Does your dog love to go for a swim? Does he love to hang-ten like Abbie Girl? That’s right, hang-ten. You would think it sounds crazy, but an Australian Kelpie named Abbie Girl has won the World Dog Surfing Championship for the second year in a row.
This thrilling event features dogs of all shapes and sizes surfing in Pacifica, Calif. The dogs are scored by a group of three judges.
The World Championship was held August 5th and more than 1,000 people showed up to cheer them on, NPR reports. The dogs can compete alone on a surf board, or in tandem with another person or with another dog.
Abbie Girl wowed the judges for the second year in a row. Not only did she stay on the board, she surfed for 20 feet, even lifting a front leg to balance, and then landed on the beach.
Michael Uy, Abbie’s owner, told NPR the simple story of how she got involved in this unusual sport: “One time we put her on a surfboard to rest. And she stood up on the board and we thought, ‘Well, why don’t we put her on a wave and see what happens?’ and she just rode it all the way into shore.”
Surfing for dogs has grown rapidly since the first competition was held in San Diego 12 years ago. And the safety and happiness of the dogs is always top priority.
“No. 1 is stay on the board and No. 2 is looking happy,” said judge Sam Stahl.
Abbie Girl certainly looks like she’s always enjoying the ride.
Think your dog would be interested in the competition? Learn more about getting started from the World Dog Surfing Championships.
Or, if your dog isn’t quite ready to get on a board, but loves the water, you can check out Dock Diving! In this water sport, dogs run off a dock and jump into a pool. Just like surfing, it’s safe, great exercise, and amazing fun. Learn more, here.
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