Every May, Richmond, Virginia hosts a huge outdoor sports festival called Dominion Riverrock and it attracts participants and spectators from all over the U.S. and other countries. Richmond is one of the few cities in America that has a whitewater rapids river (The James) running through it and an extensive running and biking trail system in the heart of the city. Dominion Riverrock is a great way to showcase all that natural beauty to the rest of the world. This year, the festival ran May 18 – 20 and featured amateur and elite athletes competing in trail running, kayaking, biking, bouldering, stand-up paddleboarding, and slacklining.
However, humans weren’t the only athletes competing at the festival this year. One of the most popular events was the Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs Competition. If you’re like me, you might not be too familiar with this sport – in which water-loving dogs jump into a pool, with awards based on the distance of the jumps. I did some quick research and discovered that it’s been around as an organized sport since 1997 and there are events held all over the world. The world record distance of 29 feet 7 inches was set by a dog named “Baxter” in 2011. The sport is also referred to as “dock jumping” or “dock diving”.
At Riverrock I was lucky enough to shoot some video of several high-flying dogs, as well as a couple that might need a little more practice. One thing I can say for sure – these dogs were having a blast. Thanks to the Ultimate Air Dogs organization and Milt Wilcox for a great event. Check out my video below and let me know what you think. Think your pooch might want to give it a go next year?
Want to know more about Dominion Riverrock? Check out the event website here
Health professional/writer living in Richmond, Virginia. Graduate of the University of South Carolina. My interests include film, art, technology, and travel.
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Awesome – I’ll definitely be checking it out! The record is 29 feet and 7 inches … that’s crazy.
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