The four-legged wave riders – and thousands of two-legged spectators – gathered over the weekend south of San Francisco for the annual event that has come to be called the dogs' World Championship in surfing.
The participants compete against other dogs of similar size. The winners in each class receive a medal and also get to enjoy the great honor.
The judges examine how long the dogs can maintain their balance and stand on the boards and if they perform any tricks, such as turning around, while riding the waves of the sea.
Five-year-old Iza won the class where medium-sized dogs stand alone on the board, to the great joy and pride of her owner David Fasolis.
The ten-year-old Labrador Charlie loves the water so much that his owners – Maria and Jeff Nieboer – usually hide the dog's board if they want to avoid detection before departing for the beach.
He loves the audience, says the owner about her happy dog.
