May 27, 2002, Steamboat Springs, CO - The Crazy River Dog Contest will be an essential element of this year's Yampa River Festival, where kayakers will compete in slalom races and rodeos to earn points toward the national championship. The grassroots festival has been a consistent favorite among avid kayakers and Steamboat Springs locals for 22 years. Always a festival highlight, the Crazy River Dog Contest offers dog lovers and their canine companions a chance to compete - and have fun - in the water.

The Crazy River Dog Contest usually draws between 20 and 30 contestants of human and canine pairs. Canine athletes will swim after a fetch toy thrown by their human partner. The toy must be thrown past a certain point in the river. Crazy river dogs will then paddle through whitewater to retrieve the toy. The dog to fetch the toy the fastest wins.

"More and more, people are enjoying the outdoors with their dogs," said Patrick Kruse, Owner and Founder of Ruff Wear, the sponsor of this summer's Crazy River Dog Contest. Kruse spends a good deal of time in the outdoors with his dog Otis and founded Ruff Wear to provide durable and functional gear for dogs on the go - gear for walks around a downtown park or hikes on backcountry trails.

This summer's crazy river dogs will paddle after the Ruff Wear Lunkerú, a retrieving toy stuffed with a combination of cutting room fabric and recycled foam scraps from Ruff Wear's K-9 Float Coatú, a high performance floatation device for canine water safety. Designed as a retrieving and training tool, the Lunker is weighted for long throws and floats on the water, making it the ideal fetch toy for the Crazy River Dog Contest. Ruff Wear will provide all prizes for the contest including K-9 Float Coats, collapsible water and food bowls, first aid kits for canines, and Hover Craftsú, Ruff Wear's innovative ballistic nylon flying discs.

The Crazy River Dog contest will be held in Steamboat Springs on Saturday June 8th, beginning at 12 noon, above the "D" hole. The contest usually runs for about two hours. The Yampa River Festival will take place from June 7th-9th. Other events include a silent auction/fundraiser, jambalaya dinner, parties, film festival, and conservation/environmental presentation from American White Water.

Ruff Wear, For Dogs On The Go¨, is maker of the original collapsible food & water dog bowls, dog packs, dog boots, dog toys, overcoats, life jackets, first aid kits, travel bags, training and grooming supplies and gear for dogs of every description-from family pets to working dogs. Based in Bend, Oregon, Ruff Wear sells its products through speciality pet and outdoor retailers as well as through www.ruffwear.com.