Thousands Of Spectators Hit A Californian Beach To Witness The World Dog Surfing Championships 2023

FOR lovers of surfing, Linda Mar State Beach in California was the place to be last weekend where the World Dog Surfing Championships 2023 were taking place.

Visitors were treated to the spectacle of dogs clad in wetsuits, goggles, sunglasses and multi-coloured life jackets battling the waves as they attempted to win first place in one of the seven categories that were up for grabs.

Located in Pacifica, just outside San Francisco, this annual event attracted thousands of spectators last Saturday, August 5, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The whole event is run in aid of local animal welfare group charities, including this year’s benefactors, Rocket Dog Rescue, and the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and Rocket Dog Rescue. Some of the money raised was also lined up to benefit surfing and environmental nonprofit organisations, according to huffpost.com.

There were solo categories for competing canines of all sizes, with prizes for small, medium, large and extra large. Humans could also participate with their pooch in the tandem human-dog surf. There was even a prize for the best dog-dog ride of the day.

A panel of judges chose the respective winners based on their surfing style and the length of their ride on the wave. They finally plumped for a tie between Carson and Delilah in the small category.

The medium was won by an 11-year-old French bulldog named Cherie, and Faith won the large dog surfing category. An extra category of ‘Best in Show’ was won by a small terrier called Carson, as reported by surfdogchampionships.com.

Kevin Reed is credited with inventing the concept of what eventually became the World Dog Surfing Championships, according to its website. He is the author of ‘The Dog’s Guide to Surfing’, a book written in 2004.

In 2006, after his book was published, Kevin organised the first Surf Dog Competition at the Loews Coronado Hotel near the Californian city of San Diego. The idea caught on and developed into what is now an internationally recognised sport, with similar events staged in the UK, Australia, and Florida.