Believe it or not, there are several dog surfing competitions every year, and many of the dogs and their humans travel around the world to compete. Most of the contests have several divisions, including breaking up the surfer dogs based on size and weight, and a special costume competition. But mostly, it's about fun and a good cause. The profits from the events go to charities that help find homes for shelter dogs and support the environment. With the help of their humans, these pups are prepared to paddle out and put on a show!
Let's Go Surfing Now, Everybody's Learning How
These dogs are surfing in the Helen Woodward Animal Centers Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in Del Mar, California. The event has been running for over a decade with 70 dogs signed up to surf.
These guys are broken up into weight class and have 10 minutes to show off their skills.
Go, Tillman Go!
Tillman the bulldog was a very special dog. Living in Southern California, Tillman loved to skateboard and surf. His owner Ron Davis shared videos of Tillman, including one that received over 21 million views.
The English bulldog set the Guinness World Record as the world's fastest skateboarding dog. He passed away in 2015.
Abbie Went From Rescue Dog to World Record Holder
Abbie is another surf dog who holds Guinness World Records. She was the first dog to be inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame and holds the world record for longest wave surfed by a dog.
Abbie is a rescue dog who was found on the side of the road in Silicon Valley. She's now one of the most famous surfing dogs on the planet.
Hanging Five
While in the water, the surf dogs wear special life vests to keep them afloat and to make it easier for their owners to grab them when they've completed a ride (although most swim to shore.) Many of them wear bright colors so it's easier to spot them.
This dog has one paw over the nose of the board, which is called hanging five.
Tandem Team Yellow
Some of the contests have owners push their dogs into the waves, while others see the owner standing on the back of the board, navigating it, while the dog rides up front.
This is called tandem surfing but not quite the same as two humans. This pup even has a toy in his mouth!
Hot Dogging in Huntington Beach
Here Hanzo is on the back of the board while Kalani rides up front. These pups are competing in the 5th Annual Surf Dog competition at Huntington Beach, California.
They're trying to win all the divisions, sporting their superhero costumes. These dogs know how to get attention!
Abbie Was Born to Surf
Many human surfers even have a hard time sticking the landing when a wave closes out at the end, but Abbie has it mastered.
An Australian Kelpie cross, Abbie's breed has excellent stamina and endurance and loves to exercise. They're very intelligent dogs and want to work and learn new tasks- like surfing!
Get Off My Wave, Kook!
It's important to learn surfing etiquette before paddling out, and something went haywire here. These two dogs took the same wave in and ended up bumping boards at the shoreline.
Owners take their dogs out on soft top boards that are covered in a sponge-like material so they won't get hurt when rails bump like they did here.
A Pro Surfer Taught Her Dogs How To Surf
Nao Omura, pictured here on the back of the surfboard is a professional surfer from Japan. She and her dogs love surfing together.
She told her sponsor Roxy, "My dogs love to swim, so one day I called them onto my boards. After they caught their first wave they were hooked and now they want to ride on the board again and again!"
Shark Coming Through
After the shark costume for dogs became a hit for Halloween, a shark fin life vest was made and we're quite happy. This pooch is making GoPro gold with his shark fin and big smile, catching a wave in.
Here he is competing at the Unleashed By Petco Surf City Surf Dog Surf Competition in Huntington Beach, California.
Tucking Into the Curl
Whether or not she knows it, this pooch is setting herself up perfectly. Turning right into the curl, she's set to pick up speed and maybe even get barreled.
The dogs are judged by the length of the ride, technique, confidence, size of the wave and style. This dog is scoring high.
Skyler's Human is a Professional Surfer
Skyler is another surfing dog who started out as a rescue. Her owner is Santa Cruz professional surfer Homer Henard.
He told California's Adventure Sports Journal, "I took her out surfing on a small day and she just loved it. After that there was no turning back. Skyler was not like other dogs – she always wanted to do whatever I was doing. She actually thinks she is human."
The Best Costume Contest is Always a Hoot
The costume contest is a fan favorite at many of the dog surfing competitions. Owners dress their dogs up in hats, sunglasses, superhero outfits and more.
More than 5,000 people showed up to watch the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in Del Mar in 2017. The contest raised $80,000 to help homeless pets, many of them cats and dogs that were affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Wipeout!
Greyhounds are known for their quick speed and it looks like this one is running on water! Wipeouts are apart of surfing and this dog just found that out the hard way.
Owners of surfing dogs take great care in getting their dogs acclimated to the water, starting small and moving their way up as they get comfortable. They're also close by to grab the board and dog when they hit a rough patch.
Dogs Have Been Surfing for a While
Dog surfing contests have been around for over a decade, but dogs were surfing way before that. Here's an archive photo of a man surfing with his dog back in the 1940s.
It looks like he's surfing Queens Beach in Waikiki, where gentle, long waves and warm tropical waters make it perfect for longboarding. This dog wanted to get in on the fun!
Turn!
For the contests that require owners to push their dogs into waves and let them do the rest, the dogs are the ones in control. Once the wave starts going, it's up to the pooch to navigate the board through the surf.
This dog is doing a good job of keeping her weight on the back of the board to keep the nose up, otherwise, she'll wipe out!
These Guys Win the Tandem Contest Every Time
Scott Chandler and his dog Zoey love paddling out and catching waves together. Here they're pictured at the Loews Coronado Surf Dog contest.
Zoey the Jack Russell Terrier weighs in at around 15 lbs, which means she can go airborne sometimes! They've won the tandem even every time they've entered. When they aren't competing, Chandler also brings his daughter on the board with them.
Hanzo Can Handle It
While many of the dogs are able to surf a solid wave, not many of them look to be in total control. But Hanzo is. The German boxer is a very good surfer and learned how to skateboard when he was only 10 weeks old.
Hanzo has the advantage of living in Huntington Beach where the annual dog surfing contest is held. He's competed for almost a decade and has taken home first palce many times.
Hop On!
How many dogs can you fit on a surfboard? A lot. These pups are coming to shore after getting pushed into a wave by their owner. Rocking their leis and colorful costumes these good boys are having an excellent beach day in Imperial Beach, CA.
It goes to show you that all breeds can be surfer dogs if they're up for it!
Frenchies Love Boards
Like English bulldogs, French bulldogs love riding boards, too. This Frenchie is named Luigi. He's auditioning for a dog skimboarding competition sponsored by Natural Balance Pet Foods.
Have you ever seen a happier dog?! Good luck getting him to leave! Many Frenchies will steal their owners' skateboards and learn on their own. Luigi looks to be a natural.
