The 10th annual World Dog Surfing Championship was held Saturday at Linda Mar Beach, drawing thousands of spectators to watch dogs of nearly every breed and size compete on surfboards along the Northern California coast.
The event began in 2006 as the Small Wave Surf Dog Competition, organized by TCB Cafe Publishing and later sponsored by TasteTV. It has since inspired similar competitions in Florida, Australia, and the United Kingdom, though “Pacifica” remains home to the original event and is widely regarded as the largest dog surfing competition in the world.
Competitors were judged on three criteria: how long a dog stayed balanced on the board, the size of the wave it caught, and its overall confidence during the ride. Dogs competed in small, medium, and large divisions, progressing through preliminary heats before the top scorers advanced to the finals.
The competition faced weather-related complications this year. A surf advisory along the coast created rougher conditions than usual, prompting organizers to cancel the closing “surf-off” round, in which category winners typically face off for the overall title. U.S. Representative Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, who attended the event, described it as “the most iconic event on the planet.”
Rosie Drottar, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever from Santa Cruz, was the most decorated athlete at Saturday’s World Dog Surfing Championships.
Rosie won the Large Dog Surfing Heat, plus tandem and stand-up paddleboard titles, before taking home the Spirit of Surfing Award.… pic.twitter.com/o4qAagVDyR
— SFGATE (@SFGate) August 2, 2026
Despite the cancellation, the crowd remained engaged throughout the day. Spectators lined the beach several rows deep, cheering loudly each time a dog successfully caught a wave and groaned collectively at the frequent wipeouts.
Among the competitors was Rusty, a Miniature Pinscher owned by Sophia Sadlowski of Huntington Beach. Sadlowski said she first put Rusty on a surfboard as a puppy to take photographs, and the activity became a regular pursuit after that. Rusty competed in his first event at four months old, placing third, and has competed regularly since. Sadlowski said she and Rusty are both currently cancer-free. This year, Rusty won his size division.
The tandem division, in which multiple dogs or dogs paired with human surfers share a single board, drew some of the loudest reactions from the crowd. A dog named Rosie won her category this year. Her surf partner, Steve Drottar, described the conditions as challenging but said the event remained worthwhile.
Beyond the competition, the event also served as a fundraiser for local animal welfare organizations and included an on-site pet adoption drive, giving several shelter dogs exposure to potential adopters throughout the day.
Organizers said attendance figures were not officially tracked, since admission to the event is free, but noted that turnout has grown steadily each year since the competition’s founding. This year’s event was also filmed for a forthcoming broadcast on ESPN8: The Ocho, extending its reach beyond the beach itself.
Now in its second decade, the World Dog Surfing Championships have grown from a small regional gathering into an event that draws national attention, combining competitive judging, charitable fundraising, and, for many in attendance, an afternoon spent simply watching dogs do something unexpectedly well.