Published: July 10, 2009 07:48 am      

Man's best friend makes a splash in contest

TRAVERSE CITY -- A roaring crowd riled up hometown favorite Gunner, who barked furiously as he awaited a signal from his owner Ken Bialk.

"Get it, get it, get it!" Bialk yelled, and Gunner flung himself more than 21 feet off the dock into a pool of 22,000 gallons of lake water.

Last year, the German shorthair and chocolate Lab jumped more than 24 feet five times in one day at the Ultimate Fishing Show in Grand Rapids. Most dogs at Thursday's Ultimate Air Dog competition -- a popular event at the National Cherry Festival -- jumped between 11 and 18 feet.

The world record for distance is 28 feet 10 inches and belongs to County, a Coon Hound-Gray Hound mix.

"Gunner is an incredible dog," Bialk said. "It's really amazing how far he can jump."

But the Ultimate Air Dog competition was for dogs of all skill levels, and some first-timers proved to be a good challenge for the likes of Gunner.

Rapid City resident Kyle Shellenbarger's chocolate Lab, Jack, landed 23 feet 8 inches on his second jump in a competition.

"I've been training him for a year now," said Shellenbarger, panting almost as hard as Jack. "I haven't been this excited since high school football."

Shellenbarger noticed Jack's aggressiveness on duck hunts when he first obtained him as a puppy, and after watching a few competitions on TV, he decided to train the dog.

"I wanted to see how he'd do in front of a large crowd like this," Shellenbarger said. "After his last two jumps, I'm confident he'll do well on the road."

Brittany Dalzell, 19, also brought her Golden Retriever Daisy down to the competition for the first time. She didn't expect to match jumps of 24 feet; rather, she came for a chance to have some fun with her best friend.

"I've lived in Traverse City my whole life and just heard about this on TV the other day," Dalzell said. "We're doing it for the experience and fun, and he did well in the practice rounds."

The cost is $15 per competition and the event lasts until Sunday. Participants also have the option to enter their dog in a special section, in which dogs will combine the distance from a traditional splash round with the height of a special round in which the dog must catch a ball in the air while leaping as high as possible.

If the dog misses the ball, the jump doesn't count.

Winners of all competitions receive certificates and ribbons because "that's all the dogs really care about," said Ultimate Air Dog secretary and self-proclaimed "Carney Queen" Lynn Postma.

Postma also said each dog's jump is measured from the end of the dock to the base of the tail.

First-time observer Debbie Jewell, of Traverse City, giggled as an owner struggled with a dog shy of jumping in front of the crowd.

"The idea that people can get their dogs to do this is hilarious," Jewell said. "Except her. She's having some trouble with that one."