By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The World Dog Surfing Championships took place on 5 August 2023 at Linda Mar State Beach, near San Francisco, California.
Dogs of all shapes and sizes wore wetsuits and goggles in seven surfing categories.
When choosing the winners, the judges considered the length of the ride and the dog’s style.
Thousands of pet lovers turned out to watch this event, which first took place near San Diego in 2006.
Kevin Reed, the author of the Book ‘The Dog’s Guide to Surfing’, published in 2004, is credited with inventing this sport, since when this has become an international sport, including events taking place in Australia and the United Kingdom.
This year’s event in the United States helped to raise money for local animal welfare groups.
Further information may be obtained by logging onto: ‘worldsurfdogchampionships.com’.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