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[Cheetah]

This is the official Eurofurence 4 video from 1998. We're putting this up purely for the nostalgia - in glorious VHS quality. This is a really old video from our archives, back from the times when we were young, and had no idea what we are doing

Eurofurence 4 took place at the youth hostel "Ferme de Jean" in Heeze, The Netherlands, and it drew about 80 attendees. By today's standards, we wouldn't have called this a convention, but merely a small furry party. But if you look closely, you'll see a lot of familiar faces, and a lot of ideas in their amateurish infancy that were new back then, but are a solid part of today's furry convention culture.

The Video was filmed and edited by DocO on VHS equipment borrowed from a local public access TV channel. It took us a while to find one of the few remaining copies. Thanks to BigBlueFox for digitizing and cleanup. You can still read the original announcement with some background information here:

-> http://www.eurofurence.org/EF4/convideo/

By today standards, some aspects may seem outright freakish. But you have to keep in mind, that this was before the time of today's fandom culture. professional fursuit makers. Being able to meet other furries in person was a novelty - there wasn't yet a fandom in Europe. Just a bunch of geeks meeting like minded crazy people. If you wanted a costume, you either had to buy an ugly off-the-shelf sports mascot suit, or try to build your own. Nor did anybody know how to properly perform in suit - that part of the subculture simply didn't exist yet. By the standards of 1998, however, it was awesome to have some costumes around at all.

[Lutra]

It was a nice convention. I am glad to I was there. Didn't know that Hlven used my picture of him as a flag for his tent

[VulpesRex]

   Thank you for posting this!  And thanks to DocO for filming/documenting this in the first place, and to BBF for preservation services!

   I will have to arrange for off-peak time to see this after work, on a company WLAN connnection; from my home, I only have a 50.6 kbps (at BEST) dial-up connection.  After clicking the link and waiting...and waiting...and waiting - It came to the point where it would buffer for 12 seconds, and progress about 1/8 of a second.  I went downstairs, watched a performance of Mozart's DON GIOVANNI (with intermissions), did a crossword puzzle, and then came back upstairs to find 8 and a half minutes of accumulated video to review.  I really need to look into high-speed DSL for home use!

   From what I could see so far, this is a LOT more informative (and truthful) than the more polished and produced highlight videos common of later conventions (US and otherwise).  And like all nostalgia, I'm sure that it is somewhat bittersweet, looking back with mixed feelings on the way that you all were back then (youthful adventure!), vs the folks you are today (we are informed by our scars).

******

   Mention is made by DocO of the "Mephit's Mini-Con", in Rüsselsheim in May of that year; I know that we have discussed this before, and I have heard it sort of described (almost apologetically) as a "HouseCon" ...but these things DO play a part in the evolution of Fandom (particularly Furry Fandom) and of conventions, and - well - Fred Patten is still curious about it, I believe.

   ...(he is a member of this forum - user name of "Fred" - and I'm sure that he would love any additional info, such as who was host; notices/flyers/announcements advertising it; nature of venue; duration; activities participated in; who attended; and what eventually became of the participants, concerning their involvement in further fannish activities; etc).

[Wawik]

You want some old shit? How about this?
Yes, at some point people were seriously crazy enough to consider holding EF in the UK, twelve years before they actually got a con going in the UK.



It's like an online version of xkcd 1360.

[Fineas]

Hehe, might have spared you the floodings.
But then again, you wouldn't have known about them before hand and things like those tend to flavor an event.
Not in an (absolute) good way, but make it so memorable, we are still talking about it > 16 years later.

[venthewolf]

<notusefull>
At the looks of it its created with Scala Multimedia MM400. Saw that for a split second before the auction part (http://puu.sh/iuJzh/f6a9297942.jpg)

Amigas for the win
</notusefull>

<usefull>
Intresting to see that in the late 90s early 2000s the furdom was just building up. Also the fact that no fursuit builders existed yet.
So yeah a big difference from todays standards. Intresting to see. In my own country (I dont live that far from that location.)
</usefull>

[Wawik]

<notusefull>
At the looks of it its created with Scala Multimedia MM400. Saw that for a split second before the auction part (http://puu.sh/iuJzh/f6a9297942.jpg)

Yeah, most of the stuff was made in several night sessions between 22:00 and 5:00, so I must've turned that wheel one frame too far at some point.

[Vaulz]

I just thought "If only I would have known about Eurofurence back then". But then I realized that my parents probably wouldn't have let their 5 year old go to the Netherlands all by himself...

[Fineas]

I just thought "If only I would have known about Eurofurence back then". But then I realized that my parents probably wouldn't have let their 5 year old go to the Netherlands all by himself...

It's an odd realization ah, I am only legal to go to EF since 10 years.
For me it feels like EF has existed forever, but if you start to relate dates like that it suddenly screws your perspective of time over a good bit.

[Blaster-Hedgie]

Wow! 1998! One year before I did my first con, Duckon '99 in the USA!

I have to agree on the Fursuit building though. My original one was a simple mascot suit pattern altered a little. Cost me about £100, or €125 back then.

Ah, nostalgia.

[Nightdancer]

The EF4 was my first convention and I still have my old badge (I worn it proudly at that current one).
Was really nostalgic to see quite some guys from back then this year. <3

Thank you for sharing the video Cheetah.

[James The Dog]

Heh, this was over a decade before I even joined the fandom, and 2 years before we even had internet access at home! Those were the days 

[Lutra]

EF3 was my first. Met Rangarig at EF4