Developed by Joe and Vicki Vezina, the ball brings back the memories that can slip into oblivion if not remembered at this event. Those who have not witnessed the "march of the has beens" truly can not appreciate the history standing before their very eyes. I marvel at the men like Willie Newlin who started this grand tradition of pirate ambassadors and wonder what the future holds for us pirates. So to bask in those few minutes when each man is called to walk that long line moves me almost to tears. And my dad is one of those men. A little proud? Of course, I am. It takes something special (well I guess not every time a Lafitte as been chosen) to be a Lafitte. Somehow my dad fit that mold in 1995. And I thank his President who saw that in him.

And now it is Uncle Lloyd's turn to bask in the moments where he promotes our fine city, where he smiles for every camera, and where he joins the long line of men before him. Our President, Thomas Mefford, could not have chosen better. I know no other man who gives his all to his community. And it is a joy to see his smiling face once again. Better yet, it's great to see him in a pirate costume again. He makes a handsome Lafitte. I am just as proud of him as I was when my dad was Lafitte.

So the party was wonderful. There was plenty of dancing and merriment that evening. Yet, there was a different feel in the air that evening. It could have been that the Madame Lafitte's were back to their very entertaining antics. However, I think it was the statement from our wonderful Queen, Madyson. Something came over that room as she spoke of her memories of her grandfather and Contraband Days. In that moment, I think we all realized that we do make an impact on our community. We are ambassadors who build memories. And it took a truly deserving young lady to remind us that we do matter.

We Have Found A Queen!

On Sunday April 19th, we found ourselves searching for a new Queen to assist our new Jean Lafitte in his quest to capture the city and make it ours for a while. Five young ladies heard the call, but we could only choose one. One who will represent our fair city well as she travels about Louisiana. one who can tolerate our loud guns and gatherings. Competition was tough, but one stood out from the others.

Madyson Hope Lopez of Lake Charles became our queen that Sunday night. Dressed in a gown of black and gold, I have to say she sparkled on stages. Troy had the privilege of escorting her and helping her with her skit that evening. When she first chose Troy to escort her, we laughed at the differences in height. Not knowing that this young lady was very wise to choose him based on his attire. I had not seen her gown until I walked backstage to check on things. And then I smiled. There she and Troy stood both in their black and gold. Despite their height, they complimented each other. Soon I found that she was as shy as he was. They made a great team.

And it still truly amazes me of what is meant to be. Every year we choose a new queen and somehow that queen just matches our new Lafitte. The judges know nothing of our Lafitte. They do not know his personality and his life, but it happens every year as if it was fate. Just as Cristi worked so well with Russ and Morgan worked so well with Bob, Madyson just fits Lloyd.

Poster Unveiled

It is said that pirates appeared this afternoon on the shores of Charlie's lake. It was said that Jean Lafitte was indeed among them. Why were they here? What was their purpose? Someone reported they came to ashore to admire this year's Contraband Days Poster. The Contraband Days Board and the Tourist Bureau unveiled a gorgeous piece of art, by artist, Brian Bourgeois. The poster depicts a pirate swinging his sword with the city skyline reflected in his sword. The Contraband Days Board also provided details on some new things festival goers may see this year. According to my sources, the Buccaneers behaved to the best of their ability. It was said they enjoyed a bit of punch and cake. And just as they arrived, they vanished. Back to their ships to plan their attack? Or maybe back to a swampy bayou to rest? No one knows. But what I do know is they will be back. Keep your eye on the horizon!

So Begins the Season

My excitement is rising as each day brings us closer to Contraband Days. The "Ladies of Lafitte" are busying themselves in preparation for the pageant. Soon we will crown new queens and invite them into our world. We must also bid farewell to our outgoing queens who have served and represented so well. We never truly say goodbye to our queens. They are forever in our Buccaneer family. The younger ones will return to compete and hopefully win again. Our beloved Miss Contraband always leaves us with a mark on our hearts. We welcome her back year after year to our Past Jean Lafitte Ball. It is so wonderful to see them become successful and accomplished in their lives and to know that we were once a small part of her history.

So this Sunday will be a very busy day! The work will be hard. Yes, I'll be there all day. Yes, I'll be tired. But it is a beautiful and amazing obligation that I am happy to fill. In the end, I'll share a few brief moments getting to know this new queen before she receives her title. She and I, along with the other ladies, will develop a bond. That new bond will carry us into the Contraband season. And it provides me with a small comfort to know that our new queen can relay on the "Ladies of Lafitte" to aid her during this festival. Whether it be ensuring that she has her ear plugs for those gun blasting parades or recognizing the tired look in her eyes as she attempts to keep up with the multitude of activities, we'll be there. Because as everyone knows, we love our Queens!

Buccaneers Bowl

The Buccaneers were recently spotted at the Annual Big Brother/ Big Sister Bowl for Kids Sake. They may not have raised the most money, but they did bring some fun. Most of the pirates were asked to stop bowling to pause for a picture or two. These band of rowdy pirates even shut down three or four lanes just to so the Cupid Shuffle.

Thanks to Don and Debbie Brade, Rhonda and Glenn Reed, Eddie Langley, Dena Day, Mark Lavergne, Chris and Tracy Clark, and our son Michael (who filled in for his grandmother). We had a really good time.