Some of the world’s most uniquely talented doggos have gathered at Pacifica State Beach in California for the World Dog Surfing Championships.
The pups competed in groups according to their weight class, and were judged on technique, confidence, length of ride, and size of wave surfed
Along with individual events, there were also tandem dog-dog and dog-human competitions – the latter involving owners joining their hounds on the board.
Jeffrey Niebor’s Labrador Charlie fetched second prize in the ‘large-very large’ size category. He said Charlie started surfing at the age of two.
“I can’t even explain his passion for it and how much he enjoys it,” Mr Niebor told the ABC.
“He has such a good time. Even when we’re not surfing competitively, if we just go to the beach and we’re hanging out and he takes his surfboard to the water and he’ll bark on the waves, people just love it and we just like to keep it positive.”
The event also included a Dog Beach Fashion show for pups that aren’t as inclined to jump on a surfboard.
Prerana Rani said it was her first time attending such an event and wondered if her pooch might be up to hitting the waves.
“It was amazing to see so many dogs come together and just surf,” Ms Rani said.
Billed as the “premier dog surfing event in the world”, the meet has been held in the San Francisco Bay area since 2016.
It also serves to aid rescued dogs find new homes, with a portion of proceeds going to dog related non-profits.
The event has inspired similar meets throughout the US, as well as in Australia and the UK.
