- Source: World Dog Surfing Championships
The World Dog Surfing Championships, officially the Norcal Dog Surfing event & World Championships, is an annual dog surfing contest in Northern California, founded in 2016 and organized by TasteTV.
Competition
The surfing contest is divided into up to four dog weight classes, plus a tandem dog and a tandem dog and human contest. There are also a fetch contest and a fashion show. Dogs surf with the assistance of a human who selects the wave or waves for the dog to ride. In the non-tandem portion of the contest, first, second, and third place are awarded in each weight class based on ride length, technique, and attitude as well as wave size during a ten-minute heat, and the top two dogs in each class then compete for the Top All-Around Surfing Championship Awards. The event raises money for animal, surfing, and environmental charities.
History
= 2016
=The first World Dog Surfing Championships, the first dog surfing event in Northern California, took place on September 10, 2016, at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California. Only five dogs competed, in two weight classes; Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie originally rescued through Humane Society Silicon Valley, won the overall competition over her friend Brandy, a Pug.
= 2017
=The second annual championship event was held on August 5, 2017, again at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica. There were three dozen entrants; Abbie again won the overall prize, with Sampson, a Spaniel, second. Humpback whales breached offshore during the surfing. Video of Simon McCoy's unenthusiastic presentation of the story for BBC News was widely shared.
= 2018
=At the 2018 event, held on August 4, again at Linda Mar beach in Pacifica, there were 45 contestants. Gidget, a Pug, won Top Dog and Abbie Girl, whose owner competed with one foot in a cast, received the newly added Spirit of Surfing Award; Shredder of the Year and All Heart awards were also introduced for the first time.
= 2019
=The 2019 event took place on August 3, again at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, with approximately 50 contestants. Cherie, a French Bulldog from Newport Beach, won the Medium Surf Dogs and Top Dogs awards.
= 2020
=The 2020 championships, scheduled for August 1, were postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A livestream hybrid event took place on September 26, using Zoom for live heats.
= 2021
=The in-person championships scheduled for August 28, 2021 in Pacifica were again postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic; livestreamed championships were scheduled for October 2.
= 2022
=The 2022 event was held at Linda Mar beach in Pacifica on August 6. The Top Dog award was won by Skyler, a Cattle Dog from Santa Cruz.
= 2023
=The 2023 championships took place on August 5 at Linda Mar beach in Pacifica, in unusually choppy conditions. Faith, a Pit Bull, won the solo surfing event in the large dogs division, Cherie, a French Bulldog, in the medium dogs division, and Carson, a Terrier, and Delilah tied for first place for small dogs. Carson won Top Dog.
= 2024
=After the organizers raised $12,000 through crowdfunding to address financial challenges in hosting the event, the 2024 event was held at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica on August 3. In unusually rough conditions, the overall winner was Cacau, a chocolate Labrador from Brazil. Estimated attendance was over 6,000.
Notes
References
External links
Media related to World Dog Surfing Championships at Wikimedia Commons
Official website