Canine surfers to ride waves in world championship
The dogs will vie for the title in the annual competition near San Francisco, watched by thousands of spectators
Charlie the yellow lab likes surfing so much he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water, so much so that his humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chitchat with friends on the beach.
On Saturday, Charlie is set to join about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders to vie for top dog in the World Dog Surfing Championships outside San Francisco. The annual contest draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach.
Participating pooches compete against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats feature multiple dogs surfing tandem on one board and dogs riding tandem with humans.
Judges scrutinise how long dogs remain on boards, how long they can hold their balance and whether they perform any tricks, like turning around while riding waves.
Charlie, aged 10, is due to enter the extra-large single surfer heat. He will also ride tandem with two other dogs on what their owners call “The Dream Team”.
“He loves the crowd,” said his owner, Maria Nieboer.