The annual World Dog Surfing Championships took place on August 2nd at Pacifica State Beach in California, USA. This exciting event attracted about twenty dogs to compete, with thousands of spectators cheering them on.
According to the Associated Press, participating dogs came in various sizes and breeds. They competed against others of similar size. Additionally, there were contests where multiple dogs surfed together, as well as events featuring dogs surfing alongside their owners.
The dogs' owners guided them to areas with higher waves, helped them jump onto brightly colored surfboards, and then encouraged them to stand on the boards independently. Amid the roaring cheers of the crowd, the dogs surfed the waves back to shore. Judges closely evaluated how long each dog stayed on the board, their balance, and whether they performed tricks such as turning while surfing.
Five-year-old French Bulldog Iza won the championship this year in the medium-sized single-dog surfing competition, marking her first victory. Her owner, David Fasoli, revealed that he began training Iza's surfing skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fasoli shared that he brought home a surfboard from his job at Costco and taught Iza to balance on it in their backyard swimming pool, which brought him "pure happiness."
Soon after, they took their lessons to the ocean, catching waves and astonishing beachgoers time and again. Now, their goal in competing is to break people's expectations.
Ten-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever Charlie has competed in many past championships. A surfing enthusiast, Charlie even has his own Instagram page to share photos. Sometimes, if Charlie's owner wants to chat with friends on the beach, he must hide Charlie's surfboard to prevent him from grabbing it and rushing into the water.
In this year's competition, Charlie participated in the extra-large single-dog division. He also surfed with two other dogs, whose owners call them "The Dream Team." Charlie's owner, Jeff Nieboer, prepares for surfing sessions with him. When Jeff spots a good wave, he turns the board around and signals Charlie to "get ready." As Jeff pushes the surfboard forward, Charlie curls up and rides the wave to shore, controlling the board by shifting his body weight.
According to Nieboer, Charlie needs no rewards. "Once we're in the water, Charlie just does what he wants."
KCRA TV reported about Don Horn, a man who has participated in the event for several years. This year, he brought his 11-month-old dog, Sammy Jr., who competed for the first time. Horn said, "He's only 11 months old and already amazing. Today, I am the oldest owner here, and he is the youngest dog."
For owners like Horn, the greatest joy of surfing with their dogs is building a deep bond. He said, "When the dogs go home, they believe they've had a wonderful day."
