Dogs ride waves at World Dog Surfing Championships

Dogs rode waves at Pacifica’s Linda Mar Beach as the World Dog Surfing Championships marked a 10th year in the San Francisco Bay Area, turning a beach spectacle into a recurring fundraiser and local draw. The event mixed balance, training and costume-clad theater on the Pacifica State Beach break, where handlers guided dogs into the surf and judges watched every ride.

The Pacifica competition sits atop a longer history of surf-dog events. The Surf Dog Competitions sponsored by TasteTV began as the Small Wave Surf Dog Competition in 2006, created by TCB Cafe Publishing. The event’s history also traces the first surf dog competition in history to a concept proposed by the author of The Dog’s Guide to Surfing, a reminder that the modern championship grew out of years of experimentation before it became a Bay Area staple.

Its rules are built to keep the show controlled. The championships follow standard dog surf competition rules used around the globe, with judging based on length of ride, dog size, board size, safety protocols and style. That structure separates the contest from a casual stunt day on the beach and gives organizers a framework for comparing performances across heats and surf conditions.

The event’s charity page says the championships are not only for sport and fun, but also for good causes, and that local charities can raise money by sponsoring a contestant or a team. Donations are directed to Rocket Dog Rescue and Peninsula Humane Society. In practice, the field can get crowded and unusual: heats have featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people, which makes the competition as much about coordination and trust as it is about splashy entertainment.

Pacifica’s annual dog-surfing gathering has also become part of the city’s identity. NBC Bay Area said the event was celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2025, and the 2026 championship coverage placed it in its 10th year as well. That continuity has helped the event outgrow novelty status and become one of the summer’s most recognizable pet-centered public events, with rescue groups, sponsors and spectators all tied into the same shoreline ritual.