Move over agility pooches, in Southern California the dogs compete in surfing. Soon they can enter contest like the Surfin’ Paws 2009 winner, Nani shown below. Nani is an 84-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, which proves that his sport isn’t just for those with a low center of gravity. According to Nani’s owner, Peter Noll, she was introduced to the water a mere nine months ago.
It all starts with practice and interest, but now there are even classes for these surfing athletes. There styles may differ, most preferring to start off standing backward on the board. Some have a style of laying down on the board.
The Surfin’ Paws Dog Jam at Huntington Beach had more than 40
pooches hitting the boards with enthusiasm on a recent day. Owners and dogs are out there for the fun of it and as they gain more experience, the thrill of surfing rises.
"One dog actually sat down on his haunches to catch the wave, and then the board started to tilt, and he put his leg out to steady it. It was pretty incredible,” said Sam Wenzel, a veteran surfer.
Comments