Skate Board Bearings

Twig, the skateboarding shelty, impresses with athletic skills

BELLEAIR — She skateboards. She boogieboards.

This summer she took up skimboarding.

Is there anything the gutsy Shetland sheepdog from Belleair won't do?

At age 7, Twig seems to have the whole package: beauty, brains, athleticism.

She recently demonstrated her pint-sized prowess at Clearwater Beach, skateboarding down a double set of steep steps, then cruising along the beach promenade, carving deep turns.

She was fearless. Like totally.

Onlookers were amazed. Out came the cameras and cell phones — and smiles.

"That was one of the cutest things I've ever seen," said Karen Berner of New Port Richey.

"She swerved perfectly," said Breeanna Buggle, also of New Port Richey.

Twig's not talking, but she seems to lap up all the attention.

"She enjoys it so much," said Sandy Clark, 58, her owner and trainer. "She loves to be part of the fun, part of the party."

So what's next for the belle of Belleair?

"We're thinking snowboarding," said Clark's husband Bob, 59.

• • •

Twig started skateboarding in 2007 after Clark noticed her checking out a toy skateboard at the Upper Suncoast Dog Training Club. Clark, a former schoolteacher and now a dog trainer at the club, said she watches dogs to see what they are interested in.

"Teaching Twig to skateboard wasn't so much about teaching as just setting up an opportunity for her to learn," she said. "All you can do is make it safe, comfortable — then give the dog a chance to figure it out."

Twig bases in obedience and agility provided a good basis, and training involved many small steps. Twig after the habit of playing with the skateboard tiny, Clark introduced him to the long plank of his son, Ben 31, uses. Soon Shelty was jumping on and taking a turn.

But the board was too heavy to twig to 13 pounds, to push. She could not turn - it's called "carving" in the world of skateboarding - from ball bearings were not designed for a pen rider.

Tim O'Connor « Blog » Bones Skateboard Bearings

Some how somebody thought it was a good idea to put me and Tim O’Connor in the same room and the same somebody thought it was a good idea to have him and I on the microphones announcing Maloof Money Cup this weekend in DC. I hope DC is ready. Tim O’Connor is about to go under the knife and get a long overdue ankle surgery much like the one Torey Pudwill just got. There won’t be much coverage of Tim in the near future so enjoy one of my favorite video parts from him.

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