This page is dedicated to disc dog enthusiasts who have had a significant impact on canine disc sports either through competition, officiating, volunteerism, or other charitable endeavors and who are, sadly, no longer with us in this world. It is by no means an all-inclusive listing and will evolve over time. Tributes are listed alphabetically.

Grymes, Philip (2/8/1972-12/10/2021)

Skyhoundz and the disc dog community lost a dear friend and supporter, Philip Grymes, Executive Director of Outdoor Chattanooga, on November 10, 2021. Philip had been battling cancer for some time.

At Outdoor Chattanooga, Philip was responsible for promoting all things associated with the outdoors in Chattanooga, a city and an endeavor he deeply loved. Whether your thing was biking, boating, swimming, climbing, or even disc-catching canines, Philip made sure that exciting outdoor events were welcome in Chattanooga.

Some of you may have met Philip on the sidelines at the Skyhoundz World Championship or perhaps at the Gathering of Champions Awards Banquet. Over the years we became good friends with Philip and his wife Jenn Acklen Grymes, and we were grateful to have spent some time with them just a few short weeks ago at the Skyhoundz World Championship, where Philip was able to watch most of the competition on Saturday.

Jeff Perry and I (Peter Bloeme) met Philip in 2008 when we first traveled to Chattanooga hoping to secure Coolidge Park as the location of our World Championship. Philip couldn't have been kinder and more accommodating despite informing us that we couldn't stage our event in Coolidge because the city didn't yet permit dogs in the park. He proceeded to show us all the other available parks in the area, none of which were suitable for one reason or another. We were about to throw in the towel when Philip arranged a meeting with Frank Burke, owner of the Lookouts, Chattanooga's minor league baseball team. Jeff and I both thought there was zero chance of getting in that venue with its perfectly manicured grass, but with Philip leading the charge, Frank welcomed us at ATT Field for five years until Chattanooga elected a dog-friendly Mayor and, with the help of the Chattanooga Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and Philip's support, we received permission to use Coolidge Park on a trial basis. And, the rest is history!

There comes a time where words can't adequately express our feelings about someone and, where Philip is concerned, this is certainly one of those. That said, it gives us comfort to imagine that Philip is twisting arms in Heaven in order to wrangle an immaculate venue for the disc dogs that pass through the gates before us. Until we meet Philip on that sweet green grass, he will remain in our hearts.

Lander, Irv (2/3/1917-5/29/1998)

[From Disc Dogs! The Complete Guide] Although the dogs themselves frequently get the accolades (and rightfully so), we would not be where we are today without the incredible dedication, drive, energy, and support of Irv Lander, who was always a dog lover.

After seeing these great dogs perform, Lander felt that an opportunity existed to provide a sponsor with an attention-grabbing event and dog lovers with an exciting sport. A competition would serve many purposes. For a sponsor, it would provide a unique promotional opportunity. For dog owners, it would physically challenge them to learn new throws, tricks and techniques. For dogs it would provide great exercise and an opportunity to compete as a team with their owners.

Lander, who had worked closely for many years with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Los Angeles, felt that an additional side benefit of the sport of canine disc would be to encourage people to adopt pets from shelters. And what better way to take that message to the masses than with canine disc competitions?

The first canine disc contest of note was held in 1974 at California State University at Fullerton, with radio station KFI and Wham-O as co-sponsors. It was called the First Annual Fearless Fido Frisbee Fetching Fracas. What a classic name! More than 100 canines were entered. Alex Stein and Ashley Whippet were considered ringers (too professional) and were not allowed to compete. Two of Ashley's good friends, Eldon McIntire with Hyper Hank and Ken Gorman with Schatzie, took the top honors.

The next major canine disc event was a series of demonstrations sponsored by Wham-O at the Rose Bowl during the 1974 World Frisbee Championships. Following that, the competition series that existed at the time became known as Catch & Fetch contests sponsored by Kal Kan.

In the early days, the contest was typically held in conjunction with the World Frisbee Championships at the Rose Bowl. Later, with the support of a corporate sponsor, Lander was able to redesign the event so that it could stand on its own.

From 1978-1988, Gaines Dog Foods maintained the sponsorship of the world championships for disc-catching athletes. In 1989 there was no national sponsor. From 1990-2000, various Nestlé dog food brands, including ALPO and Come 'N Get It continued sponsorship of the national series in the U.S., which was composed of numerous local competitions, six regional championships and a world finals. Regardless of the sponsorship arrangement, competitors typically referred to the event as the Ashley Whippet Invitational or AWI.

In 1990, to honor Lander's efforts, we proposed the idea of a trophy cup to honor the man who meant so much to the sport. We designed the cup and had it made by an established trophy shop in Atlanta. The members of the AWI Celebrity Touring Team (Peter Bloeme, Eldon McIntire, Jeff Perry, and Alex Stein) shared the costs of what would become the Lander Cup and presented it to Lander at the World Finals Awards Banquet.

