WCAX (Burlington, Vermont) 04 July 08 Fourth of July Frog Face-Off (Darren Perron)
Williston, Vermont: Hundreds congregated in Williston waiting for the competition to begin.
"It's just a fun sport," explained Jacob Russo, 11.
Teams of two faced off. One kid-- one critter-- on each team.
Welcome to Williston's annual Frog Jumping Contest.
Four frogs compete in each round. The kids try to 'convince' the amphibians to cross the line first. Each has their own technique to get them hopping.
"I blow on it to get it going," laughed Jacob.
"You just got to stomp behind 'em, but be careful you don't squash them," advised Sabrina Nardone, 6. "Or just do this," she said, demonstrating how she slaps the ground.
Sabrina takes frog jumping very seriously. She's in it-- to win it.
"The best part is when you win a ribbon," she explained. "You're so excited because you're like, oh my God, this frog is a prize winner! It's a big deal."
A big deal-- but the frogs come in all sizes. And some say bigger isn't better.
"If you have a smaller frog it tends to jump faster," said Amanda Daniels, 10.
It seems the kids had no trouble handling their hopping friends.
Some parents, on the other hand, seemed a bit squeamish.
Like many athletes, the frogs get a check-up before they compete. Anxious teammates hope their frogs are fit.
"To see the expression ... whoo ... my frog is legal," laughed Frog Jumping Contest founder Bill Skiff.
And all of them are.
"I got third but there's a lot of fast frogs against me," said Andrea Young, 14.
Fast frogs-- that will return to their homes in the swamp once they help their tiny teammates take home the prize.
"It turns out I actually won a ribbon!" exclaimed Sabrina.
In all-- 108 kids and frogs competed.
Fourth of July Frog Face-Off