A dog catch disc world

Danette Goulet

As the funky sounds of George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” began, 5-year-old

Sassy began to dance backward. A quick turn and running leap later she

was in the air.

As the Border Collie’s human companion threw white Frisbees into the

air in Huntington Central Park on Saturday, she caught them with

flourish. She snaked in between his legs, ran up his back and made a

graceful arch through the air to retrieve the discs.

For “Nasty” Sassy, as her owner, Ping Latvong, likes to call her, it

was just playtime. But for Latvong, it was a shot at $12,800 in prize

money.

The duo was competing in the west leg of the 7th annual Flying Disc

Dog Open.

Put on by Hotdog Media and Air Major Enterprises, the Flying Disc Dog

Open is a national pro/am canine disc championship that holds three

regional legs each season. A regional leg, like the west one held in

Huntington Beach on Saturday, consists of four rounds of events for the

professional division and three rounds of events for the amateur one.

Featured events are freestyle, distance and an obstacle course.

The event draws competitors from all over the United States, like J.D.

Platt and Galaxy, his 2-year-old Border Collie-Black Labrador mix, who

came from Oregon to compete.

“We have people here from Colorado, Florida, Texas -- a couple from

Arizona,” said Ken Roberts, from Hotdog Media.

Although many of the same tricks were repeated from one freestyle

performance to the next, each team had its own style and flair.

While Latvong and Sassy of Anaheim performed to the pure funk of

“Atomic Dog,” Bob Evans of Dallas, Texas and his pup Nick were decked out

in stars and striped and were kickin’ it to country music.

“It’s all about having fun with your dog,” Latvong said. “Of course

when you get into competition you have to practice.”

He and Sassy practice their routine three days a week, Latvong said,

but he is sure to keep practices short and fun so Sassy doesn’t tire of

catching Frisbees.

“If anything I practice on myself because you have to be prepared out

there,” Latvong said. “The advantage I have is that I don’t over train my

dog.”

Everyone had their own tricks of the trade.

Evans, who at 68 is the oldest competitor by 32 years to have won the

world championship with Nick -- who at 14 months was the youngest dog to

win -- had a sentimental secret that he felt gave him the edge.

Evans began in this sport in 1988 with his first dog, Dan. He

continued on with Dan’s pup Luke and now with Luke’s pup Nick.

His secret to success is in a small bag in his pocket, where Evans

carries a bit of the past.

“I cheat a little,” he said, with a catch in his voice as he leaned in

close and pulled something out of his pocket. “I carry some of Dan’s

ashes with me.”