Float Features Surfing Dogs at Rose Parade

“Just imagine” was the theme of the 123rd Rose Parade, and just when you thought they had done it at all, English Bulldog, Tillman and his friends delighted spectators on Colorado Boulevard and television viewers at home as they surfed down the parade route.

According the Rose Association’s website, “The Tournament of Roses has come a long way since its early days. The Rose Parade’s elaborate floats now feature high-tech computerized animation and exotic natural materials from around the world.”

“And of course, [it features] action supplied by Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Food and its celebrity pack of adventuresome dogs,” says a Pasadena resident who prefers not to be mentioned by name. 

Although there were parade floats made by Dole, Kaiser Permanente, The Grand Marshal’s/Discover, Macy’s and other high profile sponsors, the pet food company’s entry seemed to generate the most pre-parade buzz, first with a casting call to join Tillman and then various videos describing how the float was constructed. 

Over the past three years, Tillman and friends have skateboarded, snowboarded, skim-boarded, and dock dived on the company’s float. But this year, the dog team actually surfed on 65-foot long, heated waves in an 80-foot long ocean of water on the longest (115 feet) and heaviest (over 100,000 pounds) float ever in the history of the Rose Parade. Specifically, a wave machine was incorporated into the design of the float and created a wave a minute. Additionally, lining the 11-foot walls were colored sculptures of oversized floral waves, seashells, sea creatures, orchid blossoms and tropical ferns. 

Other than the construction by Fiesta, “Ford Motor Company was happy to power the float with an engine and transmission,” says Mike Levine, Manager of Truck Communications.

Although the official statement has not been distributed by The Guinness Book of World Records yet, the pet food company has broken its 2011 Guinness World Record as the longest and now the heaviest Rose Parade float in history.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what Natural Balance has in-store for Tillman and friends in 2013!