  We perform an exact and asymptotic analysis of the model of $n$ vicious
walkers interacting with a wall via contact potentials, a model introduced by
Brak, Essam and Owczarek. More specifically, we study the partition function of
watermelon configurations which start on the wall, but may end at arbitrary
height, and their mean number of contacts with the wall. We improve and extend
the earlier (partially non-rigorous) results by Brak, Essam and Owczarek,
providing new exact results, and more precise and more general asymptotic
results, in particular full asymptotic expansions for the partition function
and the mean number of contacts. Furthermore, we relate this circle of problems
to earlier results in the combinatorial and statistical literature.
