Everyone Loves Surfing Dogs
What’s not to love about Surfing Dogs?Over 4,000 surfing dog fans of all ages gathered in the sun at First Point, Noosa on Saturday 15 May for the 10th annual VetShopAustralia Surfing Dog Championships.
Held on the first day of the Noosa Festival of Surfing, the Surfing Dog Championships always draws the biggest crowd of the entire festival and the 2021 event was no exception despite the international travel ban and moving from its usual dates in March.
The dynamic duo of Dan Bleicher and Pickles the Pug were the eventual winners of the 2021 Best Wave Award, impressing the judges with Pickles skill in her dismount.
The competitors were determined to put on a show for the crowd and had to work hard to impress despite less of a swell than previous years.
Leading the pack out for another year was former world champion tandem surfer Chris de Aboitiz accompanied by his dogs Rama and new addition Fearless Foily.
Three-time winners Paul “Jonesy” Jones and his 11-year-old Spanador (Spaniel x Labrador) Hugsley were not far behind with kids Opal and Hughie coming along for a surf also.
Fan-favourite Porkchops the British Bulldog and his owner Sam travelled up from the Gold Coast to show off their surfing skills.
Rescue dog Spike and his owner Rob and Teddy the cat travelled all the way up from Melbourne once more to compete, with the pair donning their signature Hawaiian leis for the event, happy to be in the temperate waters of First Point.
Border Collies Indi and Anna rode out with owner Caitlin, alongside Eliza and her Kelpie x Retriever William, and newest members of the Surfing Dog pack, Michele and her Groodle (Golden Retriever x Poodle) Poppy, the first ever -Oodle to compete.
They were joined in the waves with Chris and ball-mad Kelpie Banjo, Jay and his giant Golden Retriever Cooper, and Blue Staffy Bu and owner Dane.
Crowds were treated to a display of acrobatic agility thanks to Border Collie Sage and her owner Dan, who would go on to win the event with Pickles the Pug.
New co-sponsor Simparica Trio were thrilled to join the event and promote the importance of choosing the right kind of protection for dogs living the enviable Sunshine Coast lifestyle.
VetShopAustralia head veterinarian Dr. Mark Perissinotto was a part of the judging panel for the 2021 Best Wave Award and spoke of the difficulty the judges had in picking a winner.
“This year’s competition was closer than ever before and we had a really hard time picking a winner as everyone brought their A-game this year.”
“After over five minutes of deliberation we agreed on Dan and Pickles as we were impressed with the confidence the little Pug cross showed despite having only taken up surfing the previous week.”
Surfing dog fans can see all the photos and videos of these amazing dogs in action at www.SurfingDogChampionships.com.au.
