World Dog Surfing Championship returns to California

THE CITY BY NEXT SUMMER. WELL, NOW FOR A POSITIVELY CUTE STORY. THE WORLD DOG SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURNED TO PACIFICA TODAY, AND THOUSANDS OF SPECTATORS, FOUR LEGGED AND TWO LEGGED, CHEERED ON CANINE SURFERS. KCRA 3’S SARAH MCGREW WAS THERE FOR ALL THE ACTION. WE’VE SEEN THE LITTLEST OF DOGS. WE’VE SEEN SOME BIG DOGS, ALL OF THEM ABSOLUTELY GOOD BOYS AND GOOD GIRLS. IF YOU’VE NOT BEEN TO PACIFICA FOR THE WORLD DOG SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR. IT’S A TRADITION, UNIQUELY CALIFORNIAN FROM THE LITTLEST OF GUYS TO THE BIG GIRLS IN TUTUS AND EVEN SOME SURFING DUOS. EACH COMPETITOR HANDLED THE ROUGH WAVES LIKE A TRUE PRO. THE DOGS ALL GO HOME THINKING THEY JUST HAD A GREAT DAY. THE WORLD DOG SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP IN PACIFICA ATTRACTS A GOOD BOYS AND GOOD GIRLS FROM UP AND DOWN THE PCH AND ACROSS THE WORLD. THEIR OWNERS TAG ALONG TO THE DOG IS SAMMY JR. SAMMY JR. YEAH, SAMMY WHEN HE’S A GOOD BOY AND JR WHEN HE DOES SOMETHING WRONG. DON HAS BEEN COMPETING WITH HIS DOGS FOR YEARS, BUT THIS IS SAMMY’S FIRST TIME AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. AT 11 MONTHS. IT’S PRETTY AMAZING WHAT HE’S DOING. SO TODAY I’M THE OLDEST HANDLER AND HE’S THE YOUNGEST DOG. TOGETHER, THEY KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT HANGING TEN AND LETTING THE WAVE TAKE YOU IN. IT TAKES TIME. IT TAKES EFFORT. WHILE PRACTICE IS IMPORTANT, IT’S THE BOND BETWEEN DOG AND HUMAN THAT WILL MAKE YOU WAG YOUR TAIL. THE BOND YOU HAVE WITH THE DOG BECOMES. AMAZING BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE OUT IN THE OCEAN, YOU’RE ASKING THEM TO DO SOMETHING WAY BEYOND WHAT THEY WOULD BE DOING BY THEMSELVES. AND AS A RESULT, YOU END UP WITH A BOND WITH YOUR DOG. THAT’S JUST BECAUSE HE HAS TO TOTALLY TRUST YOU TO DO THIS. AND YOU HAVE TO. YOU HAVE TO BUILD THAT TRUST. AND THEN YOU JUST YOU CAN’T BELIEVE IT. YOU. NOW, THIS IS PROBABLY THE PART WHERE I TELL YOU WHO WON THE COMPETITION. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ALL HAD FUN. THEY ALL WON. REPORTING IN PACIFICA, SARAH MCGREW KCRA THREE NEWS. THEY ARE ALL WINNERS. WE’RE WINNERS TO BE ABLE TO SEE THESE DOGS ON SURFBOARDS. THAT WAS JUST AMAZING. THAT EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT OF COURSE THERE’S ALWAYS MERCH AVAILABLE FOR SALE, AND SOME OF THOSE PROCEEDS GO TO LOCA

Updated: 4:04 PM CDT Aug 3, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

World Dog Surfing Championship returns to California

Updated: 4:04 PM CDT Aug 3, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

The World Dog Surfing Championship returned to Pacifica, California, for a "pawsitively" joyful day on the waves.Good boys and good girls from up and down the Pacific Coast Highway and around the world participated in this year's event. From the littlest of mutts to the biggest pups, each competitor handled the "ruff" waves like a true pro. "The dogs all go home thinking they just had a great day," said surfer Don Horn. Horn was competing with his 11-month-old pup, Sammy JR. Horn has been competing with his dogs for years, but this year was Sammy's first world championship. "At 11 months, it's pretty amazing what he's doing," Horn said. " Today, I'm the oldest handler and he's the youngest dog."While the surfing dogs are a sight to behold, the biggest joy for handlers like Horn is the bond they develop with their surfing pals. "The bond you have with a dog becomes amazing because when you're out in the ocean, you're asking them to do something way beyond what they would be doing by themselves. As a result, you end up with a bond with your dog because he has to totally trust you to do this, and you have to build that trust," Horn said.

The World Dog Surfing Championship returned to Pacifica, California, for a "pawsitively" joyful day on the waves.

Good boys and good girls from up and down the Pacific Coast Highway and around the world participated in this year's event. From the littlest of mutts to the biggest pups, each competitor handled the "ruff" waves like a true pro.

"The dogs all go home thinking they just had a great day," said surfer Don Horn.

Horn was competing with his 11-month-old pup, Sammy JR. Horn has been competing with his dogs for years, but this year was Sammy's first world championship.

Sarah McGrew, Hearst TV

Don Horn and Sammy prepare to catch a wave in Pacifica, CA

"At 11 months, it's pretty amazing what he's doing," Horn said. " Today, I'm the oldest handler and he's the youngest dog."

While the surfing dogs are a sight to behold, the biggest joy for handlers like Horn is the bond they develop with their surfing pals.

"The bond you have with a dog becomes amazing because when you're out in the ocean, you're asking them to do something way beyond what they would be doing by themselves. As a result, you end up with a bond with your dog because he has to totally trust you to do this, and you have to build that trust," Horn said.

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