Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2014
Contact: Ryan Downey, 757/728-5328
[email protected]
Ashley Rogers, 757-812-4550
[email protected]
32nd Annual Hampton Bay Days Welcomes Tidewater DockDogs
Third Annual Summer Splashdown
Hampton, Virginia- Hampton Bay Days is happy to welcome Tidewater DockDogs
Third annual Summer Splashdown! The competition will take place September 5-7 in
downtown Hampton in front of the Virginia Air & Space Center on King Street. Watch as
teams compete for cash, ribbons, prizes, and of course, bragging rights!
Tidewater DockDogs events dazzle spectators with high-flying canine athleticism!
Spectators will have a chance to cheer on all levels of teams, from new to experienced, as
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canines splash down into a 28,000 gallon pool. Competition will take place throughout
the weekend.
Competitions include:
Outdoor Big Air
Outdoor Big Air is the long jump for dogs. At speeds of over 20 mph, Big Air dogs
launch off the end of a 40-foot dock into the pool to retrieve their favorite floating toy.
Distances are measured from the end of the dock to the where the base of the dog’s tail
breaks the water. The current world record is 31 feet!
Speed Retrieve
Speed Retrieve is a sport where teams race against the clock. Each competing dog runs,
jumps, swims, and retrieves an object at the end of the pool. The total distance from the
starting block to the object is 58 feet. The current world record is 4.442 seconds!
Extreme Vertical
Extreme Vertical is the high jump for dogs. In this contest, the dog launches upwards in
order to knock down a bumper suspended eight- feet from the end of the dock and fourfoot six-inches above the dock. As the competition progresses, a bumper is raised until
only one dog and handler remain. Runs are shorter, and speed is reduced, making this
event a crowd favorite. The current world record is eight-foot ten-inches, held by
Griz and handler Tony Lampert.
In addition, the Summer Splashdown is in the third year of the Two Brothers Dog Wash
Jump for the Cup, a three-year cumulative competition in which the canine that scores the
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most points (in each category combined) over the three-year period wins the cup and a
$1000 cash prize.
Schedule of Events
Friday, September 5
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Big Air Wave # 1 - 2:00 p.m.
Big Air Wave # 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Big Air Wave # 3 - 5:00 p.m.
Big Air Wave # 4- 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 6
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Big Air Wave # 5 – 9:00 a.m.
Big Air Wave # 6 - 11:00 a.m.
Big Air Wave # 7 - 1:00 p.m.
Shelter Dog Wave - 3:00 p.m. (special event- all dogs in this wave are from area
shelters and rescues and will be available for adoption!)
Big Air Wave # 8 – 3:30pm
Extreme Vertical - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 7
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Big Air Wave # 9 - 9:00 a.m.
Big Air Wave # 10 - 11:00 a.m.
Speed Retrieve (All in One Finals) - 1:30 p.m.
Big Air Finals – 3:30 pm
Prizes
TOTAL PRIZE PURSE CURRENTLY VALUED AT $1575.00 (additional prizes may
be added)
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Big Air (Per Division) & Top 3 for Extreme Vertical, Speed Retrieve, & Iron Dog
1st place
$100.00
nd
2 place
$50.00
3rd place
$25.00
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Dog owners are invited to bring any dog over the age of six months that loves the water
and enjoys playing fetch, regardless of breed, size, shape, or ability. All dogs are
welcome to compete, and those new to the sport can introduce their dogs to this fastgrowing sport and receive tips on coaching from Tidewater DockDogs members.
On-line preregistration is $27.00 per wave and is available via the Tidewater DockDogs
website, www.tidewaterdockdogs.com. On-site registration is $30.00 per wave and is
available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration for one wave of competition
allows access to the dock between competition waves and during designated practice
times throughout the weekend.
"Tidewater Dockdogs is excited to once again be a part of Hampton Bay Days,” said
Tidewater Dock Dogs Club President Ashely Rogers. “This is our third year hosting this
event and it is going to be bigger and better than ever! In addition to our regular
competition we are featuring our Shelter Dog Wave on Saturday. The shelter dog wave
will feature adoptable dogs already trained to do this sport and ready to be a part of your
family! We will also be doing our 50/50 raffle ball drop again this year. It was a huge
success last year and we look forward to raising money for a worthy cause.”
For more information on Tidewater DockDogs and the Third annual Summer
Splashdown, visit www.tidewaterdockdogs.com or follow Tidewater DockDogs on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/tidewaterdockdogs .
DockDogs® is the independent governing and sanctioning body for regional, national,
and international dock jumping performance sport for dogs. DockDogs® establishes the
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rules and standards of the sport, tracks and records results, and promotes the growth of its
athletes, teams, events, spectators, and sponsors. To that end, DockDogs® establish and
review under committee direction DockDogs® Rules and Policies which are reviewed
and updated annually.
More information on the 32nd annual Hampton Bay Days can be obtained by calling
757/ 727-8311 or by visiting www.baydays.com. Additional information can be obtained
by calling the Hampton Visitor Center at 757/727-1102.
In 1982, Hampton Bay Days was created as a unique outlet to educate the public on the
importance of the Chesapeake Bay in the Hampton Roads region, as well as the
rest of Virginia and Maryland. The goal of the festival is to provide an entertaining
atmosphere while ultimately serving a greater purpose, highlighting aspects of the Bay
and promoting its upkeep and conservation.
This year the festival takes place Friday, September 5 Noon – 10:00 p.m.; Saturday,
September 6 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday, September 7 Noon – 6:00 p.m.
Fireworks will take place at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6.
Partially bordered by the Hampton Roads harbor and Chesapeake Bay, Hampton, with
the 344,000 sq. ft. Hampton Roads Convention Center, is located in the center of the
Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Hampton is the site of America's first continuous
English-speaking settlement and is home to such visitor attractions as the Virginia Air &
Space Center and Riverside IMAX ® Theater, Hampton History Museum, harbor tours
and cruises, Hampton University Museum, Fort Monroe, award-winning Hampton
Coliseum, The American Theatre, among others.
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