The World Dog Surfing Championships, officially the Norcal Dog Surfing event & World Championships, [n 1] is an annual dog surfing contest in Northern California, founded in 2016 and organized by TasteTV.
The World Dog Surfing Championships, officially the Norcal Dog Surfing event & World Championships, [n 1] is an annual dog surfing contest in Northern California, founded in 2016 and organized by TasteTV.
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. [1] Dogs surf with the assistance of a human who selects the wave or waves for the dog to ride. [2] 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. [3] The event raises money for animal, surfing, and environmental charities. [4] [5]
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. [4] [6] [7] [8]
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, [9] with Sampson, a Spaniel, second. Humpback whales breached offshore during the surfing. [2] [5] [10] [11] [12] [13] Video of Simon McCoy's unenthusiastic presentation of the story for BBC News was widely shared. [14] [15]
At the 2018 event, held on August 4, again at Linda Mar beach in Pacifica, [16] 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; [17] Shredder of the Year and All Heart awards were also introduced for the first time. [18]
The 2019 event took place on August 3, again at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, with approximately 50 contestants. [19] [20] Cherie, a French Bulldog from Newport Beach, won the Medium Surf Dogs and Top Dogs awards. [21] [22]
The 2020 championships, scheduled for August 1, were postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [23] A livestream hybrid event took place on September 26, using Zoom for live heats. [24]
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. [25]
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. [26] [27]
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. [28] [29] [30]
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.
Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship Tour victories. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.
Skimboarding or skimming is a boardsport in which a skimboard is used to glide across the water's surface to meet an incoming breaking wave, and ride it back to shore. There are currently 3 U.S. based competitive organizations including Premier Skim, Skim USA, and the United Skim Tour. Wave-riding skimboarders perform a variety of surface and air maneuvers, at various stages of their ride, out to, and back with, the wave. Some of these are known as "wraps", "big spins", "360 shove-its" and "180s". Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach by dropping the board onto the thin wash of previous waves. Skimboarders use their momentum to skim out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to surfing.
Mavericks is a surfing location in northern California outside Pillar Point Harbor, just north of the town of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-by-the-Sea. After a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely crest at over 25 ft (8 m) and top out at over 60 ft (18 m). Routinely, waves that break can be recorded on seismometers. The break is caused by an unusually shaped underwater rock formation.
Ocean Beach is a beach on the west coast of San Francisco, California, United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. It is adjacent to Golden Gate Park, the Richmond District, and the Sunset District. The Great Highway runs alongside the beach, and the Cliff House and the site of the former Sutro Baths sit at the northern end. The beach is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is administered by the National Park Service. It is accessible via Muni Metro at the Judah and La Playa station.
The World Surf League (WSL) is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world's best talent in a variety of progressive formats. The World Surf League was originally known as the International Professional Surfing founded by Fred Hemmings and Randy Rarick in 1976. IPS created the first world circuit of pro surfing events. In 1983 the Association of Surfing Pros took over management of the world circuit. In 2013, the ASP was acquired by ZoSea, backed by Paul Speaker, Terry Hardy, and Dirk Ziff. At the start of the 2015 season, the ASP changed its name to the World Surf League. Sophie Goldschmidt was appointed as WSL CEO on 19 July 2017. Paul Speaker had stepped down as CEO on 11 January 2017, and Dirk Ziff acted as the interim WSL CEO until Goldschmidt's appointment.
Pacifica State Beach is the southernmost of Pacifica, California's large beaches. It is a 0.75-mile-long (1.21 km) crescent-shaped beach located at the mouth of the San Pedro Valley in downtown Pacifica off State Route 1, in San Mateo County. Over one million people visit this beach annually.
Swami's is an area in San Diego County that contains Swami's Beach and other local attractions. The beach, also known as "Swami’s Reef'" and "Swamis", is an internationally known surfing spot, a point break located in Encinitas, San Diego County, California. Swami's was named after Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, because the grounds and hermitage of the Self-Realization Fellowship ashram, built in 1937, overlook this reef point. The name "Swami's" is also given to the sand beach that extends south from the point to the next beach access point, which is next to the San Elijo State Beach camping area; this more southerly surf spot often goes by the name "Pipes".
Mori Point is a 110-acre (0.4 km2) park located in Pacifica, California, that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Mori Point itself is a bluff next to the Pacific Ocean that provides scenic views of the peninsula coastline. In addition to the bluff and ridge, Mori Point contains a few small ponds and wetlands. Trails, many newly built, connect the ridgeline to the entrances to the park and to Sharp Park beach. A portion of the California Coastal Trail will run through Mori Point.
Moonlight State Beach is a state beach in Encinitas, California. It is located one fifth of one mile beyond the point where Encinitas Boulevard turns into B Street after it crosses Highway 101.
The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of the qualification process for the World Surf League and is a WSL QS 10,000 event. It is the largest surfing competition in the world. It has been owned by IMG since 2000.
Chile has many beaches for surfing, especially in the northern region where the weather conditions attract many surfers from all over the world. Except for the winter months surfing is possible all year. The water temperature ranges from 15 to 20 °C. Although the waves in central Chile are bigger, the waves in the north are stronger and are usually better suited for surfing. The cold waters of central and southern Chile can be brutal to surf, therefore, surfers adventuring into those areas are strongly advised on using a protective wetsuit to protect against the elements.
The Loews Coronado Bay Resort surf dog competition is an annual event held yearly since 2006 in Imperial Beach, California. In 2014, the name of the event was changed to Unleashed by Petco Surf Dog Competition.
Dog surfing is a type of surfing maneuver involving dogs that are trained to surf on surfboards, bodyboards, skimboards, windsurf boards or to bodysurf. Historically, surfing dogs have been documented as occurring as early as the 1920s in the United States. Competitions and exhibitions that feature surfing dogs have occurred in various coastal areas of the United States, such as Del Mar, California, Imperial Beach, California and Jupiter, Florida.
Surfing in the United States is a popular hobby in coastal areas, and more recently due to the invention of wave pools, inland regions of the country. It contributes to a lifestyle and culture in which millions participate and which millions more have an interest. USA surfing is the governing body for the sport of surfing in the United States, with surf leagues such as the World Surf League available in the country. Surfing can be traced back to 17th Century Hawaii and has evolved over time into the professional sport it is today, with surfing being included for the first time in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Ricochet was a female Golden Retriever dog from San Diego. She was one of the original surfing dogs that started the whole dog surfing circuit. She entered her first surf dog competition when she was 15 months old. She was a competitive surfing dog for several years and typically placed in one of the top three spots of competitions.
Surfing at the Summer Olympics made its debut in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympics was originally scheduled to be held in 2020, but was postponed to 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Noosa Surfing Dog Championship, officially called the VetShopAustralia Surfing Dog Championships, is an annual dog surfing contest held in Noosa, Australia as part of the Noosa Festival of Surfing. It was founded in 2012 and is organized by online retailer, VetShopAustralia.
Para surfing or adaptive surfing is a form of surfing in which a disabled individual uses a board or waveski to ride on a breaking wave. Competitively, the International Surfing Association (ISA) has hosted the World Para Surfing Championships annually since 2015. In addition, the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals (AASP) was formed in 2022 as the international governing body of professional adaptive surfing, and administers the AASP World Tour including events in Hawaii and California for its inaugural year. The Para Surf League (PSL), launched in 2022, organizes amateur and professional contests worldwide.
Media related to World Dog Surfing Championships at Wikimedia Commons