When these dogs surf, thousands come to watch

Julie Yoon and Jason Henry

SAN FRANCISCO – Several thousand people packed Linda Mar Beach, south of San Francisco, on Aug 1 to catch a glimpse of tail-wagging joy rides at the 10th annual World Dog Surfing Championships.

Competitors included Labrador retrievers, French bulldogs, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, an Australian cattle dog and a miniature pinscher.

Some of the dogs wore goggles, others brightly coloured life jackets. They balanced on foam boards that their owners pushed carefully into choppy waves.

James Wall came to judge the competition, bringing along his pit bull, 15-year-old Faith, a retired legend of dog surfing and the pioneer of a 180-degree move known as the helicopter.

Wall said the sport has evolved from a novelty of “dogs in goofy costumes” into a not-uncommon sight at some California beaches.

About 30 top dogs in the United States compete in a circuit of events that often double as fundraisers for animal centres and pet adoptions, Wall said.

The dogs are scored on tricks, the size of the wave they catch, how long they can stay on the board and how much they seem to be enjoying it all.

The championship, which awarded winners with medals and dog food, had no clear favourite in the pack.

“Any dog, any day, any wave,” Wall said.

“Rippin” Rosie, a five-year-old Labrador retriever, emerged as the winner of the extra large dog category and the overall “Surfing Spirit” award.

Her owner, Steve Drottar, said he has raised four Labrador retrievers, but Rosie was the first to take to riding the water instead of jumping in it.

Wall said he found Faith as a puppy in a parking garage.

Her decade-plus surfing has netted him around US$40,000 (S$51,300), which includes free GoPro equipment and video licensing deals showing Faith surfing across menu tablets at Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden restaurants.

He is convinced any dog – be it a Chihuahua or Great Dane – can learn to surf with the right human teaching them.

Training a dog to surf is like training a dog to do anything, Wall said.

“It’s a matter of practice,” he said. “You make it rewarding. You show them it’s a friendly, fun time.”

Interest in dog surfing has only grown, he added.

“Now it’s a viral thing,” Wall said. “How can you look at a dog having a good time and not smile?” NYTIMES

• This article originally appeared in The New York Times.