Aviva Fried (US correspondent) // Photo credit: JOSH EDELSON / AFP
Pacifica Beach, south of San Francisco, hosted the World Dog Surfing Championships. About fifteen competitors of doggies competed on the waves, like Beach Boys with long hairs.
Sunglasses screwed on the muzzle, blue iroquois crest fluttering in the wind, Derby rides the waves of the Pacific. His technique, upside down on the board, seduces the public. Derby, a mix of golden retriever and poodle, is a seasoned surfer. Sport he practices with his master, Kentucky, who also shares the same hairstyle as his dog. “It’s our thing, we like to be coordinated. He likes being in the water, and doing what I do”, explains the master of Derby.
Derby, big winner of the competition
But today, the competition is fierce: with her pink lifejacket, topped with a shark’s fin, Iza the bulldog multiplies acrobatic tricks on her board, just like Charlie, the labrador. Who wants more, despite ice cold water.
On the beach, Casserole Queen, a bichon who wears an itsy bitsy blue bikini with white polka dots, makes eyes at the champions. “She loves all surfer dogs. She loves them all,” laughs the owner of the bichon. Just enough time to dry off by rolling in the sand, and it’s the medal ceremony. Derby, the star wins the gold medal. He will have well deserved an XXL bone.