Lander made many sacrifices to establish the sport. He worked on a shoestring budget the first few years, staying in unsavory motels while on the road, and spent a great deal of his personal savings in order to ensure the contest's success.

Sadly, in 1998, Irv Lander passed away. Much loved by his loyal staff and indeed, by the entire disc dog community, Lander was undoubtedly, the right man, at the right time, for a very important job. Any movement of significance needs a father and Lander was not only the father of disc dog sports, but a father figure for many of us, during the important formative years of canine disc sports.

Ramsay, Wayne (10/2/1949-11/5/2021)

Wayne became our World Championship Staff Photographer in 2011 and held that position through 2019 when he suffered a stroke followed by COVID 19, leading to medical issues from which he never recovered.

We met Wayne through the MadDog Club in 2011 as we were looking for a World Championship photographer. He photographed many of their Qualifiers and came highly recommended. After looking at his photos, we inquired about his experience and asked whether he considered himself to be a professional photographer. What follows is his typical humble answer…

"I don't consider myself a professional photographer, but I have sold some pictures through my website. I guess that makes me a professional, but I'll always consider myself a self-taught advanced amateur. I have never charged a fee to photograph an event (I do have a real job). I have settled on dogs and sports as my main interests. Other than disc dog events, I shoot high school baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse. I shoot basketball for an online magazine for the University of Maryland. And my son plays baseball at Maryland and I shoot most of their games. I was credentialed for Maryland basketball, but all the other stuff was done "from the stands." I do it because I (and the parents) enjoy it."

Everyone loved Wayne's disc dog photos and appreciated the time and effort he took to get the perfect shot. Over the years, we learned to appreciate his unique sense of humor and enjoyed teasing him about his University of Tennessee football team.

With literally tens of thousands of photos to choose from, it is impossible to select Wayne's "best" photos. However, as a representative sample, we have included one photo from each year he shot at the World Championship to this post (2011-2019).

Here is a link to his website where you can view a much wider assortment of his photos including those taken at agility and dock diving events as well as photos from traditional "ball sports" like baseball and football, etc. https://www.wayneramsayphotography.com

Wayne was loved and admired by many and we're sure he has already set up his tripod and begun taking portraits of dogs as they cross over the rainbow bridge…

Stanaway, Jeff (12/22/1966-12/2/2021)

Jeff, along with his Australian Shepherd Cory, were the 2003 Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Champions. They were one of only a handful of teams in the modern disc dog era to win an Open Division World Championship without including any vaults in their Freestyle rounds. Jeff's competitive efforts always featured excellent disc management, variety, consistency, and strong D/A rounds.

In 2006 Jeff and Cory joined Peter Bloeme, Frank Montgomery, and Jeff Perry in introducing canine disc sports to China with numerous performances in Shanghai. On that trip, we learned how much of a big kid he really was. Jeff not only delighted the audience with his performances but kept us laughing during the tour. Jeff was a genuine American "meat and potatoes" kind of guy…even in China! An example of his humor was at his annual Aussie Fest event, where he offered free "tail docking" for all Border Collies!

Jeff also served as Chief Judge at the Skyhoundz World Championship for a number of years, and was an active member of the MadDogs (Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs) Club, holding numerous disc dog competitions, and training his dogs for both disc and agility.

In reflecting on this loss, Ray Lowman of the MadDogs Club said, "Jeff has been a dear friend to many of us MAD Doggers for a long time being one of the Clubs' Cofounders. He had a passion for his dogs, the sport we all love, his family, and life. He is the type of friend we all long to be."

This past summer, Jeff took some time off to tour all of the Virginia State Parks with his 14-year-old daughter Emily. They kayaked, biked, ran, walked, hiked, and camped together, making memories that, in time, will sustain Emily during difficult times.

Though we have lost Jeff in this world, a number of people in dire need will benefit because Jeff, generously, was an organ donor.

While it was way too soon for all of us, we're betting that Jeff departed life in the way he would have chosen…just after petting his canine Harper at the conclusion of their agility round at a competition in his home state of Virginia.

Zinkhan, Sally (2/12/1970-6/26/2022)

We are saddened to report that Skyhoundz Multi-World Canine Disc Champion Sally Zinkhan passed away on Sunday, June 26, 2022, after an extended heart-related illness.

Sally was an avid horse trainer and showed ponies and horses up until the time she discovered disc dogs! She was a huge promoter of MAD Dogs and went on to become a two-time Skyhoundz Pairs Freestyle World Champion along with Frank Buckland (with Shiloh [2010 & 2011]). This made Frank and Shiloh incredible six-time Pairs World Champions (four times with Shannon Mosca [2005-2008]).

And, in Xtreme Distance, Sally won three Skyhoundz World Championships [2012/2014 MicroDog/Women's Class & 2012 Unlimited Plastic/Women's Class].

We will all miss seeing and hearing Sally as she was well known for her instantly recognizable gravelly voice. You could always tell when she was in the "house!" I'm sure that everyone before her will recognize her and welcome her warmly as she crosses the rainbow bridge.

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