SAN DIEGO — Adorable “surFURs” took to the waves this weekend at the Del Mar Dog Beach for Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 18th Annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon.
Over 50 smiley canines of all shapes and sizes dove into action throughout the day, looking to fetch the top dog honors for their performance while raising funds for the orphaned pets at the animal center.
Competing in 10 minute heats, the “surFURs” showed off their skills before a panel of judges, which consisted of both surfing professionals and aficionados. The judges looked at the length of their ride, wave technique, enthusiasm and confidence to hand out awards for the best surfers for each weight class. Those top dogs then moved on to the “Best-In-Surf” finals.
The first-place award went to an adorable canine named Sugar, while Delilah and Guinness came in second and third respectively.
On top of the main event, dogs and their humans were able to compete in a freestyle surf contest where creativity was on display, as well as a “Peeps & Pups” tandem competition.
According to Helen Woodward, their annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon is one of the longest running competitive dog surfing competitions in the country.
While the sport for furry pals has existed since the 1920s, dog surfing has skyrocketed in popularity over the last two decades. However, it mostly existed in the realm of entertainment.
Of course, though, surfing dogs aren’t born with an innate ability to hang ten and most owners don’t teach their fur-babies to do so on their own.
Since 2013, Helen Woodward has hosted classes to help their Surf-A-Thon competitors learn how to shred waves. This year, the lessons are put on in partnership with SoCal Surf Dogs.
Then, the lessons move onto teaching the pups how to stand on their boards, before they are taken into shallow waters where they get the chance to learn how to balance and float before getting to ride the waves with the assistance of Dog Surfing professionals.
