Dog Surfing popularity grows with competitions, accessibility and media coverage

The sport of dog surfing has grown considerably in popularity in recent years due to the increasing number of competitions and the national media attention those events have received.

You read that correctly. Dog surfing. Like dogs riding waves on surfboards. It almost always involves a dog standing on the board and a human pushing the surfing dog into the wave. As far-fetched as it sounds, the sport has grown so popular that there are now several competitions.

The biggest competition is the annual Loews Surf Dog competition in San Diego. In 2009, there were hundreds of participating dogs and many hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators. Purina’s Incredible Dog Challenge in San Diego included a dog surfing competition this year. Another competition, the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, is held in the fall. These events raise money for charities.

These competitions, as obscure as they may sound, have been featured in local and national news outlets, including NBC’s The Today Show, ESPN, The Baltimore Sun, and The SD Union Tribune.

In San Diego, in particular, the rise in popularity has also been helped by the accessibility of dog-friendly beaches. These beaches provide a place to teach dogs to surf, sit and watch other dogs surf, or a place for photographers to capture great images of dogs surfing. These beaches include North Beach in Del Mar, Imperial Beach, and Dog Beach in Ocean Beach.

A growing number of great photos and videos can be found online. There’s even a book, The Dog’s Guide to Surfing: Hanging Ten with Man’s Best Friend, as well as a popular calendar featuring San Diego dogs surfing every month.

If you have a dog and a surfboard give it a try. Dog surfing is a fun way to spend an afternoon at the beach and doesn’t require big waves. Just an anxious dog.

Lots of information, including locations, directions, photos, videos, and information about the competition, can be found at San Diego Dog Surfing.