Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Win Award

A total of around 60 people from both Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona planned and prepared the float for nearly a year, testing the mechanics and materials used and planning the elaborate floral decoration, according to Cal Poly. There were about 200 students from each school who put the finishing touches.

By Earl Heath

A total of around 60 people from both Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona planned and prepared the float for nearly a year, testing the mechanics and materials used and planning the elaborate floral decoration, according to Cal Poly. There were about 200 students from each school who put the finishing touches.

They decorated the float with over 37,000 flowers prior to the New Year’s Day classic, Cal Poly officials said. The final product measured 55 feet long, 21 feet high, and 17 feet wide and featured several animated elements, such as a moving head and neck for Nessie.

“We got the Leishman award for most outstanding floral presentation from a non-commercial entry,” Cal Poly Rose float president Collin Marfia said in a news release from the university. “We’re just ecstatic! This is a floral award, and the last time we also won it was 2016 for ‘Sweet Shenanigans.’”

 “Nessie is very shy, very elusive,” Marfia said in the release. “She doesn’t have very many friends when she’s hiding in the depths of Loch Ness. So when she finally gains the bravery to surface, she ends up making a bunch of new friends. It’s essentially a celebration of love and friendship, and Nessie’s able to finally have her best day ever with her new friends.”