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.
The event is not to be confused with the Surfing Dog Championship held in Noosa, Australia each year as part of the Noosa Festival of Surfing.

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.