In Return of the Jedi, when Jabba the Hutt wanted to
leave his palace and take his party into the sunlight, he and his crew loaded
into his luxurious sail barge, and Course of the Force is no different – a
replica of the sail barge on a flatbed truck will serve as the lead vehicle in
the epic journey. The Course of the Force is a five-day relay, July 7-11, for
Star Wars™ enthusiasts to celebrate their love of the Saga. The event is
held in partnership with Lucasfilm, Ltd., Nerdist Industries and Octagon to
raise proceeds for Make-A-Wish®.
As the lead vehicle, the sail barge will pave the way for
participants, making stops at iconic piers and serving as home base for the
Course of the Force hosts, Chris Hardwick, Nerdist Channel’s Alison Haislip and
Her Universe’s Ashley Eckstein. From the barge, the trio will follow along with
the day’s action, recapping the events as they go. At 25 feet long and 13 feet
tall, the sail barge is a can’t-miss vehicle, and the galaxy’s most majestic
outdoor recreational vehicle this side of the Great Pit of the Carkoon!
To celebrate the announcement of the Course of the Force sail
barge, Epic Ink and Nerdist Industries are giving away one copy of the limited
edition book Star Wars: The Blueprints. This book (theblueprintsbook.com)
brings together, for the first time, the original blueprints created for the
filming of the Star Wars Saga. Drawn from deep within the Lucasfilm
archives and combined with exhaustive and insightful commentary from
best-selling author J. W. Rinzler, the collection maps in precise, vivid, and
intricate detail the very genesis of the most enduring and beloved story ever to
appear onscreen. Fans can register to win a copy online at http://bit.ly/NzxzV0.
Over the next three weeks on CourseoftheForce.com a sneak peek at sail barge images will be
available.
Fans interested in being a part of Course of the Force still
have time. Registration is open at CourseoftheForce.com to be one
of only 300 individuals that have the right to carry the official Course of the
Force lightsaber from Santa Monica to San Diego. One hundred percent of runner
proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish chapters of San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, and
Orange County and the Inland Empire. Course of the Force will also be broadcast
live to fans across the world on StarWars.com and the Nerdist YouTube
channel (youtube.com/nerdist).
The Course of the Force is similar to an Olympic torch style
relay, except participants come dressed in their favorite Star Wars or
popular culture-themed costumes and hand off a custom lightsaber at quarter-mile
markers to the next runner. On July 7, Course of the Force will kick off with an
event at the Santa Monica Pier at 10:00 a.m. The relay will start later in the
day and end that night at the Redondo Beach Pier. Other planned stops include
Huntington Beach Pier, Oceanside and Crystal Pier at Pacific Beach. |