On Sunday, dogs and their owners took to Del Mar Dog Beach in California for the 14th annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon presented by Blue Buffalo.
The Surf Dog competition started in 2005 to help raise life saving funds for rescue canines through the Helen Woodward Animal Center.
The center and SoCal Surf Dogs offer surfing lessons to dogs looking for their big break in the surfing world. This year, approximately 170 pups took part in the classes alongside their humans.
More than 80 dogs faced off for the coveted title of Top Surf Dog 2019 during Sunday’s competition. Each heat was 10-minutes long. The competitors were divided up based on dog size and whether or not their owner would be surfing with them.
The pups were allowed to be accompanied into the ocean by their human partners, who could help them while the panel of judges, including pro surfers and dog surfing experts, looked on.
Each dog was judged on their ability to ride the waves, stay on the board and show off their surf spirit. There were first, second and first place winners in each weight class.
Following that, the winners of each category battled against each other for the title of Top Surf Dog 2019 during the Best In Surf heat.
There was also a freestyle surf contest where dogs and their owners were judged on their creativity on the waves. Some dogs competed alone, some with their best furry friends and others with their human companions.
In this heat, dogs wore hilarious costumes and performed tricks to try and wow the judges.
Faith The Surfing Pitbull won the sought after title of Top Surf Dog 2019, Surf Dog Turbo came in second and Giselle The Surfer Girl finished in third place.
To learn more about the Helen Woodward Animal Center and make a donation, you can head to their official website here.
