Charlie, a 10-year-old yellow lab, likes surfing so much that he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water. His owners sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chat with friends on the beach. Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica on Saturday for the World Dog Surfing Championship, an annual contest that draws thousands of spectators. Pooches competed against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people. Labs, terriers and spaniels in monogrammed life vests dog-paddled out into the Pacific. Once out on the waves, their owners helped them hop on colorful boards and hang ten as the crowd cheered from the beach.
Judges scrutinized how long the dogs remained on their boards, how long they held their balance, and whether they performed any tricks, like turning around while riding. The 2025 World Dog Surfing Championship saw Cacau (pictured above), a Labrador, win the grand champion title for the second year in a row. Faith, a 14-year-old Pitbull, won the large dogs division, and Iza, a French Bulldog won the medium dogs division.
