If you have a few minutes, check out this video that shows highlights of the SurfinPaws event down down at Dog Beach.
It looks like the pups were riding some pretty good-sized waves, and there was a lot of stoke on the sand.
I paddle gently as a wave comes, trying hard not to knock the cute little doggy wearing a life vest sitting on the tip of the surfboard into the chilly water.
“Don’t worry, just go for it,” says Kia’s owner, Rene Bruce. “You’ll fall off before she does.”
I wonder if that was an observation about my surf skills, or the dogs’.
I met up with Bruce and Kia this morning to see just what this pooch can do, and found myself grinning ear-to-ear as I got to surf with the dogs at the Santa Ana River mouth in Newport Beach.
Bruce is in the midst of bringing Orange County’s first dog surfing contest - the SurfinPaws Dog Jam - to the beach on July 11, an event that already has 30 dogs signed up.
Some of the dogs met up on Sunday to take a tutorial on surfing: First getting the dogs ready by standing them up in calm waters, and if they do well enough, pushing them into the whitewash as waves come through.
The idea for the dog contest came from a similar one held down in San Diego, which has a motto: “Surf Dogs rule, Show Dogs drool!” The Orange County event will benefit the Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (OCSPCA).
Matthew and Sasha Seward of Huntington Beach brought their two dogs, Luke and Maggie, to see if they could catch some waves.
Luke is a rescue dog, found tied up to a bumper in Costa Mesa, malnourished and flea infested.
But these days, the small, gold Kooiker Hound spends his days at the beach, balancing himself on a surfboard. And on Sunday, he took his first solo wave, as his board was pushed into the whitewash.
If you have a dog that likes to fetch waves instead of balls, check out this SurfinPaws Dog Jam coming up at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Your pooch doesn’t have to be an expert wave rider to participate at the July 11 event. The contest is more of a fundraiser for the Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Registration is open to dogs of all ages, sizes and abilities; with a $25.50 per dog registration fee profiting the OCSPCA.
The surf competition is open to the public and free for anyone to watch. At noon, there will be an expression session, where organizers are going to attempt to get more than eleven dogs on one board for a world record.
This is the first year for the SurfinPaws event. It was started by René Bruce and his pet inspiration, Kia, who has participated in a surf dog competition that was put on by a friend in Del Mar. Kia is a seven year-old Russell Terrier and is the “spokesdog” of the Surfinpaws Dog Jam.
Check out Kia surfing waves down in Del Mar recently:
Kia has been riding boards, scooters and jet skis since she was a pup. She has been featured on various news sites, Reuters, National Geographic and The Discovery Channel because of her riding talents. You can also find Kia on her Web site.
When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Red carpet and auction festivities will follow the competition at the Waterfront Hilton Huntington Beach from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Bolsa Chica State Beach
For more information about The SurfinPaws Dog Jam, rules and regulations, or
to register your dog, visit surfinpaws.com.
Local surfers recognized Surfline wire news
