by Adam Pockross

Remember when a parade float was just a flat bed with a bunch of flowers attached in some way, shape or form? Well, bring that to the Rose Bowl Parade now-a-days, and you won't even make it onto the main boulevard. No, if you wanna make a splash at the Rose Bowl Parade, you gotta, well... make a splash, literally.

Or at least that's the way the folks at Natural Balance Pet Foods are taking it. They've created a moving wave pool -- complete with surfing dogs -- which will be the longest and heaviest float in the history of floats. And guess what's pulling it along?



If you guessed a 2012 Ford 6.8-liter 10-cylinder gas engine making 362hp and 457 lb.-ft of torque, then come on down! But what else would you use to pull a 116-foot, 50-ton bohemoth that gives the word "float" a whole new meaning? The 6.8 is used to working hard, as it's the same engine that powers Ford’s best-selling F-Series Super Duty chassis cab work trucks, E-Series vans and the new 2012 Ford F-650 medium duty truck.

So why would the folks at Natural Balance create a giant, moving wave-pool? When you have Tillman the surfing bulldog as the star of your show, you build around the talent. In year's past, Tillman has skateboarded and snowboarded his way to assure Rose Bowl Parade Legend status. But this year, with Ford's help, Tillman is sure to steal the show.

Check out the video below that shows the making of the float and Tillman in action! Happy New Year!