Four-legged wave riders took over a Northern California beach Saturday as dozens of canine competitors battled for bragging rights at the annual World Dog Surfing Championships.
Hundreds of spectators packed Pacifica’s shoreline to watch dogs of every breed and size hang 10 atop brightly colored surfboards, with the soaked pups sporting tiny life vests as they carved through the waves — often better than their human counterparts.
Judges looked at how long they could stay on their board, the size of the wave they rode, and even their confidence.
Dogs from labs, spaniels, bulldogs, and many others competed.
Their handlers typically help them find a spot to catch a wave, and the pups stay on their board until volunteers catch them, potentially wiping out near the shoreline.
The event also includes a pet adoption event and fundraising for animal charities. Organizers describe the event as the “premier dog surfing event in the World.”
One dog surfer’s human said her dog started surfing at just four months old. She said she put her young dog on a surfboard to take photos, and he didn’t want to get off.
“And then … he didn’t want to get off,” Sophia Sadlowski, of Huntington Beach, California, told the Associated Press. “I walk over to the beach, and I put him on a wave, and he surfed it.”
The dog, a Miniature Pinscher named Rusty, wore a green life jacket with animal print and a menacing shark fin poking out of his back. He was seen riding a light-teal and gray surfboard until a wave turned the board up and knocked him off. A nearby human plucked him out of the water.
But Sadlowski said he’s faced much more significant challenges than waves: he’s had cancer.
Both Sadlowski and her dog have conquered the disease, she said.
Other portions of the contest included small, medium, and large-sized doggies competing in heats until the highest-scoring dogs face off for the top prize. It also included a tandem competition where humans and dogs shared space on surfboards.
Pacifica is a city located around 16 miles south of San Francisco in San Mateo County.
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