After nearly two hours in stop-and-go traffic on a one-lane coastal road, we decided to call it. Dogs joyfully poking their heads out of car windows was the closest my husband and I got to the World Dog Surfing Championships this year.
My husband and I have been attending this annual dog surfing event in Pacifica, California, every summer, but this year—the championship's 10th anniversary—was its biggest yet. As talented surfing dogs, including the event's winner, a Yellow Labrador named Rippin' Rosie Drottar, took over the beach, thousands of dog enthusiasts just like us flocked to the coast for a chance to get a peek. The tiny beach town nearly shut down with the crowds!
Everyone wanted to watch these dogs hang ten! (Or, hang 18, if you want to be anatomically correct.) The event featured 14 talented pups of all sizes competing for 7 categories, including solo surfing (small, medium, and large), human-dog tandem surfing, dog-dog tandem surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and an overall championship.
Even though the experienced surfing dogs like Iza the French Bulldog put on a show for those who were lucky enough to get to the beach, some pups didn't get to ride as many waves as planned. The competition continued despite rough surf, but several of the later heats were canceled in order to keep surfers safe.
"It was rough," contestant Sophia Sadlowski told KQED. "A little too rough for that size dog. Yeah, I mean it's rough for the other dogs, but when you're 12 pounds, it's just too much." Her dog, 'Rusty the Surfing MinPin,' still took home 3rd place in the small dog category and 1st place alongside Iza in the dog/dog tandem category, but one special Yellow Labrador took home more awards than any other pooch.
#Surfing #dogs
My husband and I have been attending this annual dog surfing event in Pacifica, California, every summer, but this year—the championship's 10th anniversary—was its biggest yet. As talented surfing dogs, including the event's winner, a Yellow Labrador named Rippin' Rosie Drottar, took over the beach, thousands of dog enthusiasts just like us flocked to the coast for a chance to get a peek. The tiny beach town nearly shut down with the crowds!
Everyone wanted to watch these dogs hang ten! (Or, hang 18, if you want to be anatomically correct.) The event featured 14 talented pups of all sizes competing for 7 categories, including solo surfing (small, medium, and large), human-dog tandem surfing, dog-dog tandem surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and an overall championship.
Even though the experienced surfing dogs like Iza the French Bulldog put on a show for those who were lucky enough to get to the beach, some pups didn't get to ride as many waves as planned. The competition continued despite rough surf, but several of the later heats were canceled in order to keep surfers safe.
"It was rough," contestant Sophia Sadlowski told KQED. "A little too rough for that size dog. Yeah, I mean it's rough for the other dogs, but when you're 12 pounds, it's just too much." Her dog, 'Rusty the Surfing MinPin,' still took home 3rd place in the small dog category and 1st place alongside Iza in the dog/dog tandem category, but one special Yellow Labrador took home more awards than any other pooch.
#Surfing #dogs
1 month ago
