The event drew 120 teams, with competitors coming from as far as China, Japan, Germany and across the states showing off their dogs’ disc-catching skills.
Frisbee-loving dogs and their owners took center stage Saturday at Naperville’s Nike Sports Complex as they competed for top honors in the 43rd annual Ashley Whippet K-9 Frisbee World Championship.
The event drew 120 teams from around the world, with competitors coming from as far as China, Japan, Germany and across the states showing off their dogs’ disc catching skills.
“It has a free-spirited kind of vibe to it, ” said Tracy Custer, of St. Louis. Her dog, Ninja, won the 2016 competition and was back this weekend to defend his title.
Custer brought seven of her 18 dogs to compete this weekend. Each year, she and her dogs compete in eight to 12 shows.
The dog Frisbee competition was started in 1974 by Wham-O after Alex Stein and his dog, Ashley Whippet, drew national attention with an eight-minute rogue performance during a Dodgers game. Stein and his dog wowed Dodgers fans as Ashley jumped nine feet in the air and ran at speeds of 35 mph to catch Stein’s throws.
The sport has grown today to include Frisbee dog clubs in 32 states.
“It’s a backyard thing that people do to just play with their pets, ” said Ginny Wehrli-Hemmeter, a Naperville woman who helps organize the championship with her parents, Tom and Chris Wehrli, also of Naperville.
