When dogs fly
<p>Bocce, a 1-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, flies through the air before landing in a 30-foot pool after handler Mikki Douglass tossed a toy during the Dock Dogs Big Air competition at the North Idaho Sportsman’s Expo Friday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene.</p>
<p>Theory Provost, 5, drops a line in a shallow pool at the Becker’s Tackle Shop fly casting booth as his father Phil watches.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - This weekend, the Kootenai County Fairgrounds will be a wonderland of activities and exhibits during the annual North Idaho Sportsman's Expo.
The event will feature archery, motorcycles, fishing, boats, all-terrain vehicles, aquatic canines, herding dogs and more.
"I've never been here before and I wanted to have an opportunity to see a whole bunch of different things in one place," said Bruce Daniels of Athol. "It's like passing by the boat stores and never going in - now I've seen more boats than I have in six years."
Daniels and his brother-in-law and neighbor, Eric Schneider, wandered through the fairgrounds just after the gates opened Friday afternoon. They had only seen one section of the expo and were already impressed.
"It just looked like it would be fun to see all these things in one place," Schneider said.
And the fun at the Sportsman's Expo can be enjoyed by all ages.
The fairgrounds-wide event includes a fishing pond for kids where they can catch and release real trout, hands-on casting demonstrations, speakers and demonstrations, mounted shooters who will shoot targets while performing on horseback in the main arena, plenty of exhibits, vendors and more.
Canines will be making quite a splash at the South Midway during the Dock Dogs canine aquatics competition. They'll be leaping from a platform into a clear pool while attempting to catch toys tossed by their owners.
Stan Helewicz of Lynnwood, Wash., and his 10-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, Hanna, participated Friday. He said the best part was "her excitement, how can you not love that?"
"To her, this is the greatest thing in the world, and she thinks she's the best one in the world at it," he concluded, laughing. "She's a natural."
Helewicz's daughter, Leslie Mehlhoff of Hayden, will be competing with her 6-year-old black Lab mix, Adi, today.
"It's exciting to see how far the dogs can jump, they do different things every time," she said. "It's fun."
"It's pretty cool," added Mehlhoff's 6-year-old daughter, Kaylie. "The only thing I don't like is getting splashed."
The Play with Gravity attraction will provide entertainment and thrills for motorcycle enthusiasts.
"I have a 12-foot pyramid that I ride over," said Shad Peters of Casper, Wyo. Petersen will be riding a Beta trial bike as he wows audiences with his balance and skill. "Of course, there are some volunteer opportunities for the spectators to get involved in the show."
He'll be keeping it light as he narrates the show while performing.
"A lot of it is concentrating on getting the technique right in order to do it right," Petersen said. "And then of course, having a sense of humor is important. If you crash you have to play it off, which is fine. People love crashes."
Randy Johnson, who works in parts and service at Boat World in Dalton Gardens, will be in the Jacklin Building to chat with event-goers about which boat would be best for them. Boat World and other companies have several different makes and models on display for people to examine and compare. It's the third year Boat World has been part of the expo.
"It's always fun," Johnson said. "It's always an adventure."
The North Idaho Sportsman's Expo is bringing the outdoor adventure to Coeur d'Alene once again today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults (good for each day) and ages 12 and younger are free.
Info: www.nidse.com