Off to see the Wizard
Lord Hamlet of King Manor, registered pedigree name for the Jack Russell Terrier competing in the Small Agility competition, also leads a double life in theater.
Hamlet, the talented canine's call name, has played the part of Toto in the Houston Theatre Under the Stars production of "The Wizard of Oz."
"He performed each night for two weeks, in the first and last scenes," according to handler Renee King of Richmond, Texas.
Will Hamlet audition for a part in his namesake Shakespeare production?
"I doubt that," she added. "There's no a starring role for him."
Weave burn
Strapping on a football helmet and having appendages taped to keep from losing skin is part of an NFL player's pre-game rituals. A similar face-saving measure applies to Mayhem, the Border Collie known for zigzagging through the Superweave agility course at blistering speed.
Mayhem, a Guinness Book of World Records holder (60 weavepoles in 9:54 seconds), is so driven to cut through the course that he once lost a patch of face fur in the 2002 ESPN Great Outdoor Games.
To cover up the battle scar handler Chris Parker added a touch of eyeliner makeup to hide it from view of the cameras. Since then, many of the Superweave handlers smear a light coat of Vaseline across the vulnerable nose and jaw of their canines to prevent what has become known as weave burn.
Dogs rule the house
Bill and Jen Pinder have taken the term "dog lover" to the extreme by virtue of the size of their canine family.
The mixed brood of 11 dogs includes six Border Collies, four Jack Russell Terriers and Tazer, a Staffordshire/Border Collie mix. All have full access to the house, including sleeping quarters and elsewhere.
Like most loaded households there is a pecking order for the best place to hang. According to dog trainer and ESPN Great Outdoor Games veteran Jen, that spot goes to Static, the defending silver and gold medalist from the Large Agility competition.
Six-legged wakeboarder
It must be quite the sight. Disc Drive dude Todd Duncan and dog Flyin' Nash riding a wakeboard amongst the throngs of skiers on suburban Atlanta's Lake Lanier.
That bizarre scene is the activity both ESPN Great Outdoor Games athletes do for fun when taking a break from tossing, catching and retrieving the Frisbee clone used in the competition. How do they do it?
"I stand on the board and steer while he sits between my legs," says Duncan, who wears a pair of blue jam shorts for luck during the competitions.
Bored stiff?
Don't mistake Disc Drive handler Greg Tresan as being bored or heavy-eyed prior to the competition.
The Georgian claims his pre-game routine of yawning is a means of stress reduction and relaxation technique. The superstitious ritual is completed after wife Carol Lane gives her husband a peck on the check for good luck.
Mellow timber
Defending Men's Endurance bronze medalist Matt Bush knows a good thing when he sees it. And he has seen and used it for the past decade.
"It" is his springboard, the five-foot long fiberglass coated basswood platform used by Bush to ascend the nine-foot pole used in the event.
"I've had mine since I started chopping about 10 years ago," claims the 37-year-old logger and saw mill operator from Croghan, N.Y. "They last forever." So far so good for the prized board used by Bush to win one gold, two silver and three bronze medals in all four ESPN Great Outdoor Games held since 2000.
The Red Baron of the walleye world
When walleye fishing fans think of their favorite high-flying walleye guru one angler comes to mind more than others, Ron Seelhoff. This quiet giant among pro-walleye anglers is also a crop duster in Colorado/Nebraska.
Seelhoff swoops down on schooling walleyes with his masterful trolling techniques as effortlessly as spreading his cargo over Great Plains grain fields.
Dr. Parsons doesn't pull punches, or teeth
Hall-of-Fame walleye pro, Gary Parson of Glidden Wis., is well known for his frank speech and honest answers.
He is analytical and thoughtful, more so than most anglers. Parsons is a former dentist who gave up his practice to chase toothy critters across the country.
"I feel that my years as a dentist have certainly helped how I analyze my fishing situations. Using this type of thinking helps my fishing."
Look for Parsons and his partner Denny Brauer to pull more than teeth out of the Madison Chain.
